The base-ten representation for is , where , , and denote digits that are not given. What is ?
- A)
- B)
- C)
- D)
- E)
Answer
C
Key insight
19! ends in three zeros, so H is 0. Then 19! divides evenly by 9 and by 11, and those two digit tests pin down T and M.
Solution
We cannot compute by hand quickly, but we know a lot of numbers it divides by. Use that.
Step 1: find . Trailing zeros come from factors of . Among , the multiples of are , giving three s, and there are plenty of s. So ends in exactly three zeros. The digits end in , so .
Step 2: test for . is a multiple of , so its digit sum is a multiple of . Add the known digits of :
so the digit sum is . The next multiples of are and , so is or . (It cannot be , since two digits add to at most .)
Step 3: test for . is a multiple of . The test: starting from the right, add every other digit, add the remaining digits, and the two totals must differ by a multiple of . The digits from the right are
- Positions : .
- Positions : .
The difference is . For digits this lies between and , so it must be or . That gives or .
Step 4: combine.
- If : would give , and would give . Neither is a digit.
- If : gives , . (And gives , not a digit.)
So , , , and . (Indeed .)
The answer is .
Why this works
A factorial divides evenly by every small number, so the divisibility tests you know become equations for the missing digits. One test alone left two possibilities; a second, independent test settled it. Start with the easiest digit (the trailing zeros) to cut down the number of unknowns.
The trap
Using only the test for 9, which allows T + M to be 3 or 12, and then guessing between choices (A) and (C).
Concise solution
Find . The factors contribute three s to , and there are plenty of s, so and the number ends in three zeros: .
Divisibility by 9. Since , the digit sum is a multiple of :
So , giving or .
Divisibility by 11. Since , the alternating digit sum is a multiple of . Reading the digits from the right, the odd positions hold (sum ) and the even positions hold (sum ). Their difference must be a multiple of , so or .
Combine. With : gives , . With , neither nor yields digits. So , , , and .
. The answer is .
Review in the AoPS books
- Introduction to Number Theory, Chapter 1: Integers: The Basics (§1.4, §1.5)
- Introduction to Number Theory, Chapter 8: Base Numbers
- Introduction to Counting & Probability, Chapter 2: Basic Counting Techniques (§2.2)
- Introduction to Number Theory, Chapter 5: Divisor Problems (§5.2, §5.3)
Techniques
Split into exhaustive cases and handle each · Set up the equation/formula and compute; no special trick needed