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Puzzles

1 December

One of the digits of today's number was removed to leave a two digit number. This two digit number was added to today's number. The result was 619.

Largest odd factors

Pick a number. Call it \(n\). Write down all the numbers from \(n+1\) to \(2n\) (inclusive). For example, if you picked 7, you would write:
$$8,9,10,11,12,13,14$$
Below each number, write down its largest odd factor. Add these factors up. What is the result? Why?

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Square factorials

Source: Woody at Maths Jam
Multiply together the first 100 factorials:
$$1!\times2!\times3!\times...\times100!$$
Find a number, \(n\), such that dividing this product by \(n!\) produces a square number.

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An arm and a leg

If 60% of people have lost an eye, 75% an ear, 80% an arm and 85% a leg, what is the least percentage of people that have lost all four?

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Blackboard sums II

The numbers 1 to 20 are written on a blackboard. Each turn, you may erase two adjacent numbers, \(a\) and \(b\) (\(a\) is to the left of \(b\)) and write the difference \(a-b\) in their place. You continue until only one number remains.
What is the largest number you can make?

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Tags: numbers

Blackboard sums

The numbers 1 to 20 are written on a blackboard. Each turn, you may erase two numbers, \(a\) and \(b\) and write the sum \(a+b\) in their place. You continue until only one number remains.
What is the largest number you can make?

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Tags: numbers

Combining multiples

In each of these questions, positive integers should be taken to include 0.
1. What is the largest number that cannot be written in the form \(3a+5b\), where \(a\) and \(b\) are positive integers?
2. What is the largest number that cannot be written in the form \(3a+7b\), where \(a\) and \(b\) are positive integers?
3. What is the largest number that cannot be written in the form \(10a+11b\), where \(a\) and \(b\) are positive integers?
4. Given \(n\) and \(m\), what is the largest number that cannot be written in the form \(na+mb\), where \(a\) and \(b\) are positive integers?

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Cross diagonal cover problem

Draw with an \(m\times n\) rectangle, split into unit squares. Starting in the top left corner, move at 45° across the rectangle. When you reach the side, bounce off. Continue until you reach another corner of the rectangle:
How many squares will be coloured in when the process ends?

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