THE SOUTH AFRICAN MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD

SENIOR SECOND ROUND 2022

Solutions
1. Answer 026
Since multiplication and division must be done first, the value is 3 − 5 + (8 ÷ 2 × 7) =
3 − 5 + 28 = 26.

2. Answer 084
The positive multiples of 6 less than 100 are 1 × 6 = 6, 2 × 6 = 12, and so on, up to
16 × 6 = 96. There are 16 multiples of‘6, leaving 84 numbers that are not multiples of 6.
Alternatively, one could divide 100 by 6 which is 16 and ignore the remainder.

3. Answer 120
The height of the snowman is the sum of the diameters of the spheres, which is twice the
sum of their radii, so the height in centimetres is 2 × (10 + 20 + 30) = 2 × 60 = 120.

4. Answer 015
The average or mean of 5 and 9 is 7, so the average of 5 and x must be 10, that is,
1
2
(5 + x) = 10, so 5 + x = 20 and x = 15. Check by showing that 21 (9 + x) = 12.

5. Answer 024
Since 600 = 23 × 3 × 52 , it follows that every factor of 600 must be of the form 2i 3j 5k ,
where 0 ≤ i ≤ 3, 0 ≤ j ≤ 1, and 0 ≤ k ≤ 2. This gives a total of 4 × 2 × 3 = 24 different
factors.

6. Answer 035
Suppose the price of a pink pill is Rx, so the price of a blue pill is R(x + 1). The cost in
rands for one day is therefore (x + 1) + 2x = 3x + 1, and for ten days is 10(3x + 1) = 520.
This gives 3x = 51, so x = 17 and x + (x + 1) = 35.

7. Answer 130
Produce (or extend) BC to cut DE at F . Then C FbE = 90◦ + 40◦ = 130◦ (exterior angle
b = x (alternate angles), so x = 130◦ .
of triangle DCF ), but C FbE = C BA

8. Answer 012
The sum of the interior angles of an n-sided polygon is (n − 2)180◦ , so each angle of a
regular n-gon is (1 − n2 )180◦ . For a regular pentagon (n = 5), this gives 108◦ , and for a
regular hexagon (n = 6) it is 120◦ . The required angle is therefore 120◦ − 108◦ = 12◦ .

9. Answer 484
The combined area of the four triangles at the corners is equal to the area of one square,
and the combined area of the two triangles in the middle is also equal to that of one square.
The total rectangle therefore has the same area as four squares, that is, 4 × 121 = 484.

10. Answer 005

The combined speed of the cars is 90 km/h, so the time taken to cover 450 km is 450÷90 =
5 hours.

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11. Answer 036
25
If the base diameter is increased by 25%, then the new diameter is 1 + 100 = 54 times the
old diameter. The new base area is therefore ( 54 )2 = 16
25
times the old area. To maintain
16
the same volume, the new height must be 25 times the old height, so the percentage
16 9
reduction is (1 − 25 ) × 100% = 25 × 100% = 36%.

12. Answer 020

The percentage of learners who brought an orange is 100 − (20 + 35) = 45%. If there
45 9
are n learners in the class, then 9 = 100 n = 20 n, so n = 20.

13. Answer 044

The base length of the triangle (on the x-axis) is p − 0 = p, and the height of the triangle
(parallel to the y-axis) is 22 − 0 = 22. Since the area is 222 , it follows that 21 p(22) = 222 ,
so 12 p = 22 and p = 44.

14. Answer 013

There are 53 = C35 = 10 ways of choosing three numbers out of five, and of these choices

only three are all consecutive: 1, 2, 3 and 2, 3, 4 and 3, 4, 5. The probability of choosing
3
three consecutive integers is therefore 10 = pq , so p + q = 3 + 10 = 13.

15. Answer 023

Use an inductive approach. If only one pair of socks is needed it is sufficient to choose
five socks. If four socks are chosen it might happen that there is one sock of each colour.
If two pairs of socks are needed is sufficient to choose seven socks: among any set of
seven socks there must be one pair of socks; if that pair is removed there must still be a
pair of socks of the same colour among the remaining five socks already shown. On the
other side there can be three green, one black, one red and one blue sock among six socks
— therefore only one pair. Seven socks is there the smallest number of socks needed to
ensure two pairs of socks of the same colour.
With a similar reasoning it can be shown that nine socks is sufficient to be sure that there
will be three pairs of socks of the same colour; and in general, 2p + 3 for p pairs of socks.
This formula is easy to prove by mathematical induction. Hence, 23 socks are needed to
be sure that there will be 10 pairs of socks of the same colour.

