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Algebra Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Czech Republic

Prove that for each integer number nn, n3n \ge 3, the following 2n2n-digit number
112n188n296 \underbrace{1\dots12}_{n-1} \underbrace{8\dots8}_{n-2} 96
is a perfect square.

Solution

The number under consideration can be expressed as follows:
(102n1+102n2++10n+1)+210n+8(10n1+10n2++102)+96=10n+110n119+210n+810210n219+96=102n10n+1+1810n+80010n2800+9969=102n+1610n+649=(10n+83)2. \begin{aligned} & (10^{2n-1} + 10^{2n-2} + \dots + 10^{n+1}) + 2 \cdot 10^n + 8 \cdot (10^{n-1} + 10^{n-2} + \dots + 10^2) + 96 \\ &= 10^{n+1} \cdot \frac{10^{n-1}-1}{9} + 2 \cdot 10^n + 8 \cdot 10^2 \cdot \frac{10^{n-2}-1}{9} + 96 \\ &= \frac{10^{2n} - 10^{n+1} + 18 \cdot 10^n + 800 \cdot 10^{n-2} - 800 + 9 \cdot 96}{9} \\ &= \frac{10^{2n} + 16 \cdot 10^n + 64}{9} = \left( \frac{10^n + 8}{3} \right)^2. \end{aligned}
As required, we have obtained a perfect square, because the number 10n+810^n+8 is divisible by 3, as the sum of its digits equals 9.

1296=362,112896=3362,11128896=33362,1296 = 36^2, 112896 = 336^2, 11128896 = 3336^2, \dots
we easily guess that for each n2n \ge 2,
1128n1896n2=33362n1. \underbrace{1\dots128}_{n-1} \underbrace{896}_{n-2} = \underbrace{33\dots36^2}_{n-1}.
The exact proof can be done by using the usual multiplication scheme:
3333336×3333336200000161000000810000008100000081000008100000810000081111128888896 \begin{array}{r} 333\dots3336 \\ \times 333\dots3336 \\ \hline 2000\dots0016 \\ 10000\dots008 \\ 100000\dots08 \\ 1000000\dots8 \\ \vdots \\ 1\dots000008 \\ 10\dots00008 \\ 100\dots0008 \\ \hline 111\dots112888\dots8896 \end{array}

Both (identical) factors are nn-digit, hence an (n+1)(n + 1)-digit number stands in each of the nn 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, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.