Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra 1

Basic Arithmetic

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Charles Yang ([email protected])

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1 July 2024

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§1 Introduction

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Welcome to your AMC8 preparation session on Basic Arithmetic! Today, we will focus on fundamental concepts
including operations, fractions, decimals, and percents. Mastery of these topics is essential for solving a wide

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range of problems you will encounter in the AMC8 competition.

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§2 Arithmetic Operations

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Arithmetic operations are the backbone of most mathematical problems you’ll encounter. Let’s review them:
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ˆ Addition and Subtraction — Basic yet powerful, these operations form the foundation for building more
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complex ideas.

ˆ Multiplication and Division — Understanding these operations helps in solving problems more efficiently
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and is crucial for handling fractions and percents.

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§3 Fractions
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Fractions represent a part of a whole. Here are some key concepts:

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ˆ Simplifying Fractions: Reduce the fraction to its lowest form by dividing the numerator and the
denominator by their greatest common divisor.
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ˆ Common Denominators: Useful for adding, subtracting, or comparing fractions.

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ˆ Multiplication and Division: Multiplication involves multiplying the numerators and denominators.
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Division involves multiplying by the reciprocal.

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Example 3.1
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1 1
Add 4 and 3 and simplify the result.
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Solution.

1 1 3 4 7
+ = + =
4 3 12 12 12

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Charles Yang ([email protected]) — 1 July 2024 Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra 1

Example 3.2 (Summation of a Fractional Series)

Compute:
1 1 1 1 1
+ + + + ··· +
1×2 2×3 3×4 4×5 10 × 11

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Solution.

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This series can be simplified using the method of partial fractions:

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1 1 1
= −
n · (n + 1) n n+1

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This series telescopes, meaning most terms cancel out:
       
1 1 1 1 1 1 1

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= 1− + − + − + ··· + −
2 2 3 3 4 10 11

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1
=1−

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11

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10
=
11

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10
Thus, the sum of the 10 fractions is .
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Example 3.3
Compute:
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1 1 1 1 1
+ + + + ··· +
1×3 2×4 3×5 4×6 10 × 12
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Solution.
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This series can be simplified using the method of partial fractions:

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1 1 1 1
= −
n · (n + 2) 2 n n+2
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Again, this series telescopes which indicates most terms cancel out:
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1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
= 1− + − + − + − + ··· + −
2 3 2 4 3 5 4 6 10 12
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1 1 1 1
= 1+ − −
2 2 11 12
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1 175 175
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= =
2 132 264
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175
Thus, the sum is .
264

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Charles Yang ([email protected]) — 1 July 2024 Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra 1

§4 Decimals
Decimals are an alternative way to represent fractions.

ˆ Operations: Perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division as with whole numbers, aligning
decimal points.

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ˆ Conversion: Convert between fractions and decimals when necessary.

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Example 4.1

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7

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Convert 12 to a decimal.

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Solution.

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7
≈ 0.583
12

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§5 The Mystique of Number 7

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Beyond the decimal curiosities, the number 7 holds significant cultural and mystical value across various
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traditions, adding an extra layer of intrigue to its mathematical properties.
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The fraction 17 is notable not only for its appearance in mathematical problems but also for the peculiar
repeating decimal it produces. This exploration looks into the decimal form of 17 , its properties, and the broader
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mathematical implications of these properties.

§5.1 Decimal Representation and Repeating Sequence

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The fraction 17 when converted to decimal form results in 0.142857, a repeating sequence of six digits. This
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sequence is of particular interest due to the cyclic nature of the numbers when used in multiplication.
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§5.2 Cyclic Permutations

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The sequence 142857 is remarkable for its cyclic properties under multiplication:
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ˆ 1 × 142857 = 142857
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ˆ 2 × 142857 = 285714
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ˆ 3 × 142857 = 428571
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ˆ 4 × 142857 = 571428
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ˆ 5 × 142857 = 714285
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ˆ 6 × 142857 = 857142

Each product is a permutation of 142857, showcasing the sequence’s stability under multiplication.

Question: What is 7 × 142857?

