Just Repeat
Problem
Think of any three-digit number.
Repeat the digits
e.g.
234 ....... 234 234
973 ...... 973 973
Both 6-digit numbers are divisible by 91.
Is this a coincidence?
Are there other patterns and connections?
Getting Started
Can you obtain the repeated number by mulitplying the original but the same constant in each case?
Student Solutions
A number of pleasing solutions were received.
Here is one offered by Andrei of School 205 Bucharest:
I observed that number 234234 is:
234234 = 234x1000 + 234 = 234(1000 + 1) = 1001 x 234
But 1001 is always divisible by 91:
1001 = 7 x 11 x 13 = 77 x 13 = 91 x 11 = 143 x 7
The same is true for 973973:
973973 = 1001 x 973
In fact, if you repeat any 3-digit number in that manner, you obtain a number divisible by 1001, so by 7, 11, 13, 77, 91 and 143:
Now, I look through other patters:
- if you repeat a 2-digit number twice,you obtain a number divisible by 101:
E.g. 65 ...6565
6565/101 = 65
- if you repeat a 2-digit numberthree times you obtain a number divisible by 3, 7, 13, 37 and all combinations obtained by multiplying them (21, 39, 111, 91, 259, 351, 273, and 3367).
- if you repeat a 4-digit number twice
Here, I obtained a prime number.
I did not continue further, as I would obtain too large numbers.