2012 AIME I Problem 1

Attempt Problem 1 of the 2012 AIME I below, then check your answer against the professionally curated solution from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2012 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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1.

Find the number of positive integers with three not necessarily distinct digits, abc,abc, with a≠0a \ne 0 and c≠0c \ne 0 such that both abcabc and cbacba are multiples of 4.4.

Answer: 40
Concepts:divisibilitydigitscasework
Difficulty rating: 1950
Small Hint:

Divisibility by 44 depends only on the last two digits, so 44 must divide both 10b+c10b + c and 10b+a10b + a

Big Hint:

Subtracting shows a−ca - c is divisible by 44 with aa and cc even, so both lie in {2,6}\{2, 6\} or both in {4,8};\{4, 8\}; then cc forces the parity of bb

Solution:

An integer is a multiple of 44 exactly when its last two digits form a multiple of 4,4, so we need 10b+c10b + c and 10b+a10b + a to be divisible by 4.4. In particular aa and cc are even, and subtracting the two conditions shows a−ca - c is divisible by 4.4. The even nonzero digits split by remainder mod 44 into {2,6}\{2, 6\} and {4,8},\{4, 8\}, so aa and cc must both come from the same one of these sets: 44 ordered pairs (a,c)(a, c) from each.

If c≡2(mod4),c \equiv 2 \pmod 4, then 10b+c≡2b+2(mod4)10b + c \equiv 2b + 2 \pmod 4 requires bb odd (55 choices), and the condition on 10b+a10b + a holds automatically since a≡c(mod4).a \equiv c \pmod 4. If c≡0(mod4),c \equiv 0 \pmod 4, then bb must be even (55 choices).

The count is 4⋅5+4⋅5=40.4 \cdot 5 + 4 \cdot 5 = 40.

Full Exam

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