2009 AMC 12A Problem 18

Attempt Problem 18 of the 2009 AMC 12A 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 2009 AMC 12A solutions, or check the answer key.

All problems are used with official legal permission of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA).

18.

For k>0,k \gt 0, let Ik=10064,I_k = 10\ldots064, where there are kk zeros between the 11 and the 6.6. Let N(k)N(k) be the number of factors of 22 in the prime factorization of Ik.I_k. What is the maximum value of N(k)?N(k)?

66

77

88

99

1010

Answer: B
Concepts:prime factorizationsum and difference of cubes
Difficulty rating: 2010
Solution:

Note that Ik=10k+2+64I_k = 10^{k+2} + 64 =2k+25k+2+26.= 2^{k+2}5^{k+2} + 2^6.

For k<4k \lt 4 the first term has fewer than 66 factors of 2,2, so N(k)<6.N(k) \lt 6. For k>4k \gt 4 the first term is divisible by 272^7 but the 262^6 term is not, so N(k)<7.N(k) \lt 7.

For k=4,k = 4, I4=26(56+1).I_4 = 2^6(5^6 + 1). Since 56+15^6 + 1 =(52+1)((52)252+1)= (5^2 + 1)\big((5^2)^2 - 5^2 + 1\big) =26601,= 26\cdot 601, and 26=21326 = 2\cdot 13 contributes exactly one more factor of 2,2, we get N(4)=7.N(4) = 7.

So the maximum value is 7.7.

Thus, the correct answer is B.

← Problem 17#17
Full Exam

Problem 18 in Other Years