Stay ahead of learning milestones! Enroll in a class over the summer!

G
Topic
First Poster
Last Poster
k a April Highlights and 2025 AoPS Online Class Information
jlacosta   0
Apr 2, 2025
Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner, what are your plans? At AoPS Online our schedule has new classes starting now through July, so be sure to keep your skills sharp and be prepared for the Fall school year! Check out the schedule of upcoming classes below.

WOOT early bird pricing is in effect, don’t miss out! If you took MathWOOT Level 2 last year, no worries, it is all new problems this year! Our Worldwide Online Olympiad Training program is for high school level competitors. AoPS designed these courses to help our top students get the deep focus they need to succeed in their specific competition goals. Check out the details at this link for all our WOOT programs in math, computer science, chemistry, and physics.

Looking for summer camps in math and language arts? Be sure to check out the video-based summer camps offered at the Virtual Campus that are 2- to 4-weeks in duration. There are middle and high school competition math camps as well as Math Beasts camps that review key topics coupled with fun explorations covering areas such as graph theory (Math Beasts Camp 6), cryptography (Math Beasts Camp 7-8), and topology (Math Beasts Camp 8-9)!

Be sure to mark your calendars for the following events:
[list][*]April 3rd (Webinar), 4pm PT/7:00pm ET, Learning with AoPS: Perspectives from a Parent, Math Camp Instructor, and University Professor
[*]April 8th (Math Jam), 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, 2025 MATHCOUNTS State Discussion
April 9th (Webinar), 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Learn about Video-based Summer Camps at the Virtual Campus
[*]April 10th (Math Jam), 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, 2025 MathILy and MathILy-Er Math Jam: Multibackwards Numbers
[*]April 22nd (Webinar), 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Competitive Programming at AoPS (USACO).[/list]
Our full course list for upcoming classes is below:
All classes run 7:30pm-8:45pm ET/4:30pm - 5:45pm PT unless otherwise noted.

Introductory: Grades 5-10

Prealgebra 1 Self-Paced

Prealgebra 1
Sunday, Apr 13 - Aug 10
Tuesday, May 13 - Aug 26
Thursday, May 29 - Sep 11
Sunday, Jun 15 - Oct 12
Monday, Jun 30 - Oct 20
Wednesday, Jul 16 - Oct 29

Prealgebra 2 Self-Paced

Prealgebra 2
Sunday, Apr 13 - Aug 10
Wednesday, May 7 - Aug 20
Monday, Jun 2 - Sep 22
Sunday, Jun 29 - Oct 26
Friday, Jul 25 - Nov 21

Introduction to Algebra A Self-Paced

Introduction to Algebra A
Monday, Apr 7 - Jul 28
Sunday, May 11 - Sep 14 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Wednesday, May 14 - Aug 27
Friday, May 30 - Sep 26
Monday, Jun 2 - Sep 22
Sunday, Jun 15 - Oct 12
Thursday, Jun 26 - Oct 9
Tuesday, Jul 15 - Oct 28

Introduction to Counting & Probability Self-Paced

Introduction to Counting & Probability
Wednesday, Apr 16 - Jul 2
Thursday, May 15 - Jul 31
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Wednesday, Jul 9 - Sep 24
Sunday, Jul 27 - Oct 19

Introduction to Number Theory
Thursday, Apr 17 - Jul 3
Friday, May 9 - Aug 1
Wednesday, May 21 - Aug 6
Monday, Jun 9 - Aug 25
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14
Tuesday, Jul 15 - Sep 30

Introduction to Algebra B Self-Paced

Introduction to Algebra B
Wednesday, Apr 16 - Jul 30
Tuesday, May 6 - Aug 19
Wednesday, Jun 4 - Sep 17
Sunday, Jun 22 - Oct 19
Friday, Jul 18 - Nov 14

Introduction to Geometry
Wednesday, Apr 23 - Oct 1
Sunday, May 11 - Nov 9
Tuesday, May 20 - Oct 28
Monday, Jun 16 - Dec 8
Friday, Jun 20 - Jan 9
Sunday, Jun 29 - Jan 11
Monday, Jul 14 - Jan 19

Intermediate: Grades 8-12

Intermediate Algebra
Monday, Apr 21 - Oct 13
Sunday, Jun 1 - Nov 23
Tuesday, Jun 10 - Nov 18
Wednesday, Jun 25 - Dec 10
Sunday, Jul 13 - Jan 18
Thursday, Jul 24 - Jan 22

