is a function that takes in a number and returns the number of segments required for a seven-segment display to display that number.
For example,
An integer is a seven-segment divisor if there is at least one integer such that
Which of the following values cannot be a seven-segment divisor?
Details and Assumptions :
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I am working with the following convention for the display of the digits (note in particular the formats of 6 , 7 and 9 ):
Since 1 7 S ( 2 5 5 ) = 2 5 5 , 1 8 S ( 3 0 6 ) = 3 0 6 and 2 0 S ( 3 2 0 ) = 3 2 0 , each of 1 7 , 1 8 , 2 0 is a 7 -segment divisor.
If n ∈ N is such that n = 1 9 S ( n ) , and if n has N digits, then n = 1 9 S ( n ) ≤ 1 9 × 7 N = 1 3 3 N . If N ≥ 4 then 1 3 3 0 N < 1 0 N , and so n ≤ 1 3 3 N < 1 0 N − 1 ≤ n , which is impossible. Thus n must have at most 3 digits. Testing the numbers from 1 to 9 9 9 , we find that there is indeed no integer n ∈ N such that n = 1 9 S ( n ) , and so 1 9 is not a 7 -segment divisor.