Problem:
Prove that any 39 successive natural numbers include at least one whose digit sum is divisible by 11.
Solution
Solution:
Let be the smallest number in the sequence and the smallest with last digit . and have different digit sums unless (possibly) the penultimate digit of is , but in that case and have different digit sums. So two of , , are sure to have different digit sums. Hence at least one has a digit sum not congruent to . Adding the appropriate final digit gives a number whose digit sum is divisible by . This number lies in the range to and . Hence the result. shows it is best possible.
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