Given a 4-digit no. , I reverse its digits to form another 4- digit no. ;then I compute the difference between the two numbers. What is the largest difference I can get?
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Hurray, it took a bit of thinking and a bit of doubt, but I got that going through the numbers. Since it was a level 4 I thought that there was some kind of ingenious trick.
That is exactly how i did as well
miscalculated the substraction:(
The answer is incorrect.
Please riddle me out this - 9900 on reversing gives 0099 which on subtracting gives 9801 which is definitely more than 8802. What say?
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0099 is equal to 99. It is not a four digit number.
Let the 4 digit number be ABCD. Reversing it, we get DCBA.
Last digit can't be zero as on reversing we get a 4 digit number again.
First, we maximize the first digit of the required number. So, A has to be 9 and D has to be 1.
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Then, we maximize the second digit of the required number. So, B has to be 9 and C has to be 0.
So, ABCD = 9901
Thus, the difference is 8802.
i get it now... ^^
Let us think of the 4 digit no. 9000. Reverse is 0009. The difference is 8991. now, 8991 > 8802.
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0009 is equal to 9 which is an one digit number . but it is asked for 4 digit number. However i have done the same mistake first time.
Why does C have to be zero?
Let a , b , c , d be the digits of the 4 digit number of the form 1 0 0 0 a + 1 0 0 b + 1 0 c + d
If the digits are reversed the number will be 1 0 0 0 d + 1 0 0 c + 1 0 b + a
The difference of the two numbers is 9 9 9 a + 9 0 b − 9 0 c − 9 9 9 d =9{111(a-b) + 10(b-c))
So the difference of the two four digit numbers depends on ( a − d ) and ( b − c ) .
The digit d cannot be 0 because that will make the first digit of the second number 0
So to get the largest difference the digits should be a = b = 9 , d = 1 , c = 0
When you substitute the values the difference will be 8 8 0 2
9990-0999=8991 which is greater than 8802
Finally I moved to Level 4 in Algebra by Solving this Problem. :) Solution: I tried larger num as number. So, Last number should not be 0. Because if it is, By reversing it becomes 3 digit. So, next possibility is 1. 3rd num can be 0. Then remaining 2 number I tried larger number i.e., 9. So, it is 9901. Reversing it, 1099. Diff 8802. Which is Max diff.
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Let the number be a b c d . Then on reversing the digits, we get, d c b a . Since both of them are four digit numbers, we must have 9 ≥ a , d ≥ 1 ; 9 ≥ b , c ≥ 0 .
Now, a b c d − d c b a = 1 0 0 0 a + 1 0 0 b + 1 0 c + d − ( 1 0 0 0 d + 1 0 0 c + 1 0 b + a ) .
= 9 9 9 a + 9 0 b − 9 0 c − 9 9 9 d
To maximize this, we must maximize the positive terms and minimize the negative terms.
Therefore, a = b = 9 , c = 0 , d = 1
and 9 9 0 1 − 1 0 9 9 = 8 8 0 2