Q Find the least value of n such that n! has exactly 2394 zeroes.

A For base 10 to get n zeroes for n!, n is approx. aroung 4n. In general for base n it is approx.
P*n where P is no of prime factors below that base n.
So here check for no of zeroes for 4*2394=>9576. We get 2392 zeroes. Need 2 extra zeroes
so 9585
9585/5 = 1917/5 = 383/5 = 76/5 = 15/5 = 3
1917+383+76+15+3 = 2394
Q.
If f(n) is the number of solution sets (x, y) for the equation x + 2y = n, such that x, y and n are all whole
numbers, what is the value of the expression X = f(870) f(868)?
OPTIONS

Discuss

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1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

2
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Solution
We can see that one solution of x + 2y = 870 is (870, 0), and that this is not a solution of x + 2y =
868.
Now, for any other solution (X, Y) of x + 2y = 870, the set (X, Y 1) will be a valid solution of x + 2y =
868.
There is only one solution of x + 2y = 870 for which there is no valid solution of x + 2y = 868, and
f(870)

f(868)
=
1.
Hence, option 4.

Q.
Let there are 4 girl students and 89 boy students in a class. We need to arrange them in a single row,
but the arrangement should be such that the gender regularity of the arrangement is minimum. Find
the
minimum
gender
regularity
among
all
possible
arrangements.
Note: The gender regularity of an arrangement is the maximum number of students of the same
gender (all girls or all boys) that appear consecutively.
OPTIONS
1)

17

2)

18

Discuss

3)

19

4)

None of these

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Solution
In order to attain minimum gender regularity, all the girls should be arranged in between the boys.
Now

to

have

girls

in

between

the

boys,

With 17 students in each group and a total of 5 groups there are 4 possible spaces between every
consecutive group and the girls need to stay there in order to minimize the regularity.
After that we have 4 boys remaining and we can put each distinct boy in any 4 of the 5 groups
available which will give the minimum gender regularity, which will be 17 + 1 = 18
Hence, option 2.
Puzzle # 244 - "This is Not Fair!"
18-Jan-13
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1447

Rated 4.0 by 1 User

false

false

Uncle distributed 27 candies among his four nephews. The four kids started fighting over the candies
and went to their grandpa. Grandpa heard the following:
I got one less than him.
I got two less than him.
I got three less than him.
I got four less than him.
I got five less than him.
I got six less than him.

How many candies did each kid get?

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Solution
It is clear that the difference in the smallest number of candies that any kid got and the largest
number of candies that any kid got is 6.

So, let there be one kid with x candies and another with x + 6 candies.
The others have between x and x + 6 candies.
Now we choose two numbers from (x + 1), (x + 2), (x + 3), (x + 4) and (x + 5) so that we get all the
differences from 1 to 5.
By trial and error we can see that there are only two ways to do this:
x, x + 1, x + 4, x + 6 and x, x + 3, x + 5, x + 6
(eg, x + 1 x = 1, x + 6 x 4 = 2, x + 4 x 1 = 3, x + 4 x = 4, x + 6 x 1 = 5, x + 6 x = 6)
Now, there are 27 candies in all.
So, x + x + 1 + x + 4 + x + 6 = 27 or x, x + 3, x + 5, x + 6 = 27
x is not in integer in the second case, so this case is eliminated.
Thus the number of candies that the kids got is 4, 5, 8 and 10.

How many numbers from the set A {11, 111, 1111, , 11111120 times} have an odd number of
factors?
OPTIONS

Discuss

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

None of these

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Solution
Only

perfect

squares

have

an

odd

number

of

We know that 11 and 111 are not perfect squares.

Now consider a number N of the form 111n times, where n can take values from 4 to 20.

Then, N can be expressed as

factors.

1111108 + 3 4k + 3

Let us take any odd number of the form (2x 1).

Squaring this number we get, 4x2 4x + 1 4k + 1

So, perfect squares of all odd numbers are of the form 4k + 1.

Hence, none of these numbers are perfect squares.

Hence, option 5.

Views : 2076

Question of the Day (15-Feb-12)

Rated 3.4 by 5
Users

false

If x, y, z and w are all positive real numbers, which of the following is true?
OPTIONS

false

1)

A > 0 only for x + y + z + w < 20

2)

A > 0 only for 20 < x + y + z + w < 40

3)

A > 0 only for x + y + z + w > 40

4)

A > 0 only for xy + yz + zw + xw > 20

5)

A > 0 for all real positive x, y, z and w

Discuss

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Solution
Consider

the

first

term

in

the

expression

for

A.

