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2000 AMC 12 Problem 18

Problem 18 of 25IntermediateAlgebraNumber Theory

In year N,N, the 300300th day of the year is a Tuesday. In year N+1,N + 1, the 200200th day is also a Tuesday. On what day of the week did the 100100th day of year N1N - 1 occur?

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Solution

From day 300300 of year NN to day 200200 of year N+1,N + 1, the number of days is 365300+200=265365 - 300 + 200 = 265 if NN is not a leap year. But 265=737+6,265 = 7 \cdot 37 + 6, which would land on a Monday, not a Tuesday. So year NN is a leap year, and the gap is 266=738266 = 7 \cdot 38 days, giving a Tuesday as stated. It follows that year N1N - 1 is not a leap year. The 100100th day of year N1N - 1 precedes the Tuesday on day 300300 of year NN by 365100+300=565365 - 100 + 300 = 565 days. Since 565=780+5,565 = 7 \cdot 80 + 5, that day is 55 weekdays before Tuesday, namely Thursday. Thus, the correct answer is A.

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Concepts: date and time · modular arithmetic

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