Difference between revisions of "2021 AIME II Problems/Problem 1"

(Solution 2 (Symmetry))
(Solution 2 (Symmetry))
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==Solution 2 (Symmetry)==
 
==Solution 2 (Symmetry)==
For any palindrome <math>ABA,</math> note that <math>ABA,</math> is 100A + 10b + A which is also 101A + 10B.  
+
For any palindrome <math>ABA,</math> note that <math>ABA,</math> is 100A + 10B + A which is also 101A + 10B.  
 
+
The average for A is 5 since A can be any of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. The average for B is 4.5 since B is either 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Therefore, the answer is 505 + 45 = \boxed{550}.
<b>Will finish up soon. No edit please. Thanks.
 
 
 
~MRENTHUSIASM
 
  
 
==See also==
 
==See also==
 
{{AIME box|year=2021|n=II|before=First Problem|num-a=2}}
 
{{AIME box|year=2021|n=II|before=First Problem|num-a=2}}
 
{{MAA Notice}}
 
{{MAA Notice}}

Revision as of 15:07, 22 March 2021

Problem

Find the arithmetic mean of all the three-digit palindromes. (Recall that a palindrome is a number that reads the same forward and backward, such as $777$ or $383$.)

Solution 1

Recall the the arithmetic mean of all the $n$ digit palindromes is just the average of the largest and smallest $n$ digit palindromes, and in this case the $2$ palindromes are $101$ and $999$ and $\frac{101+999}{2}=550$ and $\boxed{550}$ is the final answer.

~ math31415926535

Solution 2 (Symmetry)

For any palindrome $ABA,$ note that $ABA,$ is 100A + 10B + A which is also 101A + 10B. The average for A is 5 since A can be any of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. The average for B is 4.5 since B is either 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Therefore, the answer is 505 + 45 = \boxed{550}.

See also

2021 AIME II (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
First Problem
Followed by
Problem 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
All AIME Problems and Solutions

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