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Difference between revisions of "2010 AIME I Problems/Problem 14"

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== Solution 3 ==
 
== Solution 3 ==
  
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For any <math>n</math> where the sum is close to <math>300</math>, all the terms in the sum must be equal to <math>2</math>, <math>3</math> or <math>4</math>. Let <math>M</math> be the number of terms less than or equal to <math>3</math> and <math>N</math> be the number of terms equal to <math>2</math> (also counted in <math>M</math>). With this definition of <math>M</math> and <math>N</math> the total will be <math>400 - M - N = 300</math>, from which <math>M + N = 100</math>. Now <math>M+1</math> is the smallest integer <math>k</math> for which <math>\log_{10}(kn) \ge 4</math> or <math>kn \ge 10000</math>, thus <cmath>M = \left\lceil\frac{10000}{n}\right\rceil - 1.</cmath> Similarly, <cmath>N = \left\lceil\frac{1000}{n}\right\rceil - 1.</cmath>
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For any <math>n</math> where the sum is close to <math>300</math>, all the terms in the sum must be equal to <math>2</math>, <math>3</math> or <math>4</math>. Let <math>M</math> be the number of terms less than or equal to <math>3</math> and <math>N</math> be the number of terms equal to <math>2</math> (also counted in <math>M</math>). With this definition of <math>M</math> and <math>N</math> the total will be <math>400 - M - N \le 300</math>, from which <math>M + N \ge 100</math>. Now <math>M+1</math> is the smallest integer <math>k</math> for which <math>\log_{10}(kn) \ge 4</math> or <math>kn \ge 10000</math>, thus <cmath>M = \left\lfloor\frac{9999}{n}\right\rfloor.</cmath> Similarly, <cmath>N = \left\lfloor\frac{999}{n}\right\rfloor = \left\lfloor\frac{M}{10}\right\rfloor.</cmath>
  
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If <math>n</math> is not a divisor of <math>10000</math>, we have <cmath>M = \left\lfloor\frac{10000}{n}\right\rfloor</cmath> and <cmath>N = \left\lfloor\frac{1000}{n}\right\rfloor = \left\lfloor \frac{M}{10} \right\rfloor.</cmath> Under the same assumption, <cmath>M + \left\lfloor \frac{M}{10} \right\rfloor = 100,</cmath> and so <math>M = 91</math>. Dividing <math>10000</math> by <math>91</math> we see that <math>n = 109</math>. Since <math>n = 110</math> is also not a divisor of <math>10000</math> and with <math>n = 110</math> we get <math>M + N = 90 + 9 = 99 < 100</math> (thus a sum of <math>301 > 300</math>) and the sum is obviously monotone in <math>n</math>, the largest value is <math>\boxed{109}</math>.
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Therefore, <cmath>M + \left\lfloor \frac{M}{10} \right\rfloor \ge 100 \implies M \ge 91 \implies n \le \left\lfloor\frac{9999}M\right\rfloor = 109.</cmath> Since we want the largest possible <math>n</math>, the answer is <math>\boxed{109}</math>.
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==

Revision as of 23:32, 10 May 2011

Problem

For each positive integer n, let $f(n) = \sum_{k = 1}^{100} \lfloor \log_{10} (kn) \rfloor$. Find the largest value of n for which $f(n) \le 300$.

Note: $\lfloor x \rfloor$ is the greatest integer less than or equal to $x$.

Solution 1

Observe that $f$ is strictly increasing in $n$. We realize that we need $100$ terms to add up to around $300$, so we need some sequence of $2$s, $3$s, and then $4$s.

It follows that $n \approx 100$. Manually checking shows that $f(109) = 300$ and $f(110) > 300$. Thus, our answer is $\boxed{109}$.

Solution 2

Because we want the value for which $f(n)=300$, the average value of the 100 terms of the sequence should be around $3$. For the value of $\lfloor \log_{10} (kn) \rfloor$ to be $3$, $1000 \le kn < 10000$. We want kn to be around the middle of that range, and for k to be in the middle of 0 and 100, let $k=50$, so $50n=\frac{10000+1000}{2}=\frac{11000}{2}=5500$, and $n = 110$. $f(110) = 301$, so we want to lower $n$. Testing $109$ yields $300$, so our answer is still $\boxed{109}$.

Solution 3

For any $n$ where the sum is close to $300$, all the terms in the sum must be equal to $2$, $3$ or $4$. Let $M$ be the number of terms less than or equal to $3$ and $N$ be the number of terms equal to $2$ (also counted in $M$). With this definition of $M$ and $N$ the total will be $400 - M - N \le 300$, from which $M + N \ge 100$. Now $M+1$ is the smallest integer $k$ for which $\log_{10}(kn) \ge 4$ or $kn \ge 10000$, thus \[M = \left\lfloor\frac{9999}{n}\right\rfloor.\] Similarly, \[N = \left\lfloor\frac{999}{n}\right\rfloor = \left\lfloor\frac{M}{10}\right\rfloor.\]

Therefore, \[M + \left\lfloor \frac{M}{10} \right\rfloor \ge 100 \implies M \ge 91 \implies n \le \left\lfloor\frac{9999}M\right\rfloor = 109.\] Since we want the largest possible $n$, the answer is $\boxed{109}$.

See also

2010 AIME I (Problems • Answer Key • Resources)
Preceded by
Problem 13 		Followed by
Problem 15
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All AIME Problems and Solutions
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