Mathematics KVPY: Number Theory

1 There are four prime numbers written in ascending order. The product of the first three is 385 and that
of the last three is 1001. The last number is
(a) 11 (b) 13 (c) 17 (d) 19
Answer: (b)
Solution:
Let the given numbers be a,b,c,d . Then, abc 385 = and bcd = 1001
abc 385 a 5
 =  =
bcd 1001 d 13
So, a = 5, d = 13

2 Find out (A + B + C + D) such that AB × CB = DDD, where AB and CB are two digit numbers and
DDD is a three-digit number
(a) 21 (b) 19 (c) 17 (d) 18
Answer: (a)
Solution:
AB and CB are two-digit numbers with the same unit digit. Therefore, R.H.S should also be a
multiplication of two-digit numbers with the same unit digit.
R.H.S = DDD = D × 111 = D × 3 × 37.
Now, 37 is a two-digit number with 7 as the unit digit.
Therefore, 3D should also be a two-digit number with 7 as the unit-digit.
 D = 9 and 3D = 27.
Therefore, 27 × 37 = 999
Hence, A = 2, B = 7, C = 3 and D = 9

3 A 4-digit number is formed by repeating a 2-digit number such as 2525, 3232 etc. Any number of this
from is exactly divisible by
(a) 7 (b) 11 (c) 13 (d) Smallest 3-digit prime number
Answer: (d)
Solution:
Smallest 3-digit prime number is 101.
Clearly, 2525 = 25 × l101 ; 3232 = 32 × 101 etc.
⸫ Each such number is divisible by 101

4 If a2 + 2b = 7, b2 + 4c = –7 and c2 + 6a = –14, then the value of (a2 + b2 + c2) is

(a) 14 (b) 25 (c) 36 (d) 47
 Answer: (a)
Solution:
a2 + 2b = 7, b2 + 4c = –7 and c2 + 6a = –14
⸫ a2 + 2b + b2 + 4c + c2 + 6a = 7 – 7 – 14
(a2 + 6a + 9) + (b2 + 2b + 1) + (c2 + 4c + 4) = –14 + 9 + 1 + 4
(a + 3)2 + (b + 1)2 + (c + 2)2 = 0
It is possible only when a = –3, b = –1 and c = –2
So, a2 + b2 + c2 = (–3)2 + (–1)2 + (–2)2 = 9 + 1 + 4 = 14

5 Which of the following is greatest ?

2 22
(a) 2222 (b) 222 (c) 2222 (d) 2 2
Answer: (b)
Solution:
By visualizing the options, 222 = 2484 is greatest.
2

6 The number of pairs (a, b) of positive real numbers satisfying a4 + b4 < 1 and a2 + b2 > 1 is
(a) 0 (b) 1 (c) 2 (d) more than 2
Answer: (d)
Solution:

From the graph,

There are infinitely many positive real numbers (a, b) satisfying a4 + b4 < 1 and a2 + b2 > 1.

7 If a, b, c, d are four distinct numbers chosen from the set {1, 2, 3,….., 9} then minimum value of
a c
+ is
b d
3 1 13 25
(a) (b) (c) (d)
8 3 36 72
Answer: (d)
Solution:
 a c
The minimum value of + is possible when a = 2, b = 9, c = 1, d = 8
b d

2 1 16 + 9 25
 + = =
9 8 72 72

8 How many positive integers less than 1000 are 6 times the sum of their digits?
(a) 0 (b) 1 (c) 2 (d) 3
Answer: (b)
Solution:
Number less than 1000 can be written as
abc = 100a + 10b + c
Where a, b, c  {0,1,2,3,……..,9} and a + b + c > 0
The sum of digits of this number is (a + b + c)
Given, 100a + 10b + c = 6 (a + b + c)
⸫ 96a + 4b – 5c = 0
Clearly, for a > 0, there is no solution.
⸫ a = 0  4b = 5c
This is possible only if b = 5 and c = 4
⸫ The number is 54

9 A natural number K is such that K2 > 2019 < ( K + 1)2. Then the largest prime factor of K is
(a) 11 (b) 13 (c) 7 (d) 5
Answer: (a)
Solution:
K 2  2019  (K + 1) 2
 K 2  2019
 K  2019
 K  44.93
 K = 44
The largest prime factor of K is 11.

