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Selection tests for the Balkan Mathematical Olympiad 2013

Saudi Arabia 2013 algebra

Problem

The base-7 representation of number is , and the base-9 representation of number is . What is the decimal (base-10) representation of ?
Solution
We have . This implies that . Because , either or and .

1. If , then and therefore , that is .

2. If and , then , or . If then and and . If , then , which is impossible.

Therefore, or .
Final answer
0 or 248

Techniques

Simple EquationsTechniques: modulo, size analysis, order analysis, inequalities