Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /4 of 11

Algebra Difficulty 4.4 AIME Find the answer China

Let T={0,1,2,3,4,5,6}T = \{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6\} and M={a17+a272+a373+a474;aiT,i=1,2,3,4}M = \{\frac{a_1}{7} + \frac{a_2}{7^2} + \frac{a_3}{7^3} + \frac{a_4}{7^4}; a_i \in T, i = 1, 2, 3, 4\}. Arrange the numbers in MM in the descending order. Then the 2 005-th number is:

Pick one

Solution

Let [a1a2ak]p[a_1 a_2 \cdots a_k]_p be a number base pp with kk digits. Multiply each number in MM by 747^4, and we get
M={a173+a272+a37+a4;aiT,i=1,2,3,4}={[a1a2a3a4]7aiT,i=1,2,3,4}. M' = \{a_1 7^3 + a_2 7^2 + a_3 7 + a_4; a_i \in T, i = 1, 2, 3, 4\} = \{[a_1 a_2 a_3 a_4]'_7 \mid a_i \in T, i = 1, 2, 3, 4\}.
The maximum number in MM' is [6666]7=[2400]10[6666]_7 = [2400]_{10}.
In the decimal system, starting from 2 400 in the descending order, the 2 005-th number is 24002004=3962400 - 2004 = 396. But [396]10=[1104]7[396]_{10} = [1104]_7. Divide this number by 747^4, we get a number in MM, that is 17+172+073+474\frac{1}{7} + \frac{1}{7^2} + \frac{0}{7^3} + \frac{4}{7^4}. Answer: C.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.