2018 AMC 10A Problem 19

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Concepts:units digitmodular exponentiationbasic probabilitycasework

Difficulty rating: 1540

19.

A number mm is randomly selected from the set {11,13,15,17,19},\{11,13,15,17,19\}, and a number nn is randomly selected from {1999,2000,2001,,2018}.\{1999,2000,2001,\ldots,2018\}. What is the probability that mnm^n has a units digit of 1?1?

15\dfrac{1}{5}

14\dfrac{1}{4}

310\dfrac{3}{10}

720\dfrac{7}{20}

25\dfrac{2}{5}

Solution:

Since we only care about the units digit, we can turn the set {11,13,15,17,19} \{11,13,15,17,19\} into {1,3,5,7,9}. \{1,3,5,7,9\}. Then we can case on the value of m.m.

m=1m = 1

Any value of nn works. This occurs with a 15\frac{1}{5} probability.

m=3m = 3

Looking at powers of 3,3, we see that this sequence of units digits repeats: 3,9,7,1, 3, 9, 7, 1, \ldots

This means that nn must be a multiple of 4.4. There are 55 such values. This means that nn works 520=14\frac{5}{20} = \frac{1}{4} of the time. The total probability is 1514=120. \dfrac{1}{5} \cdot \dfrac{1}{4} = \dfrac{1}{20}.

m=5m = 5

Powers of 55 always end in 5,5, which means that this case will never work.

m=7m = 7

The units digits repeat in this pattern: 7,9,3,1, 7, 9, 3, 1,\ldots This means that nn must be a multiple of 44 to work. As when m=3,m = 3, this case works with a probability of 120.\frac{1}{20}.

m=9m = 9

The units digit alternates between 11 and 9.9. This means that nn has to be even. This happens with a 12\frac{1}{2} chance. The total probability is then 1512=110. \dfrac{1}{5} \cdot \dfrac{1}{2} = \dfrac{1}{10}.

The total probability is therefore 15+2120+110=25. \dfrac{1}{5} + 2 \cdot \dfrac{1}{20} + \dfrac{1}{10} = \dfrac{2}{5}.

Thus, E is the correct answer.

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