Problem 1:

Mr.Cantori loves sets.

He decided to give you an intuitive definition:
A set is a collection of different elements.
E.g. E = {1, 2, 3, 4, · · · } is the set of positive integers.
F = {0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10} = {0 ⩽ x ⩽ 10 | x is an even integer} is the set of even non-negative
integers least or equal to 10.
The set of divisors of the number 6 is {1, 2, 3, 6}
What are the sets of divisors of the following numbers: 16, 31, 45, 111

Keywords: Divisors

Problem 2:
Simplify:
⋆ 5xy − 10 + 16xy + 8
1
⋆ xy · [ 18 · (24xy) + 3xy]
x 2 (3x2 y 3 )2
⋆ ( 8y ) · x2 y 3
√ √
3
12 √108
⋆ √3
4
· 3

Keywords: Simplification of algebraic expressions

Problem 3:
Complete by the adequate digit(s) so that:
• the number 311□ is divisible by 5
• the number 1189□4 is divisible by 8
• the number 3□9 is divisible by 9
• the number 89□43 is divisible by 11
• the number 187□□4 is divisible by 72

Keywords: Divisibility

Problem 4:
What is the smallest natural number n whose only digits are 1 and 2 that satisfies:
n being divisible by 44 ?

Keywords: Divisibility

Problem 5:
If a|b, find the value of d and m such that:
⊚ d = gcd(a, b)
⊚ m = lcm(a, b)
Note: saying that a | b means that a divides b

Keywords: gcd : Greatest common divisor, lcm : Least common multiple

Problem 6:
Mr.Asianius never uses a calculator.
He challenged you to do so in order to figure out if these 2 statements are true:
■ 6|1537774332
■ 4|1537774332
According only to the 2 past results, what is the greatest natural number that must di-
vide: 1537774332 ?
Note: saying that a | b means that a divides b

Keywords: Divisors, lcm: Least common multiple

Problem 7:
x is a natural number (x ∈ N)
3
y = x16

What is the smallest natural number that must divide x so that y ∈ N

Keywords: Divisors

Problem 8:
x is a natural number (x ∈ N)
Can we say that if 3|x3 , then necessarily:
• 9 | x3
• 27 | x3
• 81 | x3
Note: Writing a | b means that a divides b

Keywords: Divisors, Prime factors

Problem 9:
Mr.Legendrus knows a lot about prime numbers. He gave you a simple definition:
A prime number is a natural number ⩾ 2
whose only factors are 1 and itself.
E.g. 2 and 3 are prime numbers.
Whereas, 6 isn’t, since 6 = 2 · 3 = 1 · 6.

n 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 ...
n2 + n + 41 41 43 47 53 61 71 83 97 113 151 173 197 223 251 281 313 ...
□ What does ”proof by counter example” mean ?
□ Check if the first numbers (when n ∈ {0, 1, · · · , 14, 15}) given by the polynomial
n2 + n + 41 are prime.
□ Do you think that this formula generates prime numbers only ?

Keywords: Prime numbers, Factorization

Problem 10:
Find the smallest natural number n ⩾ 3 such that its remainder modulo (after dividing
n by) 3, 5, 7 and 11 is a non-zero constant integer.

Keywords: Euclidian division, lcm: Least common multiple

Problem 11:
m and n are positive integers.
If n was the remainder of the euclidian division of any of the following numbers: 1238, 1596, 2491
by m, then compute the sum m + n.

Keywords: Euclidian division

Problem 12:
Mr.A doesn’t want anyone to know his age.
However, after talking to him, he told you that he’s younger than his fried who is 100
years old, that if you divided his age by 3, 4 and 5 separately, the remainder would be
2, 3 and 4 respectively.
Can you find Mr.A’s age?

Keywords: Divisibility, Chinese remainder theorem

Problem 13:
Given a, an odd number and that ∀a, b ∈ N : gcd(a, b) · lcm(a, b) = ab.
Find lcm(a, a + 2)

Keywords: gcd: Greatest common divisor, lcm: Least common multiple

Problem 14:
Miss.Germainius once found a trick to factorize a4 + 4b4 = (a2 )2 + (2b2 )2
But she wanted you to discover it by yourself, so she gave you 2 hints:
⊚ (x + y)2 = x2 + y 2 + 2xy
⊚ (x + y)(x − y) = x2 − y 2
Using Miss.Germainius’ trick, prove that 20094 + 42009 isn’t prime.

Keywords: Sophie Germain remarquable identity, Prime numbers

Problem 15:
How many prime numbers can be formed only by using these digits 2, 5, 7
without repetition ?

Keywords: Divisibility, Prime factors

Problem 16:
m, n are positive integers.
Find the smallest m such that: 2940m = n2

Keywords: Divisibility, Prime factors

Source: Aust. MC 1989

Problem 17:
x, y, z, w are prime numbers.
x · y · z · w = 2002
Compute x2 + y 2 + z 2 + w2

Keywords: Divisibility, Prime factors

Source: British. SMC 2002

Problem 18:
This number: 32639 is the product of 2 prime numbers p and q, such that p is almost
half of the other prime q.

