Maths Olympiad Prep

Track / Stage 5 / 223 of 400 #823 of 1964

Problem 823

AIME late
Number theory Difficulty 5.5 Find the answer

5. A two-digit number is written on the board. Nезнayka claimed that it is divisible by 3,4,5,9,10,15,18,303, 4, 5, 9, 10, 15, 18, 30. Upon hearing this, Znayka saddened Nезнayka by saying that he was wrong exactly 4 times. What number could have been written on the board? List all possible options.

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Official solution

Answer: 36, 45 or 72.

Solution. Let NN be the two-digit number written on the board. If NN were divisible by 30, it would also be divisible by 3,5,10,153, 5, 10, 15, so Neznaika would have made no more than 3 mistakes, a contradiction. If NN were not divisible by 3, it would also not be divisible by 9,15,18,309, 15, 18, 30, so Neznaika would have made at least 5 mistakes, a contradiction. Therefore, NN is divisible by 3 but not by 30. It follows immediately that NN is not divisible by 10. Thus, among the statements about divisibility by 4,5,9,15,184, 5, 9, 15, 18, exactly three are true. A number NN that is divisible by 3 cannot be divisible by both 4 and 5 at the same time (otherwise it would also be divisible by 30). Therefore, among the statements about divisibility by 9, 15, 18, at least two are true. If NN were not divisible by 9, it would also not be divisible by 18, a contradiction. Therefore, NN is divisible by 9. In addition, NN is divisible by 15 or 18. Let's consider two cases.

- Suppose NN is divisible by 15. Since it is also divisible by 9, it is either 45 or 90. But NN cannot be 90 because NN is not divisible by 30. However, NN can be 45 (since 45 is divisible by 3, 5, 9, 15 and not divisible by 4,10,18,304, 10, 18, 30).
- Suppose NN is not divisible by 15. Then it is divisible by 18, and it is either 18, 36, 54, 72, or 90. Again, NN cannot be 90 because NN is not divisible by 30. Also, NN cannot be 18 or 54 (since both 18 and 54 are divisible by 3,9,183, 9, 18 and both are not divisible by 4,5,10,15,304, 5, 10, 15, 30). However, NN can be 36 or 72 (since both 36 and 72 are divisible by 3,4,9,183, 4, 9, 18 and both are not divisible by 5,10,15,305, 10, 15, 30).

In total, we have three possible options: 36, 45, and 72.

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