10 Let E(n) denote the sum of the even digits of n. For example E(1243) = 2 + 4 = 6, then the value of
E(1) + E(2) + E(3) + …+ E(100) is equal to
(a) 200 (b) 300 (c) 400 (d) 500
Answer: (c)
Solution:
E(1) + E(2) + E(3) + …+ E(100)
= Sum of all even digits from 1 to 100
= Sum of all even digits in [01 + 02 + 03 + …+ 98 + 99 + 100]
= 0 × 20 + 2 × 20 + 4 × 20 + 6 × 20 + 8 × 20
 200
There are 2 × 100 = 200 digits and each digit appears = 20 times
10
= (2 + 4 + 6 + 8) × 20 = 20 × 20 = 400

11 When a number P is divided by 4, it leaves remainder 3. If the twice of the number P is divided by the
same divisor 4, then what will be the remainder?
(a) 0 (b) 1 (c) 2 (d) 6
Answer: (c)
Solution:
Let the quotient is m
then P = 4m + 3
or 2p = 4 × 2m + 4 + 2
or 2p = 4 (2m + 1) + 2
Hence, when 2p is divided by 4, it leaves remainder 2.

12 If 65982ab is divisible by 55 (where a, b are single digit whole numbers), then number of all possible
ordered pair (a, b) is
(a) 0 (b) 1 (c) 2 (d) 3
Answer: (c)
Solution:
55 = 11 × 5
⸫ Given number divisible by 5, and 11, both
⸫ b = 0 or 5
Also, (6 + 9 + 2 + b) – (5 + 8 + a) = (4 + b – a) is divisible by 11
When b = 0, a = 4
When b = 5, a = 9
13 In a three digit number, the unit digit is sum of the other two digits and it exceeds the tens digit by as
much as the ten’s digit exceeds the hundreds digit. How many such numbers exist?
(a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 4
Answer: (c)
Solution:
Let the three digit number be xyz
z = x + y, z – y = y – x
z = 2y – x
2y – x = x + y
y = 2x, z = 3x
x:y:z=1:2:3
(x, y, z) can be (1, 2, 3), (2, 4, 6) (3, 6, 9)
Hence, there are three such numbers i.e. 123, 246, 369

14 What is the latest number which when divided by 12 leaves a remainder of 7; when divided by 15
leaves a remainder of 10 and when divided by 16 leaves a remainder of 11?
 (a) 115 (b) 235 (c) 247 (d) 475
Answer: (b)
Solution:
Let x be the number.
(1) (x – 7) is divisible by 12
(2) (x – 10) is divisible by 15
(3) (x – 11) is divisible by 16
Substitute the options in place of x and find the option which satisfies all 3 statements.

7
15 Find the last digit of the number 7 7
(a) 1 (b) 7 (c) 9 (d) 3
Answer: (d)
Solution:
The unit digit of 7n has a cycle of length 4
77  3(mod4)
74m + 3  73  3

16 Let f(m, n) = 36m – 5n, where m, n are natural numbers. Find the smallest value of |f(m, n)|
(a) 7 (b) 13 (c) 11 (d) 17
Answer: (c)
Solution:
We note that f(1,2) = 11. Further f(m, n) is odd, f(m, n) is not a multiple of 3 and f(m, n)  1
(mod 5). Thus only possible value less than 11 that |f(m,n)| can take is 1.
We will now show that |f(m,n)| ≠ 1.
Now, |f(m,n)| = 1  36m – 5n = ± 1  36m ± 1 = 5n
But modulo 5, 36m + 1 = 5n gives 2  0 (mod 5), a contradiction and
modulo 4, 36m–1 = 5n gives – 1  1 (mod 4), a contradiction.
Thus, the smallest value of |f(m,n)| is 11.