THE SOUTH AFRICAN MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD

Senior First Round 2022

1. Answer B
20220 + 2 × 2022 = 1 + 4044 = 4045.

2. Answer D
Either just count on your fingers, or proceed as follows. The n-th number is 43 −
4(n − 1) = 47 − 4n, and the last positive number in the sequence is 47 − 4 × 11 = 3,
so n = 11.

3. Answer
s E s s
1 1 16 + 9 25 5
+ = = = .
9 16 9 × 16 144 12
4. Answer A
The powers 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 have units digits 1, 3, 9, 7, respectively. This eliminates four
of the five choices, leaving only 5 as the answer. Alternatively, by inspection we see
that the sequence 1, 3, 9, 7 repeats for higher powers of 3, so 5 never appears.

5. Answer B
2022 = 2 × 1011 = 2 × 3 × 337, which is the prime factorization. The numbers
between 100 and 1000 that divide exactly into 2022 are 337 and 2 × 337 = 674, and
their sum is 3 × 337 = 1011.

6. Answer E
The solution is x − 10 = ±2022, say x1 − 10 = +2022 and x2 − 10 = −2022. Adding
these two gives x1 + x2 − 20 = 0, so x1 + x2 = 20.

7. Answer C
By inspection there is a solution x = 2, since 2 × 3 = 6, which gives the answer
12 = 3 × 4.

8. Answer D √ 1
In the notation of exponents, p 2022 = 2022 p for any positive integer p. Since area
= length × width, it follows that
√ 1 1 1 1 1 √
4
2022 = 2022 6 × 2022 12 = 2022 6 + 12 = 2022 4 = 2022, so n = 4.
n

9. Answer A
The sum of the angles of a quadrilateral is 360◦ , so (in degrees) 2x + 2y = 360◦ −
65◦ − 125◦ = 170◦ , giving x + y = 85◦ . Finally z = 180◦ − (x + y) = 180◦ − 85◦ = 95◦ .

10. Answer C
The number can have either two or three digits. For two-digit numbers, since
6 = 1 × 6 = 2 × 3, the possibilities are 16, 23, 32, 61. For three-digit numbers, the
expression 6 = 1 × 1 × 6 gives three possibilities by rearranging the factors, and
6 = 1 × 2 × 3 gives six possibilities. The total is therefore 4 + 3 + 6 = 13.

1
11. Answer E
There are eight shaded small squares, which is half of the number in the big square,
area of the big square is 128 × 2 = 256 cm2 , and therefore its sides are of
so the √
length 256 = 16 cm. The perimeter of the large square is therefore 4×16 = 64 cm.

12. Answer A
Suppose there are n games in the season and Thomas’s total score is S just before
the last game. We are given n1 (S+19) = 18, so S+19 = 18n. Similarly, S+35 = 20n,
and subtracting gives 2n = 16, so n = 8.

13. Answer B
The shaded regions consist of one full circle and four quarter circles, so the combined
area is the same as that of two circles. The combined area of the unshaded regions
is therefore the same as that of three circles (either 5 − 2 or 4 × 34 ), and the ratio of
shaded to unshaded is 2 : 3.

14. Answer E
The vertical matchsticks form 20 rows with 11 sticks in each row, and the hori-
zontal matchsticks form 21 rows with 10 sticks in each row. The total number of
matchsticks is therefore 20 × 11 + 21 × 10 = 430.

15. Answer B
For the first drawing, there are ten letters in the bag, including four A’s, so the
4
probability of drawing A is 10 = 52 . For the second drawing, there are nine letters,
including one R, so the probability of drawing R second is 19 , and similarly the
probability of drawing C third is 18 . Thus the probability of drawing ARC in that
order is 52 × 19 × 81 = 180
1
.

16. Answer B
By factorizing into primes (or otherwise), we see that the highest common factor of
80, 128, 112 is 16. Thus the maximum number of cookies is 16 (and each cookie has
5 chocolate chips, 7 pecan nuts and 8 Smarties).

17. Answer D
If the paths are of width x m, then (8−x)(6−x) = 12 (8×6), giving x2 −14x+24 = 0.
This factorizes to (x − 2)(x − 12) = 0, and x = 12 is impossible, so x = 2.

18. Answer D
The edges of the cubes have lengths 1, 2, 3, so the total surface area is 6(12 +22 +32 ) =
84. To obtain the minimum surface area after gluing, the middle cube must be glued
to the largest cube, and the smallest cube glued to both of the larger ones. The
gluing reduces the outer surface by 2× (22 + 12 + 12) = 12, and the remaining surface
area is 72.

19. Answer A
Factorizing gives 496 = 16 × 31 = 24 (25 − 1) = 29 − 24 , so m = 9 and n = 4, and
m + n = 13.

20. Answer C
The full hexagon is formed from six equilateral triangles, each of side length 21 ×12 =

2
 √
6 and therefore height 3 3 (using Pythagoras’ theorem). The six unshaded triangles
can be combined into three equilateral triangles, congruent to those above. The
shaded area of the √ saw blade
√ is therefore equal to the area of three triangles, that
1
is, 3 × ( 2 × 6 × 3 3) = 27 3.