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HongKong 2022-23 IMO Selection Tests

Hong Kong 2022 algebra

Problem

A special calculator contains a red button, which counts the number of even digits of an integer. For instance, when the screen shows , pressing the red button gives since all digits of are even. Someone inputs a positive integer into the calculator and keeps pressing the red button until is displayed on the screen. If is displayed after the red button has been pressed four times, find the smallest possible value of .
Solution
Answer: Suppose the sequence of numbers shown on the calculator screen is with , , nonzero. Note that is at least and so consists of at least one even digit, which means . Hence consists of at least two even digits and is no less than . It follows that has at least even digits, and the smallest such number is , which one easily verifies to be a possible value of . (The sequence in this case will be .)
Final answer
2 × 10^19

Techniques

IntegersColoring schemes, extremal arguments