2017 AIME I Problem 9

Attempt Problem 9 of the 2017 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 2017 AIME I solutions, or check the answer key.

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9.

Let a10=10,a_{10} = 10, and for each integer n>10n \gt 10 let an=100an1+n.a_n = 100a_{n-1} + n. Find the least n>10n \gt 10 such that ana_n is a multiple of 99.99.

Answer: 45
Concepts:modular arithmeticrecursioncasework
Difficulty rating: 2840
Solution:

Because 1001(mod99),100 \equiv 1 \pmod{99}, the recurrence gives anan1+n(mod99),a_n \equiv a_{n-1} + n \pmod{99}, so an10+11++n=(n+10)(n9)2(mod99). \begin{aligned} &a_n \equiv 10 + 11 + \cdots + n \\ &\quad \small = \frac{(n + 10)(n - 9)}{2} \pmod{99}. \end{aligned} We need 99(n+10)(n9)2.99 \mid \frac{(n+10)(n-9)}{2}. One of n+10n + 10 and n9n - 9 is even, so this is the same as requiring 99 and 1111 each to divide the product. Since the two factors differ by 19,19, they cannot both be multiples of 3.3.

So 99 must divide one factor entirely and 1111 the other (or one factor is divisible by 9999). Checking the cases: 99n999 \mid n - 9 first at n=108;n = 108; 99n+1099 \mid n + 10 first at n=89;n = 89; 9n+109 \mid n + 10 with 11n911 \mid n - 9 first at n=53;n = 53; and 11n+1011 \mid n + 10 with 9n99 \mid n - 9 first at n=45.n = 45.

The least is n=45,n = 45, where 55362=990\frac{55 \cdot 36}{2} = 990 is indeed a multiple of 99.99.

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