46 Chapter 3

Practice

318 Problem Find the sum 329 Problem (Putnam 1989) How many primes amongst the positive integers, written
as usual in base-ten are such that their digits are alternating 1’s and 0’s, beginning and
5 + 55 + 555 + · · · + 5 . . . 5 . ending in 1?
|{z}
n 50 s

330 Problem Let a, b, c be the lengths of the sides of a triangle. Shew that
√
319 Problem Shew that for all numbers a 6= 0, a 6= ±i 3 the following formula of
Reyley (1825) holds. 3(ab + bc + ca) ≤ (a + b + c)2 ≤ 4(ab + bc + ca).

 3
a6 + 45a5 − 81a2 + 27
a= 2 + 3)2 331 Problem Let k ≥ 2 be an integer. Shew that if n is a positive integer, then nk can be
 6a(a 3 represented as the sum of n successive odd numbers.
−a2 + 30a2 − 9
+ 2 + 3)
 6a(a 3
−6a3 + 18a 332 Problem (IMO 1979) If a, b are natural numbers such that
+ .
(a2 + 3)2
a 1 1 1 1 1
If a is rational this shews that every rational number is expressible as the sum of the = 1 − + − + ··· − + ,
b 2 3 4 1318 1319
cubes of three rational numbers.
prove that 1979|a.
320 Problem What is the largest power of 7 that divides 1000!?
333 Problem (Polish Mathematical Olympiad) A triangular number is one of the
321 Problem Demonstrate that for all integer values n,
form 1 + 2 + . . . + n, n ∈ N. Prove that none of the digits 2, 4, 7, 9 can be the last digit of
a triangular number.
n9 − 6n7 + 9n5 − 4n3

is divisible by 8640. 334 Problem Demonstrate that there are infinitely many square triangular numbers.

322 Problem Prove that if n > 4 is composite, then n divides (n − 1)!. 335 Problem (Putnam 1975) Supposing that an integer n is the sum of two triangular
numbers,
a2 + a b2 + b
323 Problem Find all real numbers satisfying the equation n= + ,
2 2
Tx2 − x − 2U = TxU. write 4n + 1 as the sum of two squares, 4n + 1 = x2 + y2 where x and y are expressed in
terms of a and b.
Conversely, shew that if 4n + 1 = x2 + y2 , then n is the sum of two triangular numbers.
324 Problem Solve the equation

x x
T U=T U 336 Problem (Polish Mathematical Olympiad) Prove that
1999 2000 amongst ten successive natural numbers, there are always at least one and at most four
numbers that are not divisible by any of the numbers 2, 3, 5, 7.
325 Problem (Putnam 1948) Let n be a positive integer. Prove that
√ √ √
T n + n + 1U = T 4n + 2U 337 Problem Are there five consecutive positive integers such that the sum of the first
four, each raised to the fourth power, equals the fifth raised to the fourth power?
√ √ √ √
(Hint: Prove that 4n + 1 < n + n + 1 < 4n + 3. Argue 338 Problem Prove that
that neither 4n + 2 nor 4n + 3 are perfect squares.) (2m)!(3n)!
(m!)2 (n!)3
326 Problem Prove that 6|n3 − n, for all integers n. is always an integer.

327 Problem (Polish Mathematical Olympiad) Prove that if n is an even natural

number, then the number 13n + 6 is divisible by 7. 339 Problem Prove that for n ∈ N, (n!)! is divisible by n!(n−1)!

328 Problem Find, with proof, the unique square which is the product of four 340 Problem (Olimpíada matemática española, 1985) If n is a positive integer,
consecutive odd numbers. prove that (n + 1)(n + 2) · · · (2n) is divisible by 2n .