2004 AMC 12B Problem 25

Attempt Problem 25 of the 2004 AMC 12B 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 2004 AMC 12B solutions, or check the answer key.

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25.

Given that 220042^{2004} is a 604604-digit number whose first digit is 1,1, how many elements of the set S={20,21,22,,22003}S = \{2^0, 2^1, 2^2, \ldots, 2^{2003}\} have a first digit of 4?4?

194194

195195

196196

197197

198198

Answer: B
Concepts:digitspattern recognition
Difficulty rating: 2360
Small Hint:

The number of digits of 2k2^k increases by 11 exactly when its leading digit forces a carry

Big Hint:

A power of 22 has leading digit 88 or 99 precisely when the previous power has leading digit 44

Solution:

The smallest power of 22 with any given digit-count lies between 10k10^k and 210k,2\cdot10^k, so it has leading digit 1.1. Because 220042^{2004} is a 604604-digit number beginning with 1,1, it is the first 604604-digit power. Thus the powers in SS contain exactly one leading-11 number for each digit-count from 11 through 603,603, or 603603 in all.

After each leading-11 power, the next power leads with 22 or 3,3, and the following power leads with 4,5,6,4, 5, 6, or 7.7. Hence 603603 elements lead with 22 or 3,3, another 603603 lead with 44 through 7,7, and the remaining 20043(603)=1952004 - 3(603) = 195 lead with 88 or 9.9.

Finally, halving a power that leads with 88 or 99 produces the preceding power with leading digit 4,4, and doubling any leading-44 power reverses this. This is a bijection, so there are 195195 elements with first digit 4.4.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

Problem 24#24
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