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Tao is thinking of a perfect square whose ten's digit is 7. Find its unit digit.


The answer is 6.

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3 solutions

Maria Kozlowska
May 29, 2016

We can write the condition as follows:

100 y + 70 + x = ( 10 a + b ) 2 = 100 a 2 + 20 a b + b 2 100 y + 70 + x = (10 a + b)^2 =100a^2 + 20 a b + b^2 .

All possible values for 20 a b 20ab will have even tens digit. We will need b 2 b^2 to have odd tens digit and that is possible only for values of b = 4 , b = 6 b=4, b=6 giving b 2 = 16 , b 2 = 36 b^2 = 16, b^2 = 36 . In both cases we get unit digit 6 \boxed{6} .

Note: That holds true for any odd tens digit. Any perfect square having odd tens digit has to have unit digit equal to 6.

Nice solution ,+1! And a logical question!

Rishabh Tiwari - 5 years ago

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Thanks for solving ;)

Swapnil Das - 5 years ago
Leonel Castillo
Sep 1, 2018

Let a { 0 , 1 , . . , 9 } a \in \{0,1,..,9 \} . We want to solve the congruence x 2 70 + a m o d 100 x^2 \equiv 70 + a \mod 100 . This would typically entail finding both x , a x,a but there is an indirect way of obtaining a a . Remember that x 2 70 + a m o d 100 x 2 70 + a m o d 10 x 2 a m o d 10 x^2 \equiv 70 + a \mod 100 \implies x^2 \equiv 70 + a \mod 10 \implies x^2 \equiv a \mod 10 . This means that a a is a quadratic residue m o d 10 \mod 10 . It is easy to list these, so we now know that a { 0 , 1 , 4 , 9 , 6 , 5 } a \in \{0,1,4,9,6,5\} .

But also, x 2 70 + a m o d 100 x 2 70 + a m o d 4 x 2 2 + a m o d 4 x^2 \equiv 70 + a \mod 100 \implies x^2 \equiv 70 + a \mod 4 \implies x^2 \equiv 2 + a \mod 4 . Because the only quadratic residues m o d 4 \mod 4 are 0 , 1 0,1 this implies that a 2 , 3 m o d 4 a \equiv 2,3 \mod 4 . So a { 2 , 6 , 3 , 7 } a \in \{2,6,3,7\} .

Combining both statements, a { 2 , 6 , 3 , 7 } { 0 , 1 , 4 , 9 , 6 , 5 } = { 6 } a \in \{2,6,3,7\} \cap \{0,1,4,9,6,5\} = \{6\} . Thus, a = 6 a = 6 .

Viki Zeta
May 29, 2016

By using trial and error method, you get 24 2 = 576 {24}^{2} = 576 , So tens' digit is 7 and so unit digit is "6".

Other shortest way is using python.

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for x in range(8,300):
    if (str(x**2)[-2] == "7"):
        print x
        break

# Prints 24 :D

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