Olympiad Maths Prep

Track / Stage 6 / 344 of 400 #1344 of 2000

Problem 1344

National olympiad, first round
Combinatorics Difficulty 6.7 Find the answer

There are two math exams called A and B. 2014 students took the A exam and/or the B exam. Each student took one or both exams, so the total number of exam papers was between 2014 and 4028, inclusive. The score for each exam is an integer from 0 through 40. The average score of all the exam papers was 20. The grade for a student is the best score from one or both exams that she took. The average grade of all 2014 students was 14. Let GG be the [i]greatest[/i] possible number of students who took both exams. Let LL be the [i]least[/i] possible number of students who took both exams. Compute GLG - L.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, read the official solution, then mark yourself honestly — the ladder only means something if the record is true.

Official solution

1. Define Variables and Given Information:
- Let N=2014 N = 2014 be the total number of students.
- Let n n be the number of students who took both exams.
- Let a a be the total score of all students who took only one exam.
- Let M M be the total score of all students who took both exams.
- Let m m be the total score of the worse exams of the students who took both exams.

We are given:
- The average score of all exam papers is 20.
- The average grade of all students is 14.

2. Formulate Equations:
- The total number of exam papers is N+n N + n .
- The total score of all exam papers is 20(N+n) 20(N + n) .
- The total grade of all students is 14N 14N .

Therefore, we have:
M+a=14N M + a = 14N
M+m+a=20(N+n) M + m + a = 20(N + n)

3. Subtract the First Equation from the Second:
(M+m+a)(M+a)=20(N+n)14N (M + m + a) - (M + a) = 20(N + n) - 14N
m=20N+20n14N m = 20N + 20n - 14N
m=6N+20n m = 6N + 20n

4. Establish Inequalities:
- Since m40n m \leq 40n (because the worst score for each student who took both exams is at most 40):
6N+20n40n 6N + 20n \leq 40n
6N20n 6N \leq 20n
n3N10 n \geq \frac{3N}{10}
n3×201410=604.2 n \geq \frac{3 \times 2014}{10} = 604.2
Since n n must be an integer:
n605 n \geq 605

5. **Upper Bound for n n :**
- Since Mm M \geq m and a0 a \geq 0 :
14N=M+a6N+20n 14N = M + a \geq 6N + 20n
14N6N+20n 14N \geq 6N + 20n
8N20n 8N \geq 20n
n8N20 n \leq \frac{8N}{20}
n8×201420=805.6 n \leq \frac{8 \times 2014}{20} = 805.6
Since n n must be an integer:
n805 n \leq 805

6. **Compute GL G - L :**
G=805 G = 805
L=605 L = 605
GL=805605=200 G - L = 805 - 605 = 200

Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic, difficulty and ordering added by this site.