Call a positive integer prime-prone if there exist at least three prime numbers from which we can get by removing the last digit. Prove that every two prime-prone positive integers differ from each other by at least . (Juniors.)
, 2010
Solution
As the prime numbers under consideration have at least two digits, the last digit can be only , , , or . Thus is prime-prone if and only if, among numbers , , , and , at least three are primes.
If , then and are divisible by and hence composite. If , then and are divisible by and hence composite again. Consequently, all prime-prone integers are congruent to , and hence to each other, modulo . Thus they differ by a multiple of , i.e., by at least .
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