AUSTRALIAN

INFORMATICS
COMPETITION
Thursday 10 May 2012

Intermediate Paper
Years 9 & 10
Name:

INSTRUCTIONS
• Do not open the competition paper until told to do so.
• Maintain silence at all times.
• Do not bring mobile phones into the room.
• You may use calculators and printed language dictionaries.
• You may NOT borrow equipment without a supervisor’s permission.
• There are 15 questions. Questions 1 – 6 are multiple-choice with five possible answers given.
Questions 7 – 15 require a three-digit answer. Attempt all questions. Penalties do not apply.
• You are allowed working time of one hour (60 minutes). There is no extra reading time.
• This is a competition not a test; do not expect to answer all questions.
• Diagrams are NOT drawn to scale. They are intended only as aids.
• The questions have been thoroughly checked. Each question stands as written. No further
explanation of questions can be provided.
• You must not leave your seat. If you have any other questions or problems, please raise your hand
and wait for a supervisor.
• If you wish to leave the room a supervisor must accompany you.
• Record all your answers on the answer sheet provided.
• Use B or 2B lead pencils only. Ball point and ink pen markings may not activate the optical scanner.
• Do not make any other marks on the answer sheet as these may make the sheet unreadable.
• If you make an error, use a plastic eraser to completely remove all lead marks and smudges.
• Check that the number of the answer you are filling in is the same as the number of the question
you are answering. This is particularly important if you decide to leave a question blank.
• To ensure the integrity of the competition and to identify outstanding students, the AMT reserves
the right to re-examine students before deciding whether to grant official status to their score.

© 2012 AMT Publishing amtt limited acn 083 950 341

Australian Informatics Competition 2012 (Intermediate) 1

Part A: Questions 1–6

Each question should be answered by a single choice from A to E.
Questions are worth 3 points each.

1. Word Search
A word search uses the following special symbols:

? represents a single letter

* represents any number of letters, including no letters.

In order for a search term to match a word, it must represent the entire word from start to
finish. For example, b * t matches bat but not bath.
How many of the following words does b??st*ing match?
blasting
blustering
boasting
boosting
bootstrapping
bowstrings
bristling
busting

(A) 2 (B) 4 (C) 5 (D) 6 (E) 7

2. Chromatic Glow-worms
The recently discovered chromatic glow-worms are named for their colour changes. Each
night they glow with a different colour, cycling from R(red) → B(blue) → G(green) →
O(orange) → R(red) → · · ·
In a recent trip to the rainforest, Anna has discovered a row of 5 chromatic glow-worms
hanging from their threads. They are coloured R B B G B.
When she returns in 3 weeks (21 days) time, the 5 chromatic glow-worms will be coloured

(A) B G G O G (B) B G G R G (C) G O O R O

(D) G O O B O (E) O R R B R
Australian Informatics Competition 2012 (Intermediate) 2

3. Passwords
Your rich uncle, who is something of a Luddite, is worried about your Facebook security.
He has promised you a new mountain bike, provided you change your password each
day for two years. You have negotiated him down to 720 days, but that is still a lot of
passwords.
Your current password is B I L T O X (the name of your sister’s cat). You decide that
you will work through all the arrangements of the letters in B I L T O X in alphabetical
order, B I L T O X , B I L T X O , . . . , X O T L I B .
Which password will follow O X T I L B ?

(A) O X T I B L (B) O X T L I B (C) O X T L B I

(D) O X T B I L (E) O X T B L I

4. Recent URLs
Katy has been researching gemstones on the web. She notices that whenever she clicks
on a link, it moves up one place on the list of recent URLs.
Her lists of recent URLs before and after a session were:
before Agate after Emerald
Beryl Diamond
Carnelian Beryl
Diamond Garnet
Emerald Agate
Fluorite Fluorite
Garnet Carnelian
What is the fewest number of clicks she could have made to change the before list to the
after list?

(A) 12 (B) 14 (C) 16 (D) 18 (E) 20

5. Digital Bees
In a computer simulation, bees are represented internally by strings of 0s and/or 1s.
In order to get variation in a swarm, the strings are generated by the following algorithm.
Start with the string “A”
While there is an A in the string
randomly replace the A with B 0 or A 1 or 1
Endwhile
While there is a B in the string
Australian Informatics
randomly replaceCompetition
the B with 12012
B or (Intermediate)
10 3
Endwhile
Which of the following strings will not represent a bee?

