Difference between revisions of "2021 AIME II Problems/Problem 1"

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==Solution 2==
 
==Solution 2==
For any palindrome <math>ABA,</math> note that <math>ABA,</math> is 100A + 10B + A which is also 101A + 10B.  
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For any palindrome <math>\overline{ABA}</math>, note that <math>ABA,</math> is 100A + 10B + A which is also 101A + 10B.  
 
The average for A is 5 since A can be any of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. The average for B is 4.5 since B is either 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Therefore, the answer is 505 + 45 = <math>\boxed{550}</math>.
 
The average for A is 5 since A can be any of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. The average for B is 4.5 since B is either 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Therefore, the answer is 505 + 45 = <math>\boxed{550}</math>.
  

Revision as of 15:46, 22 March 2021

Problem

Find the arithmetic mean of all the three-digit palindromes. (Recall that a palindrome is a number that reads the same forward and backward, such as $777$ or $383$.)

Solution 1

Recall the the arithmetic mean of all the $n$ digit palindromes is just the average of the largest and smallest $n$ digit palindromes, and in this case the $2$ palindromes are $101$ and $999$ and $\frac{101+999}{2}=550$ and $\boxed{550}$ is the final answer.

~ math31415926535

Solution 2

For any palindrome $\overline{ABA}$, note that $ABA,$ is 100A + 10B + A which is also 101A + 10B. The average for A is 5 since A can be any of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. The average for B is 4.5 since B is either 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Therefore, the answer is 505 + 45 = $\boxed{550}$.

- ARCTICTURN

Solution 3 (Symmetry)

For any three-digit palindrome $\overline{ABA},$ where $A$ and $B$ are digits and $A\neq0,$ note that $\overline{(10-A)(9-B)(10-A)}$ must be another palindrome by symmetry. This means we can pair each three-digit palindrome uniquely with another three-digit palindrome so that they sum to \begin{align*} \overline{ABA}+\overline{(10-A)(9-B)(10-A)}&=\left[100A+10B+A\right]+\left[100(10-A)+10(9-B)+(10-A)\right] \\ &=\left[100A+10B+A\right]+\left[1000-100A+90-10B+10-A\right] \\ &=1000+90+10 \\ &=1100. \end{align*} For instances: \begin{align*} 272+828&=1100, \\ 414+686&=1100, \\ 595+505&=1100, \end{align*} and so on.

From this symmetry, the arithmetic mean of all the three-digit palindromes is $\frac{1110}{2}=\boxed{550}.$

~MRENTHUSIASM

See also

2021 AIME II (ProblemsAnswer KeyResources)
Preceded by
First Problem
Followed by
Problem 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
All AIME Problems and Solutions

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