Alternative solution: Suppose n socks are chosen, among which there are an odd numbers
of socks for k of the four colours. The number of pairs of socks is then 12 (n − k). If n is
odd, then k = 1 or 3, while if k is even, then k = 0 or 2 or 4. The least number of pairs is
therefore 12 (n − 3) if n is odd and 21 (n − 4) if n is even. To guarantee 10 pairs, we require
1
2
(n − 3) ≥ 10, that is, n ≥ 23 if n is odd, and 12 (n − 4) ≥ 10, that is, n ≥ 24 if n is even.
Thus, ten pairs are guaranteed if at least 23 socks are chosen.

16. Answer 006

To be divisible by 12, the number must be divisible by both 3 and 4, so first the sum of
the digits must be divisible by 3. Of the digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 the only choice of four digits
with a sum divisible by 3 is 1, 2, 4, 5. To be divisible by 4 a number formed by the last
two digits must be divisible by 4, so the only possibilities for the digits of such numbers

2
 are 12, 24, 52. With each of these three choices the remaining two digits can be arranged
in two ways in the first two places, giving a total of 3 × 2 = 6 choices for the required
number.

17. Answer 010

The hikers share 10 litres equally between them, so each receives 103
litres. Connor gives
10 2 10 8
Henco 4 − 3 = 3 litres, and Sibu gives Henco 6 − 3 = 3 . Since the water they donate is
in the ratio 23 : 83 = 1 : 4, the R50 payment should be divided in the same ratio, that is,
R10 to Connor and R40 to Sibu.

18. Answer 768

For the eight toppings, there are 28 = 256 different selections, since each topping is either
included or excluded. (This covers the possibility of no toppings at all.) Each selection
of toppings can be combined with the three selections for the number of patties to give a
total of 256 × 3 = 768 different hamburgers.

19. Answer 064

√
The sides of the square and triangle are all of length 64 = 8, so the height of the triangle
√
is 4 3. Since the distance from the top vertex of the triangle to the centre of the circle
is equal to the radius r, it follows that the distance from the base of the square to the
√ √
centre is 8 + 4 3 − r. By Pythagoras’ theorem it follows that r2 = 42 + (8 + 4 3 − r)2 ,
which simplifies to r = 8, so r2 = 64.

Alternative solution: The square has all its sides equal to 8 (hence the equilateral trian-
gle). Drop the equilateral triangle vertically downwards so that BC coincides with DF.
Clearly AB and ED are equal and parallel so that ABDE is a parallelogram. However,
AB = BD, so ABDE is a rhombus. And, EA = ED = EF. But then E is the centre of
the circle and the radius of the circle is ED = AB = 8. The square of the radius is 64.

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20. Answer 004
By long division it can be shown that 17 = 0.1̇42857̇ . . . , where the block of six digits
repeats (or recurs) indefinitely. Since 50 leaves remainder 2 when divided by 6, it follows
that the 50-th digit after the decimal is the same as the second digit, which is 4.

21. Answer 017

If the two vertices at the base of the front face of the cube in the diagram are denoted R
and S, then by using Pythagoras’ theorem twice it can be seen that P Q2 = P R2 + RQ2 =
√ √
P R2 + (RS 2 + SQ2 ) = 3P R2 . Therefore 3P R2 = ( 3 17 3)2 = 3 × 172/3 , so P R2 = 172/3 ,
and the volume of the cube, which is P R3 , is equal to 17.

22. Answer 135

Since rectangles P and Q have the same area, suppose P is 3×5k and Q is 5×3k, where k
is unknown. Then the rectangle in the centre has dimensions 3(k − 1) × 5(k − 1), showing
that k > 1. Since the area of the centre rectangle is half the area of the others, it follows
that 15(k − 1)2 = 21 (15k), which simplifies to k 2 − 25 k + 1 = 0 or (k − 2)(k − 12 ) = 0. Since
k > 1, it follows that k = 2, so the area of the full rectangle is (4 + 21 )(15 × 2) = 135.

