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'What a Joke' printed from https://nrich.maths.org/
First can I express my delight at the
spreadsheet supplied by the Colyton Maths Challenge Group, which
enabled them to enter values of $A$ and $H$ to find a solution. I
think the cell H8 needed to be "=10*F3+D3" to work (and it does
with the right substitution!) - but what a good idea. Well done.
Like Angele (no school given), the Colyton group noticed that the
problem might be easier with some rearrangement and making $JOKE$
the subject.
At this point it is clear that the maths
group, like Andrei (Tudor Vianu College) used exhaustive methods,
probably made easier by the spreadsheet.
Here is a alternative approach based on the
solution offered by Lee (no school given).
I can rearrange the problem $$JOKE = \frac{AHHAAH}{HA}$$ Now
$AHHAAH$ is made up of $AH00AH$ and $HA00 = 100 \times HA$ added
together.
But $AH00AH$ is divisible by $AH$ So $AH00AH = 10001 \times
AH$
So $AHHAAH = 10001 \times AH + HA \times 100$
$$JOKE = \frac{AHHAAH}{HA} = \frac{100 \times HA +AH
\times(10001)}{HA}$$ The numerator has to be divisible by the
denominator ($HA$) for this to give a four digit answer ($JOKE$).
As $100 \times HA$ is divisble by $HA$ it only needs us to look at
$10001 \times AH$.
But $10001$ is not prime, it is $73 \times 137$.
There is no combination of digits such that $HA$ divides $AH$ So
$HA$ divides $10001$ giving an answer $73$
$$H=7$$ $$A=3$$ $$J=5$$ $$O=1$$ $$K=6$$ $$E=9$$