AMC 10 Step by Step

2006 AMC 10A Problem 21

P21-25~3 minPrint

How many four-digit positive integers have at least one digit that is a 22 or a 33 ?

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Key insight

Count the opposite: four-digit numbers with no 2 and no 3. There are 7 × 8 × 8 × 8 = 3584 of them; subtract from 9000.

Solution

"At least one" is hard to count directly, because a number might have one, two, three or four such digits. It is much easier to count the numbers that have no 22 and no 33, then take those away from all four-digit numbers.

1. All four-digit numbers. They run from 10001000 to 99999999: that is 90009000 numbers. (Or: 99 choices for the first digit, since it cannot be 00, and 1010 for each of the others: 9×10×10×10=90009 \times 10 \times 10 \times 10 = 9000.)
2. Numbers with no 2 and no 3.
- First digit: not 00, not 22, not 33. That leaves 1,4,5,6,7,8,91, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9: 77 choices.
- Each of the other three digits: anything except 22 and 33: 88 choices.
- Total: 7×8×8×8=7×512=35847 \times 8 \times 8 \times 8 = 7 \times 512 = 3584.
3. Take away. 9000−3584=54169000 - 3584 = 5416.

The answer is (E) 5416\boxed{\textbf{(E)}\ 5416}.

Why this works

"At least one" questions often break into many overlapping cases, but the opposite, "none at all," is a single multiplication. Count all, count none, subtract. The only care needed is the first digit, which can never be 00.

Alternative approach

Estimate. Each digit is a 22 or a 33 about one time in five, so a number avoids both about (45)4≈0.41\left(\frac45\right)^4 \approx 0.41 of the time. So roughly 59%59\% of 90009000, around 53005300, should work. Only choice (E) is close.

Concise solution

A shorter write-up, the way contest solutions are usually written. It may take a different route from the solution above.

"At least one" suggests counting the opposite: four-digit numbers that contain no 22 and no 33 at all.

Total four-digit numbers: the leading digit is 11 through 99 and each other digit is 00 through 99, so 9⋅10⋅10⋅10=90009 \cdot 10 \cdot 10 \cdot 10 = 9000.

Numbers avoiding 22 and 33: the leading digit comes from {1,4,5,6,7,8,9}\{1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9\}, 77 options; each of the other three digits comes from the eight digits other than 22 and 33. That gives 7⋅8⋅8⋅8=7⋅512=35847 \cdot 8 \cdot 8 \cdot 8 = 7 \cdot 512 = 3584.

Subtract: 9000−3584=54169000 - 3584 = 5416.

The answer is (E) 5416\boxed{\textbf{(E)}\ 5416}.

Review in the AoPS books

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Problem © Mathematical Association of America (MAA), American Mathematics Competitions. Reproduced for non-commercial educational use. Solution and commentary are original to this site.