MATHINVESTIGATION1.

PALINDROMICSUMSontheMathInvestigatorcomputesthesumsofnumbersandtheir
reverses.
Anumberiscalledapalindromicnumberifitreadsthesamebothforwardandbackward.
Forexample,31413isapalindromicnumber.Intheexamplebelow,anumber(96)isaddedto
itsreverse(69),thenthesum(165)isaddedtoitsreverse(561),andsoforth.Repeatingthis
processfourtimesyieldsapalindromicnumber.Willthisprocessalwaysresultinapalindromic
number?
96
+69
165
+561
726
+627
1353
+3531
4884
StartingPointsforInvestigations
1.Ifyoubeginwithanytwodigitnumber,willtheprocessalwaysresultinapalindromic
number?
2.Findoneormoretwodigitnumbersforwhichthisprocessrequires2steps,
3steps,4steps,6steps,and24steps.
3.Onestudentnoticedthatforseveraltwodigitnumbersthatrequired3steps,thesumofthe
digitsofeachnumberwas14.Istherearelationshipfortwodigitnumbersbetweenthenumber
ofstepstoobtainapalindromicnumberandthesumofthedigitsoftheoriginalnumber?
4.Trysomethreedigitnumbersandlookforpatterns.
5.Thereareonly13threedigitnumbersthatdonotleadtoapalindromicnumberin23or
fewersteps.Findthefirstfewofthesenumbersandlookforpatternsinthenumbersandthe
sumsoftheirdigits.(Note:Itisnotknownbytheauthorswhetheranyofthese13threedigit

numberswilleverleadtoapalindromicnumber.Thus,youmaybedoingresearchona
mathematicalproblemthathasnotbeensolved.)
6.Over97%ofallfourdigitnumbersleadtoapalindromicnumberinlessthan22steps.Find
thefirstfewofthenumbersthatdonotleadtoapalindromicnumberinlessthan22steps.Look
forpatternsinthesenumbersandcheckthesumsoftheir"innerdigits"and"outerdigits".Use
yourpatternstopredictotherfourdigitnumbersthatwillnotgotopalindromicnumbersinless
than22steps.