Math Contest, Fall 2017

BC EXAM

1. List x, y, z in order from smallest to largest fraction:

111110 222221 333331
x= ,y= ,z=
111111 222223 333334

1 2 1 3 1
Solution. Consider 1 − x = 111111 , 1 − y = 222223 = 111111.5 , 1−z = 333334 = 11111.33333... ,
thus 1 − x > 1 − z > 1 − y , and so x < z < y.
Answer. x < z < y, 111110 333331 222221
111111 < 333334 < 222223 .

2. A vase in a flower shop contains ten identical red and four identical pink roses. If you would
like to pick one red and two pink ones, in how many ways can you do this?
Solution. There are ten choices for a red rose and 4·32 choices to pick two pink roses, thus
4·3
there are 10 · 2 = 60 ways to choose one red and two pink roses.
Answer. 60

3. Three-digit number AB8 is 296 larger than two-digit number AB. What is the value of the
two-digit number AB?
Solution. 100A + 10B + 8 = 10A + B + 296, 9(10A + B) = 288, 10A + B = 32, AB = 32
Answer. 32

4. The perimeter of an equilateral triangle is equal to the perimeter of a regular hexagon. What
is the ratio of their areas (triangle area to hexagon area)?
Solution. If perimeters are equal, then the side a of the triangle is twice the side b of the
hexagon. Then the triangle can be divided into four congruent equilateral triangles with side
a
2 , while hexagon - into six triangles of the same size. Thus, the ratio of areas is 4 : 6 or 2 : 3.
Answer. 4 : 6 = 2 : 3.

5. When a number is divided by 5, the remainder is 2. What is the remainder when the number
is multiplied by 8 and then divided by 5?
Solution. Denote the number by n. Then n = 5q + 2. Thus 8n = 40q + 16 and so
8n = (8q + 3) × 5 + 1, the remainder is 1.
Answer. 1.

6. Jane has 6 sons and no daughters. Some of her sons have 6 sons, and the rest have none.
Jane has a total of 30 sons and grandsons, and no great-grandsons. How many of Jane’s sons
and grandsons have no sons?
Solution. Since Jane has 6 sons, she has 30 − 6 = 24 grandsons, of which none have sons.
Of Jane’s sons, 24
6 = 4 have sons, so 6 − 4 = 2 do not have sons. Therefore, of Jane’s sons
and grandsons, 24 + 2 = 26 do not have sons.
Answer. 26

7. Find all natural numbers n for which 2n + 1 is divisible by 3.

Solution. 2n − (−1)n = (2 + 1)(integer) = 3A, so 2n + 1 = (2n − (−1)n ) + (−1)n + 1 =
3A + (−1)n + 1. This number is divisible by 3 if and only if n is odd.
Answer. Any odd positive number (n = 2k + 1, k = 0, 1, 2, ...)
 8. If John walks to his job from home and takes a bus on the way back, he spends 1.5 hour on
round trip. If he takes a bus both ways, the round trip takes 30 min. How long (in hours)
will it take him to walk both ways?
Solution. Let w and b be respectively times to reach his work by walking and by taking a
bus. It is given that w + b = 1.5 hr and 2b = .5 hr. So 2w + 2b = 3, 2w = 3 − .5 = 2.5 hr
Answer. 2.5 hr

9. Find all possible values of an integer N such that N 2 − 71 is divisible by 7N + 55.

N 2 −71 2
Solution. If 7N +55 = K where K is an integer, then N − 7KN − (55K + 71) = 0. Solving
√
2
for N , we get N = 7K± 49K 2+220K+284 . The number under the radical must be a perfect
square to get an integer N . Since (7K +15)2 < 49K 2 +220K +284 < (7K +17)2 , we conclude
that 49K 2 + 220K + 284 = (7K + 16)2 . Then, solving 49K 2 + 220K + 284 = (7K + 16)2 , we
get K = 7, and so N = 57 or N = −8.
Answer. 57, −8

10. In an arithmetic sequence there are 10 numbers. The sum of terms at even places is 50, and
the sum of terms at odd places is 35. Find the first term, a1 , and the difference, d, of this
sequence.
Solution. a1 +a3 +a5 +a7 +a9 = 35, a2 +a4 +a6 +a8 +a10 = 50 or 5a1 +20d = 35, 5a1 +25d =
50, from where d = 3, a1 = −5.
Answer. a1 = −5, d = 3.

11. In a math class of 50 students, the average score on the final exam is 68. The best ten exams
are all 100. Find the average of the other 40 exams.
Solution.Denote the unknown average by A. Then (40A + 10 × 100)/50 = 68 and thus
A = 60.
Answer. 60

12. If both roots of the quadratic equation x2 − 85x + c = 0 are prime numbers, what is the value
of c?
Solution. Let us assume that two prime numbers, x1 and x2 , are the solutions of the equation.
Then x1 + x2 = 85. Since 85 is odd, either x1 or x2 must be even. The only even prime
number is 2. Therefore, one number must be 2 and the other 83. Thus c = 2 × 83 = 166.
Answer. 166

13. In an acute triangle ABC, BD is the altitude and AE is the median. Given that the measure
of the angle 6 ECA is twice the measure of the angle 6 EAC and that BC = 10 cm, find AD.

