# Difference between revisions of "2009 AMC 12A Problems/Problem 18"

The following problem is from both the 2009 AMC 12A #18 and 2009 AMC 10A #25, so both problems redirect to this page.

## Problem

For $k > 0$, let $I_k = 10\ldots 064$, where there are $k$ zeros between the $1$ and the $6$. Let $N(k)$ be the number of factors of $2$ in the prime factorization of $I_k$. What is the maximum value of $N(k)$?

$\textbf{(A)}\ 6\qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 7\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 8\qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 9\qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 10$

## Solution

The number $I_k$ can be written as $10^{k+2} + 64 = 5^{k+2}\cdot 2^{k+2} + 2^6$.

For $k\in\{1,2,3\}$ we have $I_k = 2^{k+2} \left( 5^{k+2} + 2^{4-k} \right)$. The first value in the parentheses is odd, the second one is even, hence their sum is odd and we have $N(k)=k+2\leq 5$.

For $k>4$ we have $I_k=2^6 \left( 5^{k+2}\cdot 2^{k-4} + 1 \right)$. For $k>4$ the value in the parentheses is odd, hence $N(k)=6$.

This leaves the case $k=4$. We have $I_4 = 2^6 \left( 5^6 + 1 \right)$. The value $5^6 + 1$ is obviously even. And as $5\equiv 1 \pmod 4$, we have $5^6 \equiv 1 \pmod 4$, and therefore $5^6 + 1 \equiv 2 \pmod 4$. Hence the largest power of $2$ that divides $5^6+1$ is $2^1$, and this gives us the desired maximum of the function $N$: $N(4) = \boxed{7}$.

## Alternate Solution

Notice that 2 is a prime factor of an integer $n$ if and only if $n$ is even. Therefore, given any sufficiently high positive integral value of $k$, dividing $I_k$ by $2^6$ yields a terminal digit of zero, and dividing by 2 again leaves us with $2^7 \cdot a = I_k$ where $a$ is an odd integer. Observe then that $\boxed{\textbf{(B)}7}$ must be the maximum value for $N(k)$ because whatever value we choose for $k$, $N(k)$ must be less than or equal to $7$.

"Isn't this solution incomplete because we need to show that $N(k) = 7$ can be reached?"

An example of 7 being reached is 1000064. 1000064 divided by $2^7=128$ is 7813.

In fact, 1000064 is the ONLY $N(k)$ that satisfies 7. All others are 6 or lower, because if there are more zeroes, to be divisible by 128 (\$2^7), the last 7 digits must be divisible by 128, but 64 isn't. Meanwhile, if there are less zeroes, we can test by division that they do not work.