Maths Olympiad Prep

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, 2020

Number theory Difficulty 5.0 AIME, harder Prove it United Kingdom

In the UK, 1p, 2p and 5p coins have thicknesses of 1.61.6 mm, 2.052.05 mm and 1.751.75 mm respectively.

Using only 1p and 5p coins, Joe builds the shortest (non-empty) stack he can whose height in millimetres is equal to its value in pence. Penny does the same but using only 2p and 5p coins.

Whose stack is more valuable?

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Source: UK Mathematics Trust, licensed © UK Mathematics Trust; past papers published free at ukmt.org.uk. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project. Solutions are the publisher's, linked not copied.