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Problem of the Week
Problem E and Solution
Two Digits at a Time

Problem

The number \(34\,692\) contains \(5\) digits, and so we say its digit length is \(5\). The first digit of \(34\,692\) is \(3\). Also, the two-digit integers formed by choosing any pair of consecutive digits, that is, \(34\), \(46\), \(69\), and \(92\), are all divisible by either \(17\) or \(23\).

An integer with digit length \(2022\) has first digit \(3\). This integer also has the property that the two-digit integers formed by choosing any pair of consecutive digits are all divisible by either \(17\) or \(23\).

List all of the possibilities for the last three digits of this integer.

Solution

We first list out all two-digit multiples of \(17\) and \(23\).
The two-digit multiples of \(17\) are \(17\), \(34\), \(51\), \(68\), and \(85\).
The two-digit multiples of \(23\) are \(23\), \(46\), \(69\), and \(92\).

Since the integer starts with a \(3\) and the only two-digit number in the two lists that starts with a \(3\) is \(34\), the second digit must be \(4\). Similarly, the third digit is \(6\), since the only two-digit number in the two lists starting with a \(4\) is \(46\). However, the fourth digit can be \(8\) or \(9\), since there are two two-digit numbers, \(68\) and \(69\), in the two lists that start with a \(6\). Now we need to consider two cases.

Since \(2022\div 5 = 404.4\), the number of length \(2022\) will consist of \(404\) blocks of five digits followed by two more digits. As we saw above, the first \(403\) blocks of digits must each be the five digits \(34692\). However, the last seven digits could be \(3469234\) or \(3468517\).

Therefore, there are two possibilities for the last three digits. The last three digits could be \(234\) or \(517\).