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Problem 243

Number theory Difficulty 2.0 Prove it CEMC Fryer · Canada · 2017

A store sells packages of red pens and packages of blue pens. Red pens are sold only in packages of 6 pens. Blue pens are sold only in packages of 9 pens.

Igor bought 5 packages of red pens and 3 packages of blue pens. How many pens did he buy altogether?
Robin bought 369 pens. She bought 21 packages of red pens. How many packages of blue pens did she buy?
Explain why it is not possible for Susan to buy exactly 31 pens.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, then read the official solution and mark yourself. Be honest about it: the record is only any use to you if it is.

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Official solution

Expressing 15\dfrac15 and 14\dfrac14 with a common denominator of 40, we get 15=840\dfrac15=\dfrac{8}{40} and 14=1040\dfrac14=\dfrac{10}{40}.

We require that n40>840\dfrac{n}{40}>\dfrac{8}{40} and n40<1040\dfrac{n}{40}<\dfrac{10}{40}, thus n>8n>8 and n<10n<10.

The only integer nn that satisfies both of these inequalities is n=9n=9.
Expressing m8\dfrac m8 and 13\dfrac13 with a common denominator of 24, we require 3m24>824\dfrac{3m}{24}>\dfrac{8}{24} and so 3m>83m>8 or m>83m>\dfrac83.

Since 83=223\dfrac83=2\dfrac23 and mm is an integer, then m3m\geq3.

Expressing m+18\dfrac {m+1}{8} and 23\dfrac23 with a common denominator of 24, we require 3(m+1)24<1624\dfrac{3(m+1)}{24}<\dfrac{16}{24} or 3m+3<163m+3<16 or 3m<133m<13, and so m<133m<\dfrac{13}{3}.

Since 133=413\dfrac{13}{3}=4\dfrac13 and mm is an integer, then m4m\leq4.

The integer values of mm which satisfy m3m\geq3 and m4m\leq4 are m=3m=3 and m=4m=4.
At the start of the weekend, Fiona has played 30 games and has ww wins, so her win ratio is w30\dfrac{w}{30}.

Fiona’s win ratio at the start of the weekend is greater than 0.5=120.5=\dfrac12, and so w30>12\dfrac{w}{30}>\dfrac12.

Since 12=1530\dfrac12=\dfrac{15}{30}, then we get w30>1530\dfrac{w}{30}>\dfrac{15}{30}, and so w>15w>15.

During the weekend Fiona plays five games giving her a total of 30+5=3530+5=35 games played.

Since she wins three of these games, she now has w+3w+3 wins, and so her win ratio is w+335\dfrac{w+3}{35}.

Fiona’s win ratio at the end of the weekend is less than 0.7=7100.7=\dfrac{7}{10}, and so w+335<710\dfrac{w+3}{35}<\dfrac{7}{10}.

Rewriting this inequality with a common denominator of 70, we get 2(w+3)70<4970\dfrac{2(w+3)}{70}<\dfrac{49}{70} or 2(w+3)<492(w+3)<49 or 2w+6<492w+6<49 or 2w<432w<43, and so w<432w<\dfrac{43}{2}.

Since 432=2112\dfrac{43}{2}=21\dfrac12 and ww is an integer, then w21w\leq21.

The integer values of ww which satisfy w>15w>15 and w21w\leq21 are w=16,17,18,19,20,21w=16,17,18,19,20,21.

Source: CEMC, University of Waterloo, licensed CC-BY-NC-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty, ordering) added by this project.