Skip to main content

2010 AMC 10A Problem 24

Problem 24 of 25HarderNumber TheoryCounting & Probability

The number obtained from the last two nonzero digits of 90!90! is equal to n.n. What is n?n?

Answer choices

Show solution

Solution

The number of trailing zeroes in 90!90! is 905+9025=21.\left\lfloor\dfrac{90}{5}\right\rfloor+\left\lfloor\dfrac{90}{25}\right\rfloor=21. Let N=90!1021.N=\dfrac{90!}{10^{21}}. There are still more than two factors of 22 left after removing 1021,10^{21}, so N0(mod4).N\equiv0 \pmod4. Let AA be the product of factors of 90!90! not divisible by 5,5, and let BB be the product of the factors divisible by 5.5. Grouping residues modulo 2525 gives A1(mod25)A\equiv1\pmod{25} and B5211(mod25).\dfrac{B}{5^{21}}\equiv-1\pmod{25}. Therefore 90!5211(mod25).\dfrac{90!}{5^{21}}\equiv-1\pmod{25}. Since 2212(mod25),2^{21}\equiv2\pmod{25}, N=90!521221N=\dfrac{90!}{5^{21}\cdot2^{21}} 13\equiv-13 12(mod25).\equiv12\pmod{25}. The number congruent to 0(mod4)0\pmod4 and 12(mod25)12\pmod{25} is 12(mod100),12\pmod{100}, so the last two nonzero digits form 12.12. Thus, A is the correct answer.

More practice

Concepts: factorial · modular arithmetic · Chinese Remainder Theorem · trailing zeros

Problem text and solution from the LIVE past-contest archive. See also the AoPS wiki page for community solutions.