Intermediate Counting & Probability
Wednesday, May 21 - Sep 17
Sunday, Jun 22 - Nov 2

Intermediate Number Theory
Friday, Apr 11 - Jun 27
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Wednesday, Jun 18 - Sep 3

Precalculus
Wednesday, Apr 9 - Sep 3
Friday, May 16 - Oct 24
Sunday, Jun 1 - Nov 9
Monday, Jun 30 - Dec 8

Advanced: Grades 9-12

Olympiad Geometry
Tuesday, Jun 10 - Aug 26

Calculus
Tuesday, May 27 - Nov 11
Wednesday, Jun 25 - Dec 17

Group Theory
Thursday, Jun 12 - Sep 11

Contest Preparation: Grades 6-12

MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Basics
Wednesday, Apr 16 - Jul 2
Friday, May 23 - Aug 15
Monday, Jun 2 - Aug 18
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Advanced
Friday, Apr 11 - Jun 27
Sunday, May 11 - Aug 10
Tuesday, May 27 - Aug 12
Wednesday, Jun 11 - Aug 27
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

AMC 10 Problem Series
Friday, May 9 - Aug 1
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Tuesday, Jun 17 - Sep 2
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Monday, Jun 23 - Sep 15
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

AMC 10 Final Fives
Sunday, May 11 - Jun 8
Tuesday, May 27 - Jun 17
Monday, Jun 30 - Jul 21

AMC 12 Problem Series
Tuesday, May 27 - Aug 12
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Wednesday, Aug 6 - Oct 22

AMC 12 Final Fives
Sunday, May 18 - Jun 15

F=ma Problem Series
Wednesday, Jun 11 - Aug 27

WOOT Programs
Visit the pages linked for full schedule details for each of these programs!


MathWOOT Level 1
MathWOOT Level 2
ChemWOOT
CodeWOOT
PhysicsWOOT

Programming

Introduction to Programming with Python
Thursday, May 22 - Aug 7
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Tuesday, Jun 17 - Sep 2
Monday, Jun 30 - Sep 22

Intermediate Programming with Python
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Monday, Jun 30 - Sep 22

USACO Bronze Problem Series
Tuesday, May 13 - Jul 29
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 1

Physics

Introduction to Physics
Wednesday, May 21 - Aug 6
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14
Monday, Jun 23 - Sep 15

Physics 1: Mechanics
Thursday, May 22 - Oct 30
Monday, Jun 23 - Dec 15

Relativity
Sat & Sun, Apr 26 - Apr 27 (4:00 - 7:00 pm ET/1:00 - 4:00pm PT)
Mon, Tue, Wed & Thurs, Jun 23 - Jun 26 (meets every day of the week!)
0 replies
+1 w
jlacosta
Apr 2, 2025
0 replies
k i Adding contests to the Contest Collections
dcouchman   1
N Apr 5, 2023 by v_Enhance
Want to help AoPS remain a valuable Olympiad resource? Help us add contests to AoPS's Contest Collections.

Find instructions and a list of contests to add here: https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c40244h1064480_contests_to_add
1 reply
dcouchman
Sep 9, 2019
v_Enhance
Apr 5, 2023
k i Zero tolerance
ZetaX   49
N May 4, 2019 by NoDealsHere
Source: Use your common sense! (enough is enough)
Some users don't want to learn, some other simply ignore advises.
But please follow the following guideline:


To make it short: ALWAYS USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF POSTING!
If you don't have common sense, don't post.


More specifically:

For new threads:


a) Good, meaningful title:
The title has to say what the problem is about in best way possible.
If that title occured already, it's definitely bad. And contest names aren't good either.
That's in fact a requirement for being able to search old problems.

Examples:
Bad titles:
- "Hard"/"Medium"/"Easy" (if you find it so cool how hard/easy it is, tell it in the post and use a title that tells us the problem)
- "Number Theory" (hey guy, guess why this forum's named that way¿ and is it the only such problem on earth¿)
- "Fibonacci" (there are millions of Fibonacci problems out there, all posted and named the same...)
- "Chinese TST 2003" (does this say anything about the problem¿)
Good titles:
- "On divisors of a³+2b³+4c³-6abc"
- "Number of solutions to x²+y²=6z²"
- "Fibonacci numbers are never squares"


b) Use search function:
Before posting a "new" problem spend at least two, better five, minutes to look if this problem was posted before. If it was, don't repost it. If you have anything important to say on topic, post it in one of the older threads.
If the thread is locked cause of this, use search function.