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Charles Yang ([email protected]) — 1 July 2024 Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra 1

§5.3 Sum of Digits

The sum of the digits 1 + 4 + 2 + 8 + 5 + 7 = 27, which is divisible by 9, illustrating the rule that a number
whose digits sum to a multiple of 9 is itself divisible by 9.

§5.4 Multiplication by Fractions of 7

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Multiplying 142857 by integers 1 through 6, which correspond to through 67 , yields:

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7

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1
= 0.142857
7

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2
= 0.285714

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7
3
= 0.428571
7

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4
= 0.571428

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7
5
= 0.714285

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7
6

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= 0.857142
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Question: What is 77 ? io
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Question: What is 7 × 0.142857?
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Charles Yang ([email protected]) — 1 July 2024 Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra 1

§6 Assignment
Problem 6.1. What is the ones digit of

222, 222 − 22, 222 − 2, 222 − 222 − 22 − 2?

(A) 0 (B) 2 (C) 4 (D) 6 (E) 8

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Problem 6.2. What is the value of this expression in decimal form?

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44 110 44

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+ +
11 44 1100
(A) 6.4 (B) 6.504 (C) 6.54 (D) 6.9 (E) 6.94

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a×b
Problem 6.3. If a@b = a+b for a, b positive integers, then what is 5@10?

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(A) 10 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 103 (E) 50

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Problem 6.4. How many digits are in the product 45 · 510 ?
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(A) 8 (B) 9 (C) 10 (D) 11 (E) 12
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Problem 6.5. Peter’s family ordered a 12-slice pizza for dinner. Peter ate one slice and shared another slice
equally with his brother Paul. What fraction of the pizza did Peter eat?
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(A) 24 (B) 12 (C) 18 (D) 61 (E) 41
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Problem 6.6. What is the value of 4 · (−1 + 2 − 3 + 4 − 5 + 6 − 7 + · · · + 1000)?

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(A) − 10 (B) 0 (C) 1 (D) 500 (E) 2000

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Problem 6.7. If n and m are integers and n2 + m2 is even, which of the following is impossible?
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(A) n and m are even (B) n and m are odd (C) n + m is even (D) n + m is odd (E)
none of these are impossible
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Problem 6.8. Which of the following integers cannot be written as the sum of four consecutive odd integers?
(A) 16 (B) 40 (C) 72 (D) 100 (E) 200
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Problem 6.9. The longest professional tennis match lasted a total of 11 hours and 5 minutes. How many
minutes is that?
(A) 605 (B) 655 (C) 665 (D) 1005 (E) 1105
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Charles Yang ([email protected]) — 1 July 2024 Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra 1

Problem 6.10. Find the value of the expression

100 − 98 + 96 − 94 + 92 − 90 + · · · + 8 − 6 + 4 − 2.

(A) 20 (B) 40 (C) 50 (D) 80 (E) 100

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Problem 6.11. Suppose that a ∗ b means 3a − b. What is the value of x if

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2 ∗ (5 ∗ x) = 1

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1 10
(A) 10 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 10 (E) 14.

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1·2·3·4·5·6·7·8
Problem 6.12. What is the value of the expression 1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8 ?
(A) 1020 (B) 1120 (C) 1220 (D) 2240 (E) 3360

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Problem 6.13. What is the value of the product

1
 
1
 
1
 
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1+ · 1+ · 1+ · 1+ · 1+ · 1+ ?
1 2 3 4 5 6
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7 4 7
(A) 6 (B) 3 (C) 2 (D) 7 (E) 8
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Problem 6.14. What is the value of 1 + 3 + 5 + · · · + 2017 + 2019 − 2 − 4 − 6 − · · · − 2016 − 2018?

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(A) − 1010 (B) − 1009 (C) 1008 (D) 1009 (E) 1010
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15 19 17
Problem 6.15. Which of the following is the correct order of the fractions 11 , 15 , and 13 , from least to greatest?
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(A) 15 17 19
11 < 13 < 15 (B) 1115
< 19 17
15 < 13 (C) 17 19
13 < 15 < 11
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(D) 19 15
15 < 11 <
17
13 (E) 19 17 15
15 < 13 < 11
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Problem 6.16. Suppose 15% of x equals 20% of y. What percentage of x is y?

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(A) 5 (B) 35 (C) 75 (D) 133 13 (E) 300

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