The Problem Site : Problem Pages : High School Math


Oh, no, another one of those ''year'' puzzles

1. Prove that 1/64 < (1/2)(3/4)(5/6)... (2009/2010) < 1/44 

2. Find the smallest positive integer N such that N! is a multiple of 102009.



Problem Moderated by: Graeme
Problem Solution

1. Proof that 1/64 < (1/2)(3/4)(5/6)... (2009/2010) < 1/44:

Let P1 = (1/2) (3/4) (5/6) … (2009/2010) (the product in question)
Let P2 = (2/3) (4/5) (6/7) … (2010/2011)
Let P = (1/2) (2/3) (3/4) … (2010/2011) = 1/2011

P = P1 P2, and P1 < P2, so P1 < sqrt(P) = sqrt(1/2011) < 1/44

Let Q1 = (2/3) (4/5) (6/7) … (2008/2009)
Let Q2 = (3/4) (5/6) (7/8) … (2009/2010)
Let Q = (2/3) (3/4) (4/5) … (2009/2010) = 2/2010 = 1/1005

Q = Q1 Q2, and Q2 > Q1, so Q2 > sqrt(Q) = sqrt(1/1005) > 1/32
P1 = (1/2) Q2 > 1/64, which completes the proof.

The actual value of (1/2)(3/4)(5/6)...(2009/2010) is between 1/57 and 1/56.

2. Find the smallest positive integer N such that N! is a multiple of 102009.

The answer is 8050.

The number of zeros at the end of N! is equal to the exponent of 5 in the prime factorization of N! (because there are plenty of factors of 2, it's the 5's that are in short supply).  The exponent of 5 in N! is [N/5]+[N/25]+…, which equals just under N/4.  (I use square-brackets to denote the "floor" function.)  So if we need 2009 trailing zeros, and 2009 is just under N/4, then N is just over 8036.
Applying the formula, above, we see that 8037! Has 2006 trailing zeros.  The number of trailing zeros doesn't increase until N reaches a multiple of 5, so we can check 8040, and see it has 2007 trailing zeros, 8045 has 2008 trailing zeros, and 8050 has 2010 trailing zeros.

Although there is no number, N, for which N! ends in exactly 2009 zeros, 8050 is the smallest N for which N! ends in at least 2009 zeros.


Back


Options
Choose a Page
Login
Join The Site
High School Math
Current Problem
Previous Problem
Scores
About This Page

Subscribe
Archives
2009 Problems
2008 Problems
2007 Problems
2006 Problems
2004 Problems
2003 Problems
2002 Problems
Problem Pages
Brainfood
High School Math
Calculus
The Maine Page
Games!
Math Games
Word Games
Strategy Games
All Games

The Problem Site : Problem Pages : High School Math