Update (by Amir Hossein). The best way to search for two keywords in AoPS is to input
[code]+"first keyword" +"second keyword"[/code]
so that any post containing both strings "first word" and "second form".


c) Good problem statement:
Some recent really bad post was:
[quote]$lim_{n\to 1}^{+\infty}\frac{1}{n}-lnn$[/quote]
It contains no question and no answer.
If you do this, too, you are on the best way to get your thread deleted. Write everything clearly, define where your variables come from (and define the "natural" numbers if used). Additionally read your post at least twice before submitting. After you sent it, read it again and use the Edit-Button if necessary to correct errors.


For answers to already existing threads:


d) Of any interest and with content:
Don't post things that are more trivial than completely obvious. For example, if the question is to solve $x^{3}+y^{3}=z^{3}$, do not answer with "$x=y=z=0$ is a solution" only. Either you post any kind of proof or at least something unexpected (like "$x=1337, y=481, z=42$ is the smallest solution). Someone that does not see that $x=y=z=0$ is a solution of the above without your post is completely wrong here, this is an IMO-level forum.
Similar, posting "I have solved this problem" but not posting anything else is not welcome; it even looks that you just want to show off what a genius you are.

e) Well written and checked answers:
Like c) for new threads, check your solutions at least twice for mistakes. And after sending, read it again and use the Edit-Button if necessary to correct errors.



To repeat it: ALWAYS USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF POSTING!


Everything definitely out of range of common sense will be locked or deleted (exept for new users having less than about 42 posts, they are newbies and need/get some time to learn).

The above rules will be applied from next monday (5. march of 2007).
Feel free to discuss on this here.
49 replies
ZetaX
Feb 27, 2007
NoDealsHere
May 4, 2019
USAMO 2002 Problem 4
MithsApprentice   89
N 21 minutes ago by blueprimes
Let $\mathbb{R}$ be the set of real numbers. Determine all functions $f: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ such that \[ f(x^2 - y^2) = x f(x) - y f(y)  \] for all pairs of real numbers $x$ and $y$.
89 replies
MithsApprentice
Sep 30, 2005
blueprimes
21 minutes ago
pqr/uvw convert
Nguyenhuyen_AG   8
N 44 minutes ago by Victoria_Discalceata1
Source: https://github.com/nguyenhuyenag/pqr_convert
Hi everyone,
As we know, the pqr/uvw method is a powerful and useful tool for proving inequalities. However, transforming an expression $f(a,b,c)$ into $f(p,q,r)$ or $f(u,v,w)$ can sometimes be quite complex. That's why I’ve written a program to assist with this process.
I hope you’ll find it helpful!

Download: pqr_convert

Screenshot:
IMAGE
IMAGE
8 replies
Nguyenhuyen_AG
Apr 19, 2025
Victoria_Discalceata1
44 minutes ago
Inspired by hlminh
sqing   2
N an hour ago by SPQ
Source: Own
Let $ a,b,c $ be real numbers such that $ a^2+b^2+c^2=1. $ Prove that $$ |a-kb|+|b-kc|+|c-ka|\leq \sqrt{3k^2+2k+3}$$Where $ k\geq 0 . $
2 replies
sqing
Yesterday at 4:43 AM
SPQ
an hour ago
A cyclic inequality
KhuongTrang   3
N an hour ago by KhuongTrang
Source: own-CRUX
IMAGE
https://cms.math.ca/.../uploads/2025/04/Wholeissue_51_4.pdf
3 replies
KhuongTrang
Monday at 4:18 PM
KhuongTrang
an hour ago
Tiling rectangle with smaller rectangles.
MarkBcc168   60
N an hour ago by cursed_tangent1434
Source: IMO Shortlist 2017 C1
A rectangle $\mathcal{R}$ with odd integer side lengths is divided into small rectangles with integer side lengths. Prove that there is at least one among the small rectangles whose distances from the four sides of $\mathcal{R}$ are either all odd or all even.

