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Estonian Mathematical Olympiad

Estonia algebra

Problem

In Kükametsa School of Science, the number of secondary school participants in the "Kangaroo" competition was exactly one fourth greater than in the previous year. This year, the number of participants from the 11th and 12th grade was respectively 3 and 4 less than the number of participants from the 10th and 11th grade in the previous year, but the number of participants from the 10th grade this year was twice as high as the number of participants from the 12th grade last year. In the previous year, the average number of participants per grade level in Kükametsa School of Science was more than 60, but less than 65. Find all possibilities how many participants from the 10th grade could have participated in the "Kangaroo" competition this year.
Solution
Let be the number of secondary school participants in the "Kangaroo" competition in the previous year. This year, the number of participants was greater by . Hence is divisible by 4. Since the total number of participants in the 11th and 12th grade this year was less than the number of participants in the 10th and 11th grade last year, but the number of participants from the 10th grade this year was twice the number of participants from the 12th grade last year, the total number of secondary school participants increased by a number that is 7 less than the number of participants from the 12th grade last year. Hence the number of participants from 12th grade last year was 7 more than the number of additional participants this year, or . The number of participants from the 10th grade this year was twice that, or .

The average amount of participants per grade level last year is . Since is divisible by 4, the number can be represented as a common fraction with a numerator that is a multiple of 4 and the denominator 3. Considering all such common fractions between 60 and 65, we get three options , and . So can be either 184, 188 or 192 and is either 106, 108 or 110 respectively.
Final answer
106, 108, 110

Techniques

Simple Equations