Maths Olympiad Prep

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Combinatorics Difficulty 5.0 AIME, harder Find the answer

Consider the equation FORTY+TEN+TEN=SIXTYF O R T Y+T E N+T E N=S I X T Y, where each of the ten letters represents a distinct digit from 0 to 9. Find all possible values of SIXTYS I X T Y.

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

Since Y+N+NY+N+N ends in YY, NN must be 0 or 5. But if N=5N=5 then T+E+E+1T+E+E+1 ends in T, which is impossible, so N=0N=0 and E=5E=5. Since FSF \neq S we must have O=9,R+T+T+1>10O=9, R+T+T+1>10, and S=F+1S=F+1. Now I0I \neq 0, so it must be that I=1I=1 and R+T+T+1>20R+T+T+1>20. Thus RR and TT are 6 and 7, 6 and 8, or 7 and 8 in some order. But XX can't be 0 or 1 since those are taken, and XX cannot be 3 since FF and SS have to be consecutive, so it must be that R+T+T+1R+T+T+1 is 21 or 23. This is satisfied only for R=7,T=8R=7, T=8, so F=2,S=3F=2, S=3, and Y=6Y=6. This SIXTY=31486S I X T Y=\mathbf{31486}.

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