Alternative solution: Let AB = 10x to avoid fractions. All the white rectangles have
the same area, 3(10x) = 30x, we can fill in the sides as indicated in the sketch below.
The shaded area is a half of 30x which is 15x. Now we can find the area of the large
rectangle:
(10x + 5)(6x + 3) = 4(30x) + 15x
(2x + 1)(2x + 1) = 8x + x = 9x
4x2 − 5x + 1 = 0
(x − 1)(4x − 1) = 0
x = 0 or x = 14
From the diagram, 6x > 3, so 41 is not a solution. Hence x = 1 and the area of the
rectangle is (10 + 5)(3 + 6) = 15 × 9 = 135.

23. Answer 342

Suppose the numbers on the faces of the cube are A, B, C, D, E, F , with A and B on
opposite faces, and similarly with F and E, and with C and D. Then faces A and F

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 meet faces B, C, E, D in that order, so the sum of the products at the vertices is (A +
F )(BC + CE + ED + DB) = (A + F )(B + E)(C + D) = 2022. Thus 2022 is expressed
as the product of three factors, each greater than 1 because it is the sum of two positive
integers. Now 2022 is clearly divisible by 2 and 3, and by division 2022 = 2 × 3 × 337. A
quick check shows that 337 is not divisible by any prime number up to 17 (that is, prime
√
numbers less than 337), so 337 is also a prime number. This means that 2 × 3 × 337 is
the only factorization of 2022 into three factors, so A + F , B + E and C + D are equal
to 2, 3 and 337 in some order, and the sum A + B + C + D + E + F = 2 + 3 + 337 = 342.

24. Answer 506

We bracket the given sum with alternating positive and negative signs into blocks of
ten numbers, and evaluate it column by column. In each block of numbers from 10k to
10k + 9, the alternating sum of the units digits is −0 + 1 − 2 + 3 − 4 + 5 − 6 + 7 − 8 + 9 = 5,
and the alternating sum of the tens digits is 0, because they are all equal. Similarly, the
alternating sums of the hundreds digits and the thousands digits are also equal to zero.
Thus
−S(10k) + S(10k + 1) − · · · − S(10k + 8) + S(10k + 9) = 5 for all k ≥ 0.
(The −S(0) at the beginning does not affect the answer, since S(0) = 0.) It follows that
S(1) − S(2) + · · · − S(1008) + S(1009) = 101 × 5 = 505, since there are 101 blocks of ten
numbers, and including −S(1010) + S(1011) at the end gives 505 − 2 + 3 = 506.

Alternative solution: Let S(n) = sum of the digits of the positive integer n. The se-
quence S(n) is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 2, 3, 4, ....
The sum we need to calculate has terms ±S(n) where the sign is negative whenever n is
even.
Let the sequence T (n) be
1, −2, 3, −4, 5, −6, 7, −8, 9, −1, 2, −3, 4, −5, 6, −7, 8, −9, 2, −3, 4, ...
Let R(n) = the sum of the first n terms of T (n). We need to calculate R(1011).
The sequence R(n) is 1, −1, 2, −2, 3, −3, 4, −4, 5, 5, 6, 3, ....
The odd terms appear to be the counting numbers. That is, < R(1), R(3), R(5), R(7), ... >
=< 1, 2, 3, 4, ... >.
So let us prove that the common difference of this sequence is 1.
R(2n + 1) − R(2n − 1)
= ((T (1) + T (2) + T (3) + L + T (2n + 1)
− ((T (1) + T (2) + T (3) + L + T (2n − 1)
= T (2n) + T (2n + 1)
= S(2n + 1) − S(2n)
which is the difference of consecutive terms of the original sequence.
Now S increases by 1 at each natural number except where the units digit changes from
9 to 0. However, in the difference, the even number is on the right so we are inter-
ested in the difference S(10k + 1) − S(10k) and this is certainly 1. We have proved that
the odd terms of the R sequence is the sequence of natural numbers. More precisely,
R(2n − 1) = n for n = 1, 2, 3, ... .
Hence R(1011) = R(2x506 − 1) = 506.

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25. Answer 020
Since the position of the square between the parallel lines, as well as the angle of tilt,
is not specified, it means that we can choose the location and inclination of the square
as we please. So, let two of the sides of the square be on the parallel lines. Then the
shaded (degenerate) triangles have zero area but each has perimeter 10, so the sum of the
perimeters is 20.

Alternative solution 1: Since the placement of the square is not specified, this implies