Browse · MATH
Printjmc
number theory senior
Problem
For , how many integers are there such that is a repeating decimal?
Solution
Note that and will never share any common factors except for , because they are consecutive integers. Therefore, is already simplified, for all positive integers .
Since , it follows that . Recall that a simplified fraction has a repeating decimal representation if and only if its denominator is divisible by a prime other than 2 and 5. The numbers between 2 and 101 which are divisible only by 2 and 5 comprise the set . Therefore, there are terminating decimals and repeating decimals.
Since , it follows that . Recall that a simplified fraction has a repeating decimal representation if and only if its denominator is divisible by a prime other than 2 and 5. The numbers between 2 and 101 which are divisible only by 2 and 5 comprise the set . Therefore, there are terminating decimals and repeating decimals.
Final answer
86