Keywords: Prime factors

Source: MAΘ 2002

Problem 19:
One can see that: (a + b)3 = a3 + 3ab(a + b)
This implies that a3 +b3 = (a+b)3 −3ab(a+b) = (a+b)[(a+b)2 −3ab] = (a+b)(a2 −ab+b2 )
Using this remarquable identity, prove that 27000001 is the product of 4 distinct prime
numbers.

Keywords: Divisibility, factorization

Problem 20: 2
+q 2
p, q are prime numbers; r = pp+q .
Using that gcd(a, b) = gcd(a, b − an) and proof by contradiction by supposing (p ̸= q)
Prove that r is a prime number.

Keywords: gcd: Greatest common divisor

1st problem solution:
{n ∈ N | (n | 16)} = {1, 2, 4, 8, 16}
{n ∈ N | (n | 31)} = {1, 31}
{n ∈ N | (n | 45)} = {1, 3, 5, 9, 15, 45}
{n ∈ N | (n | 111)} = {1, 3, 37, 111}

2nd problem solution:

9 4
⋆ 21xy − 2 ⋆ 6 ⋆ 64 x y⋆6

3rd problem solution:

• {0, 5} • {0, 4, 8} • {6} • {34, 70}

4th problem solution:

We can check the 2 digits numbers multiple of 44 and see that there are no sols.
Since 4 | n: the last two digits of n are 12.
We can check easily that 112, 212 aren’t divisible by 11.
From the 22 digits possible numbers: 1112, 1212, 2112, 2212, the two smaller numbers are
not valid, we conclude that n = 2112.

5th problem solution:

⊚ gcd(a, b) = a
⊚ lcm(a, b) = b

6th problem solution:

4 and 6 both divide 1537774332
This implies that: lcm(4, 6) = 12 divides 1537774332

7th problem solution:

16 | x3 means that 4 | x

8th problem solution:

3 | x3 means that 27 | x3

9th problem solution:

Def: proof by counter example.
When n ∈ {1, 2, · · · 38, 39}, n2 + n + 41 is prime.
For n = 40: 402 + 40 + 41 = 412 (or simply n = 41)

10th problem solution:

n ≡ 1 (mod 3) ; n ≡ 1 (mod 5) ; n ≡ 1 (mod 7) ; n ≡ 1 (mod 11)
n ≡ 1 (mod lcm(3, 5, 7, 11))
n = 3 · 5 · 7 · 11 + 1

11th problem solution:

1238 ≡ 1596 ≡ 2491 ≡ n (mod m)
m | (1596 − 1238) means m | 179 · 2
2491 is odd, implying that m = 179, the Euclidian division gives : n = 164
=⇒ m + n = 343

12th problem solution:

n ≡ −1 (mod 3) ; n ≡ −1 (mod 4) ; n ≡ −1 (mod 5)
n ≡ −1 (mod lcm(3, 4, 5))
n < 100 =⇒ n = 59
13th problem solution:
a is odd.
gcd(a, a + 2) = gcd(a, a + 2 − a) = gcd(a, 2) = 1
a(a+2)
lcm(a, a + 2) = gcd(a,a+2) = a(a + 2)

14th problem solution:

(a2 + 2b2 )2 = (a2 )2 + (2b2 )2 + (2ab)2
a4 + 4b4 = (a2 + 2b2 − 2ab)(a2 + 2b2 + 2ab)
20094 + 4 · 42008 = (2009)4 + 4 · (4502 )4

15th problem solution:

The last digit must be 7.
By checking the 2! possible numbers, 527 = 17 · 31, implying that the only valid solution
is 257.

16th problem solution:

2940 = 22 · 3 · 5 · 72 .
m = 3 · 5 = 15.

17th problem solution:

2002 = 2 · 7 · 11 · 13
22 + 72 + 112 + 132 = 343

18th
q problem solution:
⌊ 32639
2 ⌋ = 127 which is prime.
We can suppose that p = 127.
The number 32639 ≡ 9 (mod 10) implying that q ≡ 7 (mod 10)
127 · 2 + 3 = 257 which is prime.
We can easily check that: 127 · 257 = 32639

19th problem solution:

27000001 = 27000000 + 1 = (300)3 + 1 = (300 + 1)(3002 − 300 + 1) = 301 · [3002 + 2 ·
300+1−(30)2 ] = 301·[(300+1)2 −(30)2 ] = 301·(300+1−30)(300+1+30) = 7·43·271·331

20th problem solution:

gcd(p2 + q 2 , p + q) = gcd((p + q)2 − (p2 + q 2 ), p + q) = gcd(2pq, p + q)
We can assume for sake of contradiction that p ̸= q.
gcd(p, p + q) = gcd(p, q) = gcd(q, p + q) = 1
By gauss’ theorem, knowing that p + q | 2pq and gcd(pq, p + q) = 1:
p + q | 2 which is clearly a contradiction since p, q ⩾ 2.
2
+q 2 2
=⇒ p = q: r = pp+q = 2p
2p = p = q a prime number.