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2005 AMC 12A Problem 11

Problem 11 of 25IntermediateNumber TheoryCounting & Probability

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 55=255 \cdot 5 = 25 odd-odd choices for the first and last digits. For even-even, the first digit cannot be 0,0, giving 45=204 \cdot 5 = 20 choices. The total is 25+20=45.25 + 20 = 45. Thus, the correct answer is E.

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Concepts: digits · parity · basic counting

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