Arithmetic · real student question

Find a three-digit number A such that the digit sum of A is divisible by 12, the digit sum of A + 6 is divisible by 12, and A is greater than 600 and less than 900.

Question

Find a three-digit number AA with all three properties:

  • the sum of the digits of AA is divisible by 1212;
  • the sum of the digits of A+6A+6 is divisible by 1212;
  • 600<A<900600<A<900.

Give any one such number.

Step-by-step solution

  1. Recall the one fact that governs every problem of this shape. Adding kk to a number either leaves the digit sum kk larger (no carry) or reduces it by a multiple of 99 for each carry. Concretely, one units carry changes the digit sum by k9k-9.

  2. Rule out the no-carry case. If 12S12\mid S and no carry occurs, the new sum is S+6S+6, which leaves remainder 66 modulo 1212 — never 00. So adding 66 must cause at least one carry, meaning the units digit bb satisfies b4b\ge 4.

  3. Work out what one carry does here. With exactly one carry the digit sum changes by 69=36-9=-3, giving S3S-3. For 12S12\mid S and 12(S3)12\mid(S-3) to hold at once is impossible, so two carries are needed: the tens digit must also roll over, which requires the tens digit to be 99. Two carries change the sum by 699=126-9-9=-12, and S12S-12 is a multiple of 1212 whenever SS is.

  4. Impose the conditions on the digits. Write A=habA=\overline{hab} with h{6,7,8}h\in\{6,7,8\}, a=9a=9, and b4b\ge 4. We need h+9+b0(mod12)h+9+b\equiv 0\pmod{12}, so h+b3(mod12)h+b\equiv 3\pmod{12}, giving h+b=15h+b=15 (the only value reachable with h8h\le 8, b9b\le 9):

    (h,b)=(6,9), (7,8), (8,7).(h,b)=(6,9),\ (7,8),\ (8,7).

  5. List and verify.

    6996+9+9=24,7057+0+5=12 699\to 6+9+9=24,\quad 705\to 7+0+5=12\ \checkmark
    79824,80412 798\to 24,\quad 804\to 12\ \checkmark
    89724,90312 897\to 24,\quad 903\to 12\ \checkmark

    A brute-force scan of 601601 to 899899 returns exactly these three, so any of them is a valid answer.

Answer

A{699, 798, 897}A\in\{699,\ 798,\ 897\}

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