Prove that for each integer number n, n≥3, the following 2n-digit number n−11…12n−28…896 is a perfect square.
Solution
The number under consideration can be expressed as follows: (102n−1+102n−2+⋯+10n+1)+2⋅10n+8⋅(10n−1+10n−2+⋯+102)+96=10n+1⋅910n−1−1+2⋅10n+8⋅102⋅910n−2−1+96=9102n−10n+1+18⋅10n+800⋅10n−2−800+9⋅96=9102n+16⋅10n+64=(310n+8)2. As required, we have obtained a perfect square, because the number 10n+8 is divisible by 3, as the sum of its digits equals 9.
1296=362,112896=3362,11128896=33362,… we easily guess that for each n≥2, n−11…128n−2896=n−133…362. The exact proof can be done by using the usual multiplication scheme: 333…3336×333…33362000…001610000…008100000…081000000…8⋮1…00000810…00008100…0008111…112888…8896
Both (identical) factors are n-digit, hence an (n+1)-digit number stands in each of the n rows between the two delimiting lines. From this fact, it is easy to determine the values of digits (including the numbers of appearances) in the resulting product.
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Source: MathNet,
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