2018 AMC 10A Problem 25

Below is the professionally curated solution for Problem 25 of the 2018 AMC 10A, from LIVE by Po-Shen Loh. You can also try the full timed exam, view all 2018 AMC 10A solutions, or check the answer key.

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Concepts:digitsgeometric sequencealgebraic manipulation

Difficulty rating: 2390

25.

For a positive integer nn and nonzero digits a,a, b,b, and c,c, let AnA_n be the nn-digit integer each of whose digits is equal to aa; let BnB_n be the nn-digit integer each of whose digits is equal to bb; and let CnC_n be the 2n2n-digit (not nn-digit) integer each of whose digits is equal to c.c. What is the greatest possible value of a+b+ca + b + c for which there are at least two values of nn such that CnBn=An2?C_n - B_n = A_n^2?

1212

1414

1616

1818

2020

Solution:

We can use the formula for the sum of a geometric sequence to rewrite An,Bn,A_n, B_n, and Cn.C_n.

An=a(1111)=a(1+10+102++10n1)=a10n19 \begin{gather*} A_n = a(11\cdots11) \\ =a(1 + 10 + 10^2 + \cdots + 10^{n - 1}) \\ =a \cdot \dfrac{10^n - 1}{9} \end{gather*}

Similarly, we get that Bn=b10n19 B_n = b \cdot \dfrac{10^n - 1}{9} and Cn=c102n19.C_n = c \cdot \dfrac{10^{2n} - 1}{9}.

We can substitute these expressions into our condition to get c102n19b10n19 c \cdot \dfrac{10^{2n} - 1}{9} - b \cdot \dfrac{10^n - 1}{9} =a2(10n19)2. = a^2 \left(\dfrac{10^n - 1}{9}\right)^2.

Simplifying yields c(10n+1)b=a210n199c(10n+1)9b=a2(10n1)(9ca2)10n=9b9ca2. \begin{align*} c(10^n + 1) - b &= a^2 \cdot \dfrac{10^n - 1}{9} \\ 9c(10^n + 1) - 9b &= a^2 \cdot (10^n - 1) \\ (9c - a^2)10^n &= 9b - 9c - a^2. \end{align*}

From the last line, we see that 9ca29c - a^2 and 9b9ca29b - 9c - a^2 are constants.

For there to be at least 22 unique values of nn that satisfy the equation, both sides must equal zero.

We can see this by realizing that this equation is linear with respect to 10n.10^n. If both sides are non-zero, then there cannot exist 22 unique solutions to a linear equation.

This tells us that 9ca2=0 9c - a^2 = 0 and 9b9ca2=0. 9b - 9c - a^2 = 0.

The first equation gives us c=a29.c = \dfrac{a^2}{9}. Plugging this into the second equation gives us b=2a29.b = \dfrac{2a^2}{9}.

This tells us that aa must be divisible by 3.3. This gives us the following triples:(3,2,1),(6,8,4),(9,18,9). (3, 2, 1), (6, 8, 4), (9, 18, 9).

The last triple is not allowed, so the maximum sum is 6+8+4=18. 6 + 8 + 4 = 18. Thus, D is the correct answer.

Problem 25 in Other Years