AMC 10 Step by Step

2020 AMC 10A Problem 6

P1-10~2 minPrint

How many 44 -digit positive integers (that is, integers between 10001000 and 99999999 , inclusive) having only even digits are divisible by 5?5?

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Key insight

The last digit must be 0 (even and divisible by 5). The first digit has 4 choices, since it cannot be 0, and each middle digit has 5.

Solution

Count digit by digit, starting with the digit that has the strictest rule.

1. Last digit. A number is divisible by 55 when its last digit is 00 or 55. The digit must also be even, and 55 is odd. So the last digit must be 00: 11 choice.
2. First digit. It must be even, and a 44-digit number cannot start with 00. So it is 22, 44, 66 or 88: 44 choices.
3. Second and third digits. Each can be any even digit 0,2,4,6,80, 2, 4, 6, 8: 55 choices each.
4. The choices do not affect each other, so multiply:
4×5×5×1=100.4 \times 5 \times 5 \times 1 = 100.

For example, 20002000, 20202020 and 86808680 are all counted.

The answer is (B) 100\boxed{\textbf{(B)}\ 100}.

Why this works

When each digit's choices do not depend on the others, the total count is the product of the number of choices for each digit. Settle the most restricted spots first (here the last digit is forced), and always remember that the first digit of a number cannot be 00.

Concise solution

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

A number is divisible by 55 exactly when its last digit is 00 or 55. Since every digit must be even, the last digit is forced to be 00: one choice.

The thousands digit must be even and nonzero: 2,4,6,82, 4, 6, 8, four choices.

The hundreds and tens digits may be any even digit 0,2,4,6,80, 2, 4, 6, 8: five choices each.

By the multiplication principle the count is
4⋅5⋅5⋅1=100.4 \cdot 5 \cdot 5 \cdot 1 = 100.

The answer is (B) 100\boxed{\textbf{(B)}\ 100}.

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.