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Problem 209

Number theory Difficulty 1.5 Multiple choice CEMC Cayley · Canada · 2015

If nn is a positive integer, the symbol n!n! (read “nn factorial") represents the product of the integers from 11 to nn. For example, 4!=(1)(2)(3)(4)4!=(1)(2)(3)(4) or 4!=244!=24. The ones (units) digit of the sum 1!+2!+3!+4!+5!+6!+7!+8!+9!+10!1!+2!+3!+4!+5!+6!+7!+8!+9!+10! is

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Official solution

We note that 1!=12!=(1)(2)=23!=(1)(2)(3)=61! = 1 \qquad 2! = (1)(2) = 2 \qquad 3! = (1)(2)(3) = 64!=(1)(2)(3)(4)=245!=(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)=1204! = (1)(2)(3)(4) = 24 \qquad 5! = (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) = 120 Thus, 1!+2!+3!+4!+5!=1+2+6+24+120=1531!+2!+3!+4!+5!=1+2+6+24+120=153.

Now for each positive integer n5n \geq 5, the ones digit of n!n! is 0:

One way to see this is to note that we obtain each successive factorial by multiplying the previous factorial by an integer. (For example, 6!=6(5!)6! = 6(5!).)

Thus, if one factorial ends in a 0, then all subsequent factorials will also end in a 0.

Since the ones digit of 5!5! is 0, then the ones digit of each n!n! with n>5n>5 will also be 0.

Alternatively, we note that for each positive integer nn, the factorial n!n! is the product of the positive integers from 11 to nn. When n5n \geq 5, the product represented by n!n! includes factors of both 2 and 5, and so has a factor of 10, thus has a ones digit of 0.

Therefore, the ones digit of each of 6!6!, 7!7!, 8!8!, 9!9!, and 10!10! is 0, and so the ones digit of6!+7!+8!+9!+10!6!+7!+8!+9!+10! is 0.

Since the ones digit of 1!+2!+3!+4!+5!1!+2!+3!+4!+5! is 3 and the ones digit of 6!+7!+8!+9!+10!6!+7!+8!+9!+10! is 0, then the ones digit of 1!+2!+3!+4!+5!+6!+7!+8!+9!+10!1!+2!+3!+4!+5!+6!+7!+8!+9!+10! is 3+03+0 or 33.

(We can verify, using a calculator, that 1!+2!+3!+4!+5!+6!+7!+8!+9!+10!=40379131!+2!+3!+4!+5!+6!+7!+8!+9!+10! = 4\,037\,913.)

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