Problem:
A natural number has the property that if divides , then the number obtained from by reversing the order of its digits is also divisible by . Prove that is a divisor of .
Solution
Solution:
Let denote the number obtained from by reversing the digits.
We show first that cannot be divisible by or . It cannot be divisible by both, for then it ends in a zero and hence and so is not divisible by (contradiction). So if divides , then the last digit of must be . Since is divisible by its last digit must also be , so the first digit of is . But now has first digit ( and ), so has last digit and cannot be divisible by . Contradiction. If divides , then every multiple of must be even. So the last digit of must be even and hence the first digit of must be , , , or . If , then has first digit , so is odd. Contradiction. Similarly, if the first digit is , has first digit ; if , then has first digit ; if , then has first digit . Contradiction. So is not divisible by or .
Suppose . divides , so . Hence , where . The reverse of this, , is also divisible by . So is the reverse of , and hence also their difference: . has no factors or , so must divide . Adding , we find that also divides ( consecutive s.
We can now carry out exactly the same argument starting with . This leads to dividing and hence also . Subtracting times this from the previous number we conclude that must divide .
Finally, we note that any factor of has the required property. For and divide a number if and only if they divide its digit sum. So if is divisible by or , then the number formed by any rearrangement of its digits is also divisible by or . is divisible by if and only if the difference between the sums of alternate digits is divisible by , so if is divisible by , then so is its reverse.