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2017 Canadian Intermediate
Mathematics Contest
Solutions

Wednesday, November 22, 2017
(in North America and South America)

Thursday, November 23, 2017
(outside of North American and South America)

©2017 University of Waterloo


PART A

  1. Solution 1
    Since opposite angles are equal, ACB=DCE=x.
    In ABC, AB=BC, and so CAB=ACB=x.

    Triangle ABC has angles that measure 40 degrees, x degrees and x degrees. Line BC extends to point D and line AC extends to point E. Angle DCE measures x degrees.

    Therefore, ACB+CAB+ABC=180x+x+40=1802x=140 and so x=70.

    Solution 2
    In ABC, AB=BC, and so CAB=ACB.
    Since the sum of the angles in ABC is 180, then ACB+CAB+ABC=1802ACB+40=1802ACB=140ACB=70 Since DCE and ACB are opposite angles, then x=70 and so x=70.

    Answer: x=70

  2. We list the twelve integers from smallest to largest: 1277,1727,1772,2177,2717,2771, 7127,7172,7217,7271,7712,7721 The sum of the 6th and 7th integers in the list is 2771+7127=9898.

    Answer: 9898

  3. Solution 1
    Each of the three column sums represents the total of the three entries in that column.
    Therefore, the sum of the three column sums is equal to the sum of the nine entries in the table.
    Thus, the sum of the nine entries in the table is 22+12+20=54.
    Similarly, the sum of the three row sums must equal the sum of the nine entries in the table.
    Thus, x+20+15=54 or x=19.
    Solution 2
    From the second column, ++=12 or 3×=12 and so =4.
    From the second row, ++=20.
    Since =4, then 2×=16 and so =8.
    From the first column, ++=22.
    Since =8, then 2×=14 and so =7.
    From the first row, x=++=7+4+8=19.

    Answer: x=19

  4. Since the top of the cookie is a circle with radius 3 cm, its area is π(3 cm)2=9π cm2.
    Since a chocolate chip has radius 0.3 cm, its area is π(0.3 cm)2=0.09π cm2.
    We are told that k chocolate chips cover 14 of the area of the top of the cookie.
    Therefore, k×0.09π cm2=14×9π cm2 and so 0.09k=14×9=2.25 or k=2.250.09=25.

    Answer: k=25

  5. Since 3172=a8+b9c, then multiplying both sides by 72 gives 31=9a+8b72c.
    Rearranging, we obtain 72c9a=8b31.
    Since a and c are positive integers, then 72c9a is an integer.
    Since 72c9a=9(8ca), then 72c9a must be a multiple of 9.
    Since 72c9a is a multiple of 9, then 8b31=72c9a must also be a multiple of 9.
    When b=1,2,3,4, we obtain 8b31=23,15,7,1, none of which is a multiple of 9.
    When b=5, we obtain 8b31=9, which is a multiple of 9.
    Note further that if b=5, then the positive integers c=1 and a=7 gives 72c9a=9=8b31.
    (There are other values of c and a that will give 72c9a=9, including c=2 and a=15.)
    Thus, when b=1,2,3,4, there are no solutions, and when b=5, there is at least one solution.
    Therefore, the smallest possible value of b is 5.

    Answer: 5

  6. In the grid, there are 5 empty cells.
    Ignoring the restrictions on placement, there are 3 choices of letter that can mark each square.
    This means that there are 35=243 possible grids.
    To count the number of ways in which the grid can be completed so that it includes at least one pair of squares side-by-side in the same row or same column that contain the same letter, we count the number of ways in which the grid can be completed so that no pair of side-by-side squares contains the same letter, and subtract this total from 243.
    We focus on the top left and bottom middle squares. Each of these must be S or T.
    We consider the four possible cases.
    Case 1: SRRS
    The bottom left square cannot be S, but can be R or T (2 choices).
    The top right square cannot be R, and so can be T or S.
    If the top right square is T, then the bottom right square cannot be S or T and so must be R.
    If the top right square is S, then the bottom right square can be R or T (2 choices).
    This means that there are 2 possibilities for the left side of the grid and 3 for the right side of the grid. These sets of possibilities are independent and so there are 2×3=6 configurations in this case.
    These are SRTRSR, SRSRSR, SRSRST, SRTTSR, SRSTSR, SRSTST.
    Case 2: TRRT
    As in Case 1, there are 6 configurations. These can be obtained from those in Case 1 by changing the T’s to S’s and the S’s to T’s in the list of possibilites in Case 1.
    Case 3: SRRT
    Here, the bottom left cell must be R.
    As in Case 1, there are 3 possible ways to fill the right side.
    This gives 3 configurations: SRTRTR, SRTRTS, SRSRTR.
    Case 4: TRRS
    As in Case 3, there are 3 configurations. These can be obtained from those in Case 3 by changing the T’s to S’s and the S’s to T’s in the list of possibilities from Case 3.
    In total, there are thus 6+6+3+3=18 configurations for which there are no two side-by-side cells that contain the same letter.
    This means that there are 24318=225 configurations in which there are two side-by-side cells that contain the same letter.

    Answer: 225

PART B

  1. Throughout this solution, we use the appreviation BPI to represent “balanced positive integer”.
    In addition, we call a BPI of the form abcdef an abc-BPI.