If is a positive integer, the symbol (read “ factorial") represents the product of the integers from to . For example, or . The ones (units) digit of the sum is
Problem 209
Pick one
Official solution
We note that Thus, .
Now for each positive integer , the ones digit of 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, .)
Thus, if one factorial ends in a 0, then all subsequent factorials will also end in a 0.
Since the ones digit of is 0, then the ones digit of each with will also be 0.
Alternatively, we note that for each positive integer , the factorial is the product of the positive integers from to . When , the product represented by 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 , , , , and is 0, and so the ones digit of is 0.
Since the ones digit of is 3 and the ones digit of is 0, then the ones digit of is or .
(We can verify, using a calculator, that .)