(A) 1 0 0 (B) 1 1 1 1 1 (C) 1 1 1 1 0 0

(D) 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 (E) 1 0 1
Australian Informatics Competition 2012 (Intermediate)
(Intermediate) 43

6. Wombat
Which Moot strings will not represent a bee?
of the following

Four wombats(A)
are going
1 0 0to a wombat
(B)moot.
11111 (C) 1 1 1 1 0 0
W W
(D) 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 (E) 1 0 1

All wombats (W in the diagram) move at the same pace and start at the same time. They
only go along wombat tracks (solid wavy lines) and each takes the shortest path to the
moot ( • above).
Which of the following is true?
(A) All will arrive at the same time.
(B) Exactly three will arrive at the same time.
(C) Exactly two will arrive at the same time.
(D) One pair will arrrive equal first, and the other two equal last.
(E) No two will arrive at the same time.
Australian Informatics Competition 2012 (Intermediate) 54

6. Wombat Moot Part B: Questions 7–15

Four wombats are going to a wombat moot.
Each question should be answered by a number in the range 0–999.
W W
Questions are worth 2 points each.

7–9. Village Meeting

In the village of St Mary’s Mead, the cottages are strung out one furlong apart. A village
meeting is to be held at one of the cottages. They decide to meet at the cottage that
minimises the total distance walked by the villagers. For instance, if 3 villagers each had
to walk 2 furlongs, and 5 had to walk 1 furlong, the total distance walked would be 11
furlongs.
What is the smallest total number of furlongs the villagers will have to walk in each of
•
the following villages? The lists give the number of people living in each cottage, from
left to right.

7. 2 3 1 1 1 1 2

8. 4 2 1 3 3 4 1 3
W
9. 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 4 2

10–12. The iSorting Machine W

All wombats
The (W in thesorts
iSorting machine diagram)
a list ofmove at theinsame
numbers pace and start
the following way.at the same time. They
only go along wombat tracks (solid wavy lines) and each takes the shortest path to the
It compares the first two numbers, and writes the smaller to a new list, removing it from
moot ( • above).
the original list. If the numbers are the same, it writes one of them to the new list, again
Which of the following is true?
removing it from the original list. It repeats this procedure until there is only one number
(A) All
left, which will arrive
it writes to theatnew
the same time.
list. This constitutes one pass of the iSorting machine.
For example, if the original list was 3 3 same
(B) Exactly three will arrive at the 1 thentime.
one pass of the iSorting machine would
(C)
give 3 1 3. Exactly two will arrive at the same time.
(D) One
If the new list ispair
notwill arrrivethe
in order, equal first, iSorts
machine and theit,other two equal
continuing untillast.
the list is sorted. The
example (E)above
No two would
will be sorted
arrive to 1
at the 3 3 by
same time.a second pass of the iSorting machine.
For each of the following lists, how many passes of the iSorting machine would be re-
quired to sort the list?

10. 8 6 4 2 9 7 5 3

11. 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2

12. 4 2 1 3 3 4 1 3
Australian Informatics Competition 2012 (Intermediate) 56

13–15. Electric Car Part B: Questions 7–15

You intend driving from home to the beach in your new all-electric car. Your battery is
Eachpartly
only question should
charged be 20kWh,
with answered andbythere
a number in the range
is no recharge 0–999.
station at the beach, so you
Questions are worth 2 points each.
want to arrive with as much charge in your battery as possible. Some of the roads on the
way are equipped with remote induction technology that charges the battery while you
drive. You don’t mind driving extra distance provided it increases your battery charge,
7–9.theVillage
but induction Meeting
roads are one way, and you are not permitted to circle round and keep
recharging the battery.
In the village of St Mary’s Mead, the cottages are strung out one furlong apart. A village
For example, on the roads below, the numbers indicate how many kWh you use on the
meeting is to be held at one of the cottages. They decide to meet at the cottage that
normal roads, or the amount of charge you will get on the induction roads. Arrows indi-
minimises the total distance walked by the villagers. For instance, if 3 villagers each had
cate the direction you can travel. Your best route is to take the first road down, go back
to walk 2 furlongs, and 5 had to walk 1 furlong, the total distance walked would be 11
up the middle road, and then down the last road.
furlongs.
This leaves you with 20 − 1 + 9 − 1 − 2 − 4 − 1 − 2 + 6 − 1 = 23 kWh.
What is the smallest total number of furlongs the villagers will have to walk in each of
the following Home
villages?
1 The lists
2 give the
1 number 1 of people
2 living in each cottage, from
left to right.
ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ
7. 2 3 1 1 9 1 1 2 8 4 6 6

