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Problem 822

AMC 10/12, early questions
Number theory Difficulty 3.8 Multiple choice CEMC Gauss (Grade 7) · Canada · 2025

Suppose a,ba, b and cc are the last three digits of the
six-digit integer N=111 abcN = 111\,abc. If
NN is divisible by 1818, how many possibilities are there for
NN?

Pick one

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Official solution

Solution 1:

We are being asked to find the number of multiples of 1818 between 111 000111\,000 and 111 999111\,999 inclusive.

Since 18×6166=110 98818\times 6166=110\,988 and
18×6167=111 00618\times6167=111\,006, then the
smallest multiple of 1818 greater
than or equal to 111 000111\,000 is 111 006111\,006. (We can find the numbers 61666166 and 61676167 by dividing 111 000111\,000 by 1818 and rounding the result both down and
up to the nearest integer.)

Since 18×6222=111 99618\times 6222=111\,996 and
18×6223=112 01418\times6223=112\,014, then the
largest multiple of 1818 less than or
equal to 111 999111\,999 is 111 996111\,996. (We can similarly find the
numbers 62226222 and 62236223 by dividing 111 999111\,999 by 1818 and rounding the result both down and
up to the nearest integer.)

All multiples of 1818 from 18×616718\times6167 to 18×622218\times6222 inclusive satisfy the given
conditions, and so there are 6222−6167+1=566222-6167+1=56 different possibilities
for NN.

Solution 2:

Since N=111 abcN=111\,abc is divisible by
1818, then NN is divisible by both 22 and 99 since 22 and 99 have no factors in common and 2×9=182\times9=18.

Since NN is divisible by 22, then NN is even and so its units digit, cc, must equal 00, 22, 44, 66, or 88.

An integer is divisible by 99
exactly when the sum of its digits is divisible by 99.

Thus, the sum of the digits of NN,
which is equal to 1+1+1+a+b+c=a+b+c+31+1+1+a+b+c=a+b+c+3, must be a multiple
of 99.

The smallest possible value of a+b+c+3a+b+c+3 is 33 (when a=b=c=0a=b=c=0) and its largest possible value
is 3030 (when a=b=c=9a=b=c=9).

The multiples of 99 in this range
are 99, 1818 and 2727, and so a+b+c=6a+b+c=6 or a+b+c=15a+b+c=15 or a+b+c=24a+b+c=24.

To summarize to this point, N=111 abcN=111\,abc is divisible by 1818 exactly when cc is equal to 00, 22, 44, 66, or 88, and a+b+c=6a+b+c=6 or a+b+c=15a+b+c=15 or a+b+c=24a+b+c=24.

We proceed by setting cc equal to
each of the possible even digits and determining the number of possible
values for aa and bb.

When c=0c=0, we get a+b=6a+b=6 or a+b=15a+b=15 or a+b=24a+b=24.

When a+b=6a+b=6, the possible values for
the digits aa and bb (written as ordered pairs (a,b)(a,b)) are (0,6)(0,6), (1,5)(1,5), (2,4)(2,4), (3,3)(3,3), (4,2)(4,2), (5,1)(5,1), and (6,0)(6,0). (Alternately, when a+b=6a+b=6, aa can equal any integer from 00 to 66 inclusive and then b=6−ab=6-a.)

Thus, there are 77 ordered pairs of
digits (a,b)(a,b) when c=0c=0 and a+b=6a+b=6, and so there are 77 possible values of NN.

When a+b=15a+b=15, the possible pairs of
digits (a,b)(a,b) are (6,9)(6,9), (7,8)(7,8), (8,7)(8,7), and (9,6)(9,6), and so there are 44 possible values of NN.

When a+b=24a+b=24, there are no possible
pairs of digits (a,b)(a,b) since a+ba+b is at most 9+9=189+9=18.

When c=2c=2, we get a+b=6−2=4a+b=6-2=4 or a+b=15−2=13a+b=15-2=13 or a+b=24−2=22a+b=24-2=22.

We continue to count the number of pairs of digits (a,b)(a,b) given each of the possible values
of cc and summarize those results in
the tables below.

c=0c=0a+b=6a+b=6a+b=15a+b=15a+b=24a+b=24Number of values of NN
Number of pairs (a,b)(a,b)7744001111

c=2c=2a+b=4a+b=4a+b=13a+b=13a+b=22a+b=22Number of values of NN
Number of pairs (a,b)(a,b)5566001111

c=4c=4a+b=2a+b=2a+b=11a+b=11a+b=20a+b=20Number of values of NN
Number of pairs (a,b)(a,b)3388001111

c=6c=6a+b=0a+b=0a+b=9a+b=9a+b=18a+b=18Number of values of NN
Number of pairs (a,b)(a,b)111010111212

c=8c=8a+b=−2a+b=-2a+b=7a+b=7a+b=16a+b=16Number of values of NN
Number of pairs (a,b)(a,b)0088331111

Therefore, the number of possibilities for NN is 11+11+11+12+11=5611+11+11+12+11=56.

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