Taking the reciprocal of both sides (and consequently reversing the direction of the inequality sign),
we
get

We

change

We

write

to
similar

strictly

greater

expressions

for

than
the

sign
other

because
terms

in

w
A

is
to

positive.
get

Since

>

2,

>

for

all

positive

real

values

of

x,

y,

and

w.

Hence, option 5.

Views : 2084

Question of the Day (17-Feb-12)

Rated 4.0 by 6
Users

false

ABC

is

right

angled

false

triangle.

AC is the hypotenuse, and the lengths of all sides are integers. XYZ is another right angled triangle
with
XZ
as
hypotenuse.

For what values of AC is it possible to find integer values for XY and YZ?
OPTIONS

1)

Even values

2)

Odd values

3)

Values divisible by 4 but not by 8

4)

Values which are perfect squares

5)

All values

Discuss

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Solution
Your answer is incorrect.
We

AB2

have

So,

ABC

+
cannot

BC2
be

AC2,

=
an

and

all

these

isosceles

right

are

integers.

angled

triangle.

We

have,

XZ2

XZ2
XZ2

AB2

=
AB2

XZ2

Putting

XY

(AB
=

BC2

+
BC2

AC2

2AB.BC

AB

BC)2

+
BC

AB2

and

AB 2

+
YZ

BC2
(AB

BC2

|AB

2AB.BC
BC)2

BC|,

we can see that both of XY and YZ can always be given appropriate integer values.
Hence,

option

5.

Alternatively,

Consider

the

figure

above.

We construct a square with side AC. The length of the diagonal of this square is b2, which can be
thought
of
as
the
side
XZ.
As b is an integer, we can easily see that it is possible to have integer values for XY and YZ, each
equal
to
b,
for
any
value
of
b.
Hence, option 5.

Views : 825

Question of the Day (17-Feb-13)

Rated 5.0 by 1 User

false

false

A told B that he scored x marks in an engineering exam which was above 80. From this only B was
able to determine the number of questions A had solved correctly. If A would have scored lesser
than x but above 80, B could not have determined this. What was As score? (Total number of
questions was 30 and each correct answer gave 4 marks while wrong answers lead to a negative of
1 mark. Unanswered questions were not penalized. 30 marks were given as a bonus in the test.)
OPTIONS

Discuss

1)

129

2)

119

3)

89

4)

93

5)

None of these.

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Solution
Marks

scored

in

the

exam

by

student

can

be

given

by

the

formula:

x = 30 + 4c w = 30 + 4(c 1) (w 4) = 30 + 4(c + 1) (w+4)

where, c = number of correct questions and w = number of wrong questions.

A could not have left 5 questions unanswered otherwise 1 more correct and 4 wrong questions
could have replaced the same.

Similarly 4 wrong questions cannot be scored by A as 4 wrong questions can be replaced by 1

right question.

It follows that c + w 26

Also w 3

So c 23

Thus, x = 30 + 4(23) 3(1) = 119.

Thus A scored at least 119.

To check that no result, other than 23 right and 3 wrong, produces the same result:

119 = x 4c w = 89

Thus, if w = 3 then c = 23 which was the result given that w 7 cannot be taken as w should be
less than or equal to 3.

Thus, the minimum score that A scored is 119.

Hence, option 2.

Answer is 2 (119)
Going by options
Total marks are 150 = 4*30 + 30
Subtracting 30 from 119 will give 89 out of 120
Now, 89 = 4x - y
where, x= no. of correct answers
and y= no. of wrong answers
A careful hit and trial calculation will show that there is only one possible
combination of x & y i.e. x=23 and y=3. And that is the reason why B was
able to determine the correct answers by A.
Check the second situation
(If A would have scored lesser than x but above 80, B could not have
determined this)
Say if A had scored 88 marks out of 120, then what could have been the
possible combination of x & y
88 = 4x - y
x could be 22 & y could be 0 OR x = 23 & y = 4
So now B cannot make out how many question did his friend answer
correctly.
singhemendra
8. 17-Feb-13 10:31:52 AM

Reply with quote (Requires Login)

My take option 2.......Here's my take......

Let a be the no of questions answered correctly and b be the no of quesns answered incorrectly.
According to the given conditions,
4a-b+30>80
=> 4a-b>50
=> a>(50+b)/4 which means that b should take minimum value of 2
Now, working with the options,
with option 1, 4a-b=99 (25,1) which is not possible
Option 2, 4a-b=89 (23,3)
option 3, 4a-b=59 (15,1) (16,5)
Option 4, 4a-b=63 (17,1) (18,5)
Hence, option 2 is the required answer....