Proposed by Jeck Lim, Singapore
60 replies
MarkBcc168
Jul 10, 2018
cursed_tangent1434
an hour ago
ALGEBRA INEQUALITY
Tony_stark0094   2
N an hour ago by Sedro
$a,b,c > 0$ Prove that $$\frac{a^2+bc}{b+c} + \frac{b^2+ac}{a+c} + \frac {c^2 + ab}{a+b} \geq a+b+c$$
2 replies
Tony_stark0094
2 hours ago
Sedro
an hour ago
Checking a summand property for integers sufficiently large.
DinDean   2
N 2 hours ago by DinDean
For any fixed integer $m\geqslant 2$, prove that there exists a positive integer $f(m)$, such that for any integer $n\geqslant f(m)$, $n$ can be expressed by a sum of positive integers $a_i$'s as
\[n=a_1+a_2+\dots+a_m,\]where $a_1\mid a_2$, $a_2\mid a_3$, $\dots$, $a_{m-1}\mid a_m$ and $1\leqslant a_1<a_2<\dots<a_m$.
2 replies
DinDean
Yesterday at 5:21 PM
DinDean
2 hours ago
Bunnies hopping around in circles
popcorn1   22
N 2 hours ago by awesomeming327.
Source: USA December TST for IMO 2023, Problem 1 and USA TST for EGMO 2023, Problem 1
There are $2022$ equally spaced points on a circular track $\gamma$ of circumference $2022$. The points are labeled $A_1, A_2, \ldots, A_{2022}$ in some order, each label used once. Initially, Bunbun the Bunny begins at $A_1$. She hops along $\gamma$ from $A_1$ to $A_2$, then from $A_2$ to $A_3$, until she reaches $A_{2022}$, after which she hops back to $A_1$. When hopping from $P$ to $Q$, she always hops along the shorter of the two arcs $\widehat{PQ}$ of $\gamma$; if $\overline{PQ}$ is a diameter of $\gamma$, she moves along either semicircle.

Determine the maximal possible sum of the lengths of the $2022$ arcs which Bunbun traveled, over all possible labellings of the $2022$ points.

Kevin Cong
22 replies
popcorn1
Dec 12, 2022
awesomeming327.
2 hours ago
Iran second round 2025-q1
mohsen   4
N 2 hours ago by MathLuis
Find all positive integers n>2 such that sum of n and any of its prime divisors is a perfect square.
4 replies
mohsen
Apr 19, 2025
MathLuis
2 hours ago
Dear Sqing: So Many Inequalities...
hashtagmath   37
N 2 hours ago by hashtagmath
I have noticed thousands upon thousands of inequalities that you have posted to HSO and was wondering where you get the inspiration, imagination, and even the validation that such inequalities are true? Also, what do you find particularly appealing and important about specifically inequalities rather than other branches of mathematics? Thank you :)
37 replies
hashtagmath
Oct 30, 2024
hashtagmath
2 hours ago
integer functional equation
ABCDE   148
N 2 hours ago by Jakjjdm
Source: 2015 IMO Shortlist A2
Determine all functions $f:\mathbb{Z}\rightarrow\mathbb{Z}$ with the property that \[f(x-f(y))=f(f(x))-f(y)-1\]holds for all $x,y\in\mathbb{Z}$.
148 replies
ABCDE
Jul 7, 2016
Jakjjdm
2 hours ago
IMO Shortlist 2013, Number Theory #1
lyukhson   152
N 3 hours ago by Jakjjdm
Source: IMO Shortlist 2013, Number Theory #1
Let $\mathbb{Z} _{>0}$ be the set of positive integers. Find all functions $f: \mathbb{Z} _{>0}\rightarrow \mathbb{Z} _{>0}$ such that
\[ m^2 + f(n) \mid mf(m) +n \]
for all positive integers $m$ and $n$.
152 replies
lyukhson
Jul 10, 2014
Jakjjdm
3 hours ago
9x9 Board
mathlover314   8
N 3 hours ago by sweetbird108
There is a $9x9$ board with a number written in each cell. Every two neighbour rows sum up to at least $20$, and every two neighbour columns sum up to at most $16$. Find the sum of all numbers on the board.
8 replies
mathlover314
May 6, 2023
sweetbird108
3 hours ago
Estonian Math Competitions 2005/2006
STARS   3
N 3 hours ago by Darghy
Source: Juniors Problem 4
A $ 9 \times 9$ square is divided into unit squares. Is it possible to fill each unit square with a number $ 1, 2,..., 9$ in such a way that, whenever one places the tile so that it fully covers nine unit squares, the tile will cover nine different numbers?
3 replies
STARS
Jul 30, 2008
Darghy
3 hours ago
A simple power
Rushil   19
N Apr 4, 2025 by Raj_singh1432
Source: Indian RMO 1993 Problem 2
Prove that the ten's digit of any power of 3 is even.
19 replies
Rushil
Oct 16, 2005
Raj_singh1432
Apr 4, 2025
A simple power
G H J
G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
Source: Indian RMO 1993 Problem 2
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Rushil
1592 posts
#1 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Prove that the ten's digit of any power of 3 is even.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
tµtµ
393 posts
#2 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Ten's = tenth ?