8. 4 2 1 3 3 4 1 3

9. 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 4 4 2 2 1 3 1
Beach

10–12.
For each The
of theiSorting Machine
roads below, what is the greatest number of kWh you could have in your
battery on arriving at the beach? In each case, your battery starts with 20kWh.
The iSorting machine sorts a list of numbers in the following way.
It compares
13. the first two numbers, and writes the smaller to a new list, removing it from
the original list. If the numbers are the same, it writes one of them to the new list, again
removingHome
it from
1 the original
2 list.1 It repeats
2 this procedure
1 until
3 there5 is only one number
left, which it writes to the new list. This constitutes one pass of the iSorting machine.
ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ
For example, if the original list was 3 3 1 then one pass of the iSorting machine would
give 3 1 3. 10 8 5 4 5 6 9
If the new list is not in order, the machine iSorts it, continuing until the list is sorted. The
example above would be sorted to 1 3 3 by a second pass of the iSorting machine.
For each of the following lists, how many passes of the iSorting machine would be re-
quired to sort the list? 3 4 2 1 1 2 1
Beach
10. 8 6 4 2 9 7 5 3

11. 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2

12. 4 2 1 3 3 4 1 3
Australian Informatics Competition 2012 (Intermediate) 67

13–15. 14.
Electric Car
You intend
Homedriving
1 from
3 home
1 to the
2 beach 4 in your
1 new3 all-electric
2 car.
5 Your 4 battery is

only partly charged with 20kWh, and there is no recharge station at the beach, so you
ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ
want to arrive with as much charge in your battery as possible. Some of the roads on the
10 9 7
way are equipped with12remote8 induction
2 4
technology 6
that charges 3
the battery 8
while you
drive. You don’t mind driving extra distance provided it increases your battery charge,
but the induction roads are one way, and you are not permitted to circle round and keep
recharging the battery.2 3 2 1 4 2 1 3 2 1
For example, on the roads below, the numbers indicate how many kWh you use onBeach the
normal roads, or the amount of charge you will get on the induction roads. Arrows indi-
cate the 15.
direction you can travel. Your best route is to take the first road down, go back
up the middle road, and then down the last road.
This leaves
Homeyou1 with 202 −1+9 1 −1−2 1 − 4 − 13 − 2 + 61 − 1 = 23
1 kWh.4

Home
ˆ 1
ˆ 2 1 1
ˆ 2
ˆ
9 6ˆ 4 ˆ 2 7 ˆ 3 ˆ 2 4

9 8 4 6 6

4 1 2 2 1 1 1 1
1 2 1 3 1 Beach
Beach

For each of the roads below, what is the greatest number of kWh you could have in your
battery on arriving at the beach? In each case, your battery starts with 20kWh.

13.

Home 1 2 1 2 1 3 5

ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ ˆ
10 8 5 4 5 6 9

3 4 2 1 1 2 1
Beach
 2012 AIC Answers
Question Intermediate
1 C
2 A
3 C
4 A
5 E
6 B
7 21
8 42
9 56
10 6
11 5
12 5
13 16
14 19
15 19
THE AUSTRALIAN INFORMATICS COMPETITION
BOOK 1 2005-2010

Intermediate Paper
This book contains the questions, solutions and statistics from the 2005-2010 Australian
Informatics Competition papers. The questions are grouped by category, and the book
includes an explanation of each category and its relevance. Within a category, there may
be several problem types, each of which also has an introduction, including practical
applications and an outline of the method of solution.

Available from the Australian Mathematics Trust website www.amt.edu.au for $42.00 each.

A ustralian M athematics T rust