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2005 AMC 12A Problem 11

Problem 11 of 25IntermediateNumber TheoryCombinatorics

How many three-digit numbers satisfy the property that the middle digit is the average of the first and the last digits?

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Solution

The middle digit is an integer only when the first and last digits are both odd or both even. Each such pair determines the middle digit uniquely. There are 5⋅5=255 \cdot 5 = 25 odd-odd choices for the first and last digits. For even-even, the first digit cannot be 0,0, giving 4⋅5=204 \cdot 5 = 20 choices. The total is 25+20=45.25 + 20 = 45. Thus, the correct answer is E.
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Tagged: digits · parity · basic counting

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