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For a positive integer nn, we consider all its divisors (including 11 and itself). Suppose that p%p\% of these divisors have their unit digit equal to 33 (For example n=117n=117, has six divisors, namely 1,3,9,13,39,1171, 3, 9, 13, 39, 117. Two of these divisors, namely 33 and 1313, have unit digits equal to 33. Hence for n=117n=117, p=33.33p=33.33\cdots). Find, when nn is any positive integer, the maximum possible value of pp.

Solution

Let nn be a positive integer. Consider D1D_{1}, the set of all divisors of nn with unit digit 33, and D2D_{2} the set of all the other divisors of nn.

If the unit digit of nn is different from 99, consider the map δ:D1D2\delta: D_{1} \longrightarrow D_{2} defined by δ(d)=nd\delta(d) = \frac{n}{d} for all dD1d \in D_{1}. If d3mod10d \equiv 3 \bmod 10 and δ(d)3mod10\delta(d) \equiv 3 \bmod 10 for some dD1d \in D_{1}, then n=dδ(d)9mod10n = d \cdot \delta(d) \equiv 9 \bmod 10 which is a contradiction. Then the map δ\delta is well defined. Clearly, the map δ\delta is an injective map. Therefore the cardinality of D1D_{1} is less than or equal to the cardinality of D2D_{2}. Hence p50p \leq 50.

If the unit digit of nn is equal to 99, the integer nn is neither divisible by 22 nor by 55. This means that all prime divisors of nn have unit digit equal to 1,3,51, 3, 5, or 99.

If all prime divisors of nn have unit digits equal to 11 or 99, all divisors of nn have unit digits equal to 11 or 99. Therefore p=0p = 0.

If the integer nn has a prime divisor pp with unit digit 33 or 77, consider the map δ:D1D2\delta: D_{1} \longrightarrow D_{2} defined for dD1d \in D_{1} by δ(d)=dp\delta(d) = \frac{d}{p} if pp divides dd and by δ(d)=pd\delta(d) = p d otherwise. We can see easily in both cases, that the unit digit of δ(d)\delta(d) is equal to 11 or 99. Hence δ\delta is well defined.

Assume that there exist d1,d2D1d_{1}, d_{2} \in D_{1} such that δ(d1)=δ(d2)\delta\left(d_{1}\right) = \delta\left(d_{2}\right). It is clear that if both d1,d2d_{1}, d_{2} are divisible by pp or both d1,d2d_{1}, d_{2} are not divisible by pp, we have d1=d2d_{1} = d_{2}. Assume that d1d_{1} is divisible by pp and d2d_{2} is not divisible by pp. We have d1p=d2p\frac{d_{1}}{p} = d_{2} p, which is equivalent to d1=p2d2d_{1} = p^{2} d_{2}. Because d1d23mod10d_{1} \equiv d_{2} \equiv 3 \bmod 10, we deduce that p21mod10p^{2} \equiv 1 \bmod 10, which contradicts the fact that p21mod10p^{2} \equiv -1 \bmod 10 since p3,7mod10p \equiv 3, 7 \bmod 10. Hence δ\delta is injective and therefore the cardinality of D1D_{1} is less than or equal to the cardinality of D2D_{2}. Thus p50p \leq 50.

Notice that for n=3n = 3, its divisors are 1,31, 3 and p=50p = 50. This proves that the maximum possible value of pp is 5050.

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