2000 AMC 12 Problem 23
Attempt Problem 23 of the 2000 AMC 12 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 2000 AMC 12 solutions, or check the answer key.
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23.
Professor Gamble buys a lottery ticket, which requires that he pick six different integers from through inclusive. He chooses his numbers so that the sum of the base-ten logarithms of his six numbers is an integer. It so happens that the integers on the winning ticket have the same property -- the sum of the base-ten logarithms is an integer. What is the probability that Professor Gamble holds the winning ticket?
Answer: B
Solution:
The sum of the logarithms is an integer exactly when the product of the six numbers is Since each chosen number must be of the form so it comes from
For each, record the excess of factors of over factors of : The product is a power of only if the six chosen values have equal totals of s and s, i.e. their excesses sum to
The only negative excesses are for and for A six-number ticket with total excess must contain both: omitting either leaves too few zero and small positive excesses to reach six numbers. The other four numbers must therefore have total excess There are two numbers of excess (), two of excess (), and two of excess (); any number of excess at least would leave too few zeros to complete a four-number selection. Thus we must take both excess- numbers, one excess- number, and one excess- number. This gives exactly four valid tickets: and
Professor Gamble holds one of these four, and only one matches the winning ticket, so the probability is
Thus, the correct answer is B.
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