$3^{20} = *3*486784401$ :?: :?:
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Arne
3660 posts
#3 • 3 Y
Y by Adventure10, Adventure10, Mango247
No, the tens digit is the last but one digit, the one coming just before the units digit.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Singular
749 posts
#4 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
We are going to look at 3^k mod 20. It repeats 3,9,7,1. Hence result.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Altheman
6194 posts
#5 • 3 Y
Y by tantheta67, Adventure10, Mango247
more completely...
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
10000th User
3049 posts
#6 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Altheman wrote:
$0>n>10$
Small correction: it should be $0<n<10$
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
grafitti123
165 posts
#7 • 3 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247, DEKT
It can be written in the form:-
$ 3^{m}=10 \times x+1,3,7,9$
It can easily be shown that if it is 1, then it is 1 mod 4, if it is 3 then it is 3 mod 4, if it is 7 it is 3 mod 4 and if it is 9 then it is 1 mod 4.
(We know that $ 10x+3=3^1,3^5,3^9....$
$ 3^{5}\equiv 3\mod{4}$
so,
$ 3^{9}\equiv 3\mod{4}$
,so on and similarly the others.

Taking each of the four cases , we see that $ x\equiv 0\mod{2}$

Yay, my first proper post :D .
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
soumik
131 posts
#8 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Observe that 3^3=27...
Now after this unit's place of 3^n can be 1,3,9,7,....the cycle repeats, observe each leaves a rem of 0 or 2, which when added to 2 makes it even, thus proved.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
tonotsukasa
12 posts
#9 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
The last two digit of $3^n$ repeats as
01,03,09,27,81,43,29,87,61,83,49,47,41,23,69,07,21,63,89,67,01,...
Hence $3^n$'s ten's digits are all even.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Debdut
528 posts
#10 • 3 Y
Y by Ayushakj, Adventure10, and 1 other user
I have a better proof by induction.

Let $N_n = 3^n$
For n=1,
$N_1$ = 03 (ten's digit is even,we will represent even by e)

Assume for n the condition is true that

$N_n$ = _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e k( k is either of 1,3 ,7,9)

Now, $N_{n+1} = 3*N_n$ = (_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e k)*3
= 30(_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e) + 3k
= 10(_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e) + 3k (since any number multiplied by e is e)
= 10[_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (e+m)] + k (since 1*3 = 03 , 3*3 = 09 , 7*3 = 21 , 9*3 = 27 so m is always even where m is the ten's digit of 3k)
= _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ e k
[proved]
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
madhusudan kale
23 posts
#11 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Singular wrote:
We are going to look at 3^k mod 20. It repeats 3,9,7,1. Hence result.



Could you please elaborate.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Iyerie
163 posts
#12 • 3 Y
Y by bunnyrabbits, Adventure10, Mango247
madhusudan kale wrote:
Singular wrote:
We are going to look at 3^k mod 20. It repeats 3,9,7,1. Hence result.



Could you please elaborate.

I think Singular is referring to the fact that when each of those numbers is multiplied by 3, their tens digit is a 2. Hence the sum of the tens digits must be even is what he is arguing we can infer from that....not entirely sure if that's a rigorous argument.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Chotu2004
34 posts
#13 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Altheman wrote:
more completely...

what is euler's extension of FLT
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
AlastorMoody
2125 posts
#14 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
RMO 1993 P2 wrote:
Prove that the ten's digit of any power of 3 is even.
Solution: Suppose that the power of $3$ is $3^k$. We'll do a quick induction on $k$. First check that $3^3=27$, $3^4=81$, $3^5=243$, $3^6=729$ and $3^7=2187$

