Sample Problems

Problem 1
What is the biggest number you can make by crossing out 5 digits from the 10-digit
number 2946835107?

Hint Solution

Problem 2
There are two sums on the board

1 + 22 + 333 + 4444 + 55555 + 666666 +7777777 + 88888888 + 999999999

9 + 98 + 987 + 9876 + 98765 + 987654 + 9876543 + 98765432 + 987654321

Determine which one of them is bigger (or whether they are the same).

Hints Solution

Problem 3
Three pirates found a treasure chest with 240 gold
bars. These bars are worth a total of $360. The price
of each bar is an integer number of dollars, and it is
written on the bar.

Could it be the case that the pirates cannot divide the

treasure equally without melting or cutting any of the
bars?

Hint Solution
Problem 4
Two knights, Lancelot and Galahad, started their
journeys from castle A to castle B and from castle
B to castle A, respectively, at dawn at the exact
same time.
Each walked at a steady pace for the whole trip.
At noon, they met and said hello to each other.
Then they continued on their journeys. Lancelot
arrived at his destination at 4 pm, and Galahad
arrived at his destination at 9 pm.

The question is: At what time did dawn occur on

that day?

Hint Solution

Problem 5
In an 8×8 square, any two cells are colored in blue. Is it possible to divide the square into
two equal (same size and same shape) parts so that each part contains one of the blue
cells, wherever the blue cells are located?

Here are two examples of how blue cells can be placed in the square.

Hints Solution
HINTS to Problems
See the next pages.
Hint to Problem 1

Hint to Problem 1
To create the largest number, place the biggest digits in the leftmost positions.

Back to Problem 1
Hints to Problem 2

Hints to Problem 2

Hint 1

Write down each sum in column addition format.

Hint 2

What digits in the ones places do you need to add for each sum?
What digits in the tens places do you need to add for each sum?

Back to Problem 2
Hint to Problem 3

Hint to Problem 3
Yes, it could be the case.

You need to give an example and explain why the division is not possible in that
example.

Back to Problem 3
Hint to Problem 4

Hint to Problem 4

Denote by M the noon meeting point of Lancelot and Galahad and by T the time from the
beginning of the journeys to the time of the meeting (from dawn to noon). Compare the
ratio AM/MB and the time intervals traveled by each knight.

Back to Problem 4
Hints to Problem 5

Hints to Problem 5

Hint 1

Yes, it is always possible. You need to explain how to divide the square for ANY position
of the blue cells.

Hint 2

Divide the original 8x8 square into 4×4 quarters. What would be your strategy if the blue
cells were in different quarters? In the same quarter?

Back to Problem 5
Solutions to Problems
See the next pages.
Solution to Problem 1

Solution to Problem 1
The answer is 98517.

Indeed, the resulting number will have five digits. If we don't cross out the first digit in the
number 2946835107, the resulting five-digit number will start with 2, making it smaller
than 98517. Hence, we must cross out the first digit. We should also keep the digit 9, as
any other digit would make the first digit of our five-digit number smaller than 9. By
following this logic, we determine that the second digit should be the largest possible
digit, so we cross out the digits 4 and 6, keeping the digit 8 as the second digit. Next, we
need to cross out the digit 3, as keeping it would result in a five-digit number starting with
983, which is less than 98517. Now, only one digit remains to be crossed out, and it's
easy to determine which one.

Back to Problem 1
Solution to Problem 2

Solution to Problem 2
Let’s write down both sums in column form, with the second sum reversed for better
visualization. In each sum, in the ones position, the summed digits are from 1 to 9; in the
tens position, the digits are 2 to 9; in the hundreds, the digits are 3 to 9, etc. The digit
obtained in each position and the carry-over into the next position to the left will be the
same in both cases. Therefore, the results of the addition will be the same in either case.

Both of these sums can be directly calculated, resulting in 1097393685 in both cases.
However, this way of comparing them is overly complicated and boring.

Back to Problem 2
Solution to Problem 3

Solution to Problem 3
To divide the treasure equally, each pirate should get $120 worth of gold. It is impossible
if the price of 1 bar is $121 and the price of the remaining 239 bars is $1 each.

Back to Problem 3
Solution to Problem 4

Solution to Problem 4

Let M be the noon meeting point of Lancelot and Galahad, and let T be the time from the
beginning of the journeys to the time of the meeting (from dawn to noon).

The longer a knight walks, the bigger distance he covers.

Lancelot covers AM in T hours and MB in 4 hours, so the ratio AM/MB is equal to T/4.
Similarly, Galahad covers AM in 9 hours and MB in T hours, so the ratio AM/MB is equal
to 9/T.

Notice that the same ratio of AM/MB is expressed in two different ways, so 9/T = T/4.

2
Multiplying both sides by T and then by 4, we get T = 36. Therefore, T = 6, and dawn
occurred 6 hours before noon or at 6 am.

Back to Problem 4
Solution to Problem 5

Solution to Problem 5
Yes, it is always possible.

1. If the two blue cells are in different 4×4 quarters, you can cut along the horizontal
or vertical middle line of the square. Picture 1 illustrates this case.

2. Let's examine the case when the two blue cells are in the same 4×4 quarter. We
can rotate the square, placing the 4×4 quarter in the top left corner. The blue cells
are either in different columns or in different rows (otherwise, these cells would
coincide).

Let’s assume that the blue cells are in different columns (similar logic applies if
they were in different rows). Picture 2 illustrates this case. Let's cut the 4×4
quarter vertically so that the blue cells are in different parts of that quarter. Then
we continue the cut horizontally along the border of the 4×4 quarter until we reach
the center of the 8×8 square. Next, continue horizontally and count the same
number of grid cells to the right of the center as we cut on the left. Finally, cut
down the bottom right 4×4 quarter.

Back to Problem 5