2015's and 2016's

Algebra Level 2

If P = 201520152015 × 2016201620162016 P=201520152015 \times 2016201620162016 and Q = 201620162016 × 2015201520152015 Q= 201620162016 \times 2015201520152015 . What is the value of 2016 × ( P Q ) 2016 \times (P-Q) ?

0 2 -1 1

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3 solutions

Hung Woei Neoh
May 9, 2016

P = 201520152015 × 2016201620162016 = 2015 ( 100010001 ) ( 2016 ) ( 1000100010001 ) P = 201520152015 \times 2016201620162016\\ =2015(100010001)(2016)(1000100010001)

Q = 201620162016 × 2015201520152015 = 2016 ( 100010001 ) ( 2015 ) ( 1000100010001 ) Q = 201620162016 \times 2015201520152015\\ =2016(100010001)(2015)(1000100010001)

The numbers are a bit long and confusing, but you should be able to see that P = Q P=Q

Therefore, P Q = 0 P-Q=0 , and

2016 × ( P Q ) = 2016 × 0 = 0 2016 \times (P-Q) = 2016 \times 0 = \boxed{0}

Pranshu Gaba
May 2, 2016

Let's factorize P P and Q Q .

P = ( 2015 × 100010001 ) × ( 2016 × 1000100010001 ) P = (2015 \times 100010001) \times (2016 \times 1000100010001)
Q = ( 2016 × 100010001 ) × ( 2015 × 1000100010001 ) Q = (2016 \times 100010001) \times (2015 \times 1000100010001)

We see that P P and Q Q are the product of the same four numbers, and therefore P P is equal to Q Q . This means P Q = 0 P - Q = 0 , and 2016 × ( P Q ) 2016 \times (P-Q) is also 0 0 . _\square

Your factorization is wrong, there are missing zeroes

Hung Woei Neoh - 5 years, 1 month ago

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Thanks, I have corrected it.

Pranshu Gaba - 5 years, 1 month ago
Finn C
May 17, 2016

I failed to see through the long numbers, but had a guess that turned out to be right!

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