Find the smallest whole number which, when multiplied by 935, yields a product that starts and ends in 2015.
Example : 18812916 is a number which when multiplied by 107, yields 2012 98 2012 , which starts in and ends in 2012.
This question is from the set starts, ends, never ends in 2015 .
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T h i s p r o b l e m c a n b e s o l v e d b y l i n e a r c o n g r u e n t E u q a t i o n . L e t x b e t h e w h o l e n u m b e r w h i c h y i e l d s a p r o d u c t t h a t s t a r t s a n d e n d s i n 2 0 1 5 w h e n m u l t i p l i e d b y 9 3 5 . S t e p 1 ) F i n d t h e c o l l e c t i o n o f x t h a t e n d s i n 2 0 1 5 w h e n m u l t i p l i e d b y 9 3 5 9 3 5 x ≡ 2 0 1 5 ( m o d 1 0 0 0 0 ) 1 8 7 x ≡ 4 0 3 ( m o d 2 0 0 0 ) x ≡ 5 6 9 ( m o d 2 0 0 0 ) T h e r e f o r e , x = 5 6 9 + 2 0 0 0 n , n ∈ ℜ S t e p 2 ) F i n d t h e c e r t a i n n t h a t m a k e t h e p r o d u c t s t a r t s a t 2 0 1 5 F i r s t , t h e p r o d u c t i s i n f r o m o f 9 3 5 ( 5 6 9 + 2 0 0 0 n ) = 5 3 2 0 1 5 + 1 8 7 0 0 0 0 n = ( 5 3 + 1 8 7 n ) × 1 0 4 + 2 0 1 5 = ( 5 3 + 1 8 7 n ) 2 0 1 5 C a s e 1 ) 5 3 + 1 8 7 n = 2 0 1 5 I m p o s s i b l e b e c a u s e n i s n o t a n i n t e g e r . C a s e 2 ) 5 3 + 1 8 7 n = 2 0 1 5 a 5 3 + 1 8 7 n = 2 0 1 5 0 + a 5 3 ≡ 2 0 1 5 0 + a ( m o d 1 8 7 ) a ≡ 9 9 ( m o d 1 8 7 ) I m p o s s i b l e b e c a u s e a i s a s i g l e − d i g h t n u m b e r . C a s e 3 ) 5 3 + 1 8 7 n = 2 0 1 5 b c 5 3 + 1 8 7 n = 2 0 1 5 0 0 + b c 5 3 ≡ 2 0 1 5 0 0 + b c ( m o d 1 8 7 ) b c ≡ 1 3 9 ( m o d 1 8 7 ) I m p o s s i b l e b e c a u s e b c i s a 2 − d i g h t n u m b e r . C a s e 4 ) 5 3 + 1 8 7 n = 2 0 1 5 d e f 5 3 + 1 8 7 n = 2 0 1 5 0 0 0 + d e f 5 3 ≡ 2 0 1 5 0 0 0 + d e f ( m o d 1 8 7 ) d e f ≡ 1 6 5 ( m o d 1 8 7 ) Y e s , w e f o u n d i t ! S o , t h e s m a l l e s t d e f i s 1 6 5 . T h e r e f o r e , t h e p r o d u c t i s 2 0 1 5 1 6 5 2 0 1 5 a n d t h e c o r r e s p o n d i n g x i s 2 1 5 5 2 5 6 9 .