Solution.
 Denote 6 EAC = α, then 6 ECA = 2α . Draw the segment DE. It is a median to the
hypotenuse in the right triangle DBC, and thus DE = EC = 5 cm, so triangle DEC is
isosceles. Therefore, 6 EDC = 6 ECD = 2α. Since 6 ADE = 180◦ − 2α, we conclude that
6 AED = α, thus triangle AED is isosceles, and AD = DE = 5 cm.
Answer. 5 cm

14. It is known that for some x the value of the expression ((x + 2x) · 3x − 4x) ÷ 5x stays the
same even when all parenthesis are removed. What is the value of x?
Solution. It is given that ((x + 2x) · 3x − 4x) ÷ 5x = x + 2x · 3x − 4x ÷ 5x. Simplifying, we
get 9x−4
5 = 6x2 + x − 45 or 6x2 − 54 x = 0. Since x 6= 0, we conclude that 6x − 45 = 0 or x = 15
2
.
2
Answer. 15

15. How many positive integers n have the property that when 1, 000, 063 is divided by n, the
remainder is 63?
Solution. Suppose n is a positive integer such that the remainder when 1, 000, 063 is divided
by n is 63. Then, 1, 000, 063 = nq + 63 where n > 63. Thus, 1, 000, 000 = 106 = nq. Now we
need to count the divisors of 106 that are greater than 63. Notice that 106 = 26 × 56 has 49
positive divisors (the divisors are 2k and 5k for k = 0, ...6). Exactly twelve are less or equal
to 63, namely 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 5, 10, 20, 40, 25, 50. Thus, the answer is 49 − 12 = 37.
Answer. 37
3 5
16. Determine all integer values of the parameter a for which the equation a−2x = ax−4 has a
negative solution.
Solution. 3ax − 12 = 5a − 10x, x = 5a+12 10 12
3a+10 which gives an interval for a: − 3 < a < − 5 .
There is only one integer value there, −3.
Answer. −3

17. Each side of a triangle 4ABC is extended as shown so that BD = 12 AB, CE = 12 BC, and
AF = 21 CA. What is the ratio of the area of the triangle 4DEF to the area of the triangle
4ABC ?

Solution.
 Let G be the point on AB such that CG is an altitude of 4ABC. Let H be the point on
AD such that F H is an altitude of 4ADF . Then 4AGC is similar to 4AHF so F H/CG =
AF/AC = 1/2. Next, Area(4ADF ) = 12 (AD) · (F H) = 12 · 23 AB · 12 (CG) = 43 ( 12 · AB · CG) =
3
4 Area(4ABC).
Similarly, Area(4BED) = (3/4)Area(4ABC) and Area(4CF E) = (3/4)Area(4ABC).
Thus, Area(4DEF ) = Area(4ABC) + Area(4ADF ) + Area(4BED) + Area(4CF E) =
13 13
4 Area(4ABC). Therefore, the ratio is 4 .
13
Answer. 4

18. Given a square ABCD with side length of 8 inches, a circle is drawn through vertices A and
D and tangent to side BC. What is the radius of the circle in inches?

Solution.

Denote the radius of the circle by R, the center of the circle by O, and the distance from the
center to the side AD by x. Then R + x = 8 and from the right triangle with the hypotenuse
AO, we get R2 − x2 = 16. Solving the system R + x = 8, R2 − x2 = 16, we get R = 5 (inches).
Answer. 5 inches

19. Consider two adjacent squares with sides 4 and 10 meters. Find the area of the shaded region.
 Solution.

x 4
10= 14 , x = 20 2
7 . Thus the area is Area=4 −
4x
2 = 16 − 40
7 = 72
7 = 10 27
72 2 2
Answer. 7 = 10 7 m

20. A circle is inscribed into a right triangle. From the center of the circle a perpendicular is
dropped on the hypotenuse, dividing the hypotenuse into two segments of length 12 and 5.
Find the legs of the triangle.
Solution. Here the legs of the triangle are equal to a = 12 + r, b = 5 + r where r is the
radius of the circle. Then, notice that a = 7 + b and a2 + b2 = 172 , so we get the equation
for b: (7 + b)2 + b2 = 289, b2 + 7b − 120 = 0, b = 8. Then a = 8 + 7 = 15.
Answer. 15, 8 (or 8, 15)

21. Consider a square ABCD and choose points E and F on the square such that 4BEF is
equilateral. What is the ratio of the area of 4DEF to that of 4ABE?
Solution. Assume, without loss of generality, that the side length of ABCD is 1. Denote
DE = x, then AE = 1 − x. Since triangle 4BEF is equilateral, right triangles 4EAB and
2
4F CB are congruent, so CF = AE and DE = DF . Thus, the ratio of areas is x2 ÷ (1−x)(1)
2 =
x2
√
1−x . To get rid of x, let us notice that BE = EF = x 2. Then, applying the Pythagorean
Theorem to 4ABE, we get (1 − x)2 + 1 = 2x2 or x2 + 2x = 2, so x2 = 2 − 2x = 2(1 − x).
x2
Thus, the ratio of areas is 1−x = 2.
Answer. 2.

22. Given a sequence of integers {an } such that a1 = 1 and am+n = am +an +mn for m, n = 1, 2, ...,
find a15 .
Solution. Take n = 1. Then am+1 = am + a1 + m, so am+1 − am = m + 1. Thus a15 − a14 =
15, a14 −a13 = 14, ..., a2 −a1 = 2 . Adding these equalities up, we get a15 −a1 = 15+14+...+2.
So a15 = 15 + 14 + ... + 2 + 1 = (15)(16)
2 = 120.
Answer. 120