Suppose, for some $m \in \mathbb{N}$, $3^m$ has an even ten's digit, say $x$. So:
1) If the unit's digit of $3^m$ is 1, then ten's digit of $3^{m+1}$ $\implies$ $3x \equiv \ell \pmod{10}$
2) If the unit's digit of $3^m$ is 3, then ten's digit of $3^{m+1}$ $\implies$ $3x \equiv \ell \pmod{10}$
3) If the unit's digit of $3^m$ is 7, then ten's digit of $3^{m+1}$ $\implies$ $3x+2 \equiv \ell \pmod{10}$
4) If the unit's digit of $3^m$ is 9, then ten's digit of $3^{m+1}$ $\implies$ $3x +2\equiv \ell \pmod{10}$
(Where, $\ell \in \{0,2,4,6,8\}$). Hence, our Induction is complete and all powers of $3$ have an even ten's digit! $\qquad \blacksquare$
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
leibnitz
1430 posts
#15
Y by
Really sorry to bump this trivial problem but I thought this approach was nice.$\pmod{20}\Rightarrow$ there exists $t$ such that $20t<3^n<20t+10$ so $2t<\frac{3^n}{10}<2t+1$ hence $
 [\frac{3^n}{10}]=2t$ ($[.]$ is the floor function).Note that $[\frac{3^n}{10}]$ is the number formed by removing the last digit of $3^n$ and moreover this is even.The result follows
This post has been edited 3 times. Last edited by leibnitz, Mar 19, 2020, 12:11 PM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
ATGY
2502 posts
#16
Y by
Whoops, I fell asleep while solving this. Here's the solution:

Notice that the last digit of every number in the form $3^k$ (where $k$ is a non-negative integer) goes in the pattern: $3, 9, 7, 1$.

The last digit will be $3$ when $k \equiv 1\pmod{4}$, the last digit will be $9$ when $k \equiv 2\pmod{4}$, the last digit will be $7$ when $k \equiv 3\pmod{4}$ and the last digit will be $1$ when $k \equiv 0\pmod{4}$. We can separate this problem into 4 different cases.

Case 1: The last digit of $3^k$ is $1$ - This means that $k \equiv 0\pmod{4}$. $k$ can be written as $4n$ where $n$ is a non-negative integer. So, $3^k = 3^{4n} = 81^n$. We want the ten's digit to be even, so:
$$\frac{81^n - 1}{10} \equiv 0\pmod{2}$$$$\implies 81^n \equiv 1\pmod{20}$$This is clearly true as $81 \equiv 1\pmod{20}$. So we have proved our statement for the first case.

Case 2: The last digit of $3^k$ is $3$ - This means that $k \equiv 1\pmod{4}$. $k$ can be written as $4n + 1$ and we can proceed to do the same thing as Case 1 to get that $81^n\cdot3^1 \equiv 3\pmod{20}$ which is true.

Case 3: The last digit of $3^k$ is $9$ - This means that $k \equiv 2 \pmod{4}$. $k$ can be written as $4n + 2$ and we can proceed to do the same thing as Case 1 to get that $81^n\cdot3^2 \equiv 9\pmod{20}$ which is also true.

Case 4: The last digit of $3^k$ is $7$ - This means that $k \equiv 3\pmod{4}$. $k$ can be written as $4n + 3$ and we can proceed to do the same thing as Case 1 to get that $81^n\cdot3^3 \equiv 7\pmod{20}$ which is true as $81^n \equiv 1\pmod{20}$ and $3^3 \equiv 7\pmod{20}$.

We are done $\blacksquare$
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
SomeonecoolLovesMaths
3198 posts
#17 • 2 Y
Y by Nilabha_Sarkar, namanrobin08
We try induction.
Base case: $n=1$,
Trivial.
Now let's assume it works for $n=k$. Proof for $n=k+1$.
The ten's digit of $3^k$ is even, so multiplying it with $3$ will also result to an even number. So the rest of the role is played by the units digit. Observe the only possible units digits are $1,3,7,9$. Multiplying them respectively yields $3,9,21,27$. They too add an even number to the tenth position.As two even numbers add up to an even number, the resultant ten's digit is again even. Hence proved. $\blacksquare$
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by SomeonecoolLovesMaths, Sep 16, 2024, 6:25 PM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
AshAuktober
993 posts
#18
Y by
Consider $3^k \pmod{20}$ .it takes values $3, 9, 7, 1$. So we're done.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
namanrobin08
99 posts
#19
Y by
Chotu2004 wrote:

what is euler's extension of FLT

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler%27s_theorem
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Raj_singh1432
2 posts
#20
Y by
We can also use modulo to proof the statement.
I think that mathematical induction does not work.
you also use obsevation.
Z K Y
N Quick Reply
G
H
=
a