Fun little problem

Algebra Level 2

Is there a two digit number a b \overline{ab} , where at least a a or b b is positive, such that if you reverse its digits it will equal the same number multiplied by 2?

For example, this doesn't work for 25 25 as 52 2 25 52 \neq 2 * 25 .

Yes No

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1 solution

Piero Sarti
Jan 2, 2018

Assume that there is at least one two digit number a b \overline{ab} such that b a = 2 a b \overline{ba} = 2\overline{ab} .

It follows that 10 b + a = 20 a + 2 b 10b + a = 20a + 2b and therefore a = 8 19 b a = \frac{8}{19}b .

One trivial solution is b = 0 b = 0 also making a = 0 a = 0 which we can't count as a solution as at least one of the two digits must be positive.

We will have infinitely many integer solutions for a a as long as b b is a multiple of 19 19 . However we previously stated that b b is a digit and thus cannot equal 19 19 or any of its multiples. We have reached a contradiction and therefore there is no two digit number a b \overline{ab} such that b a = 2 a b \overline{ba} = 2\overline{ab} and at least one of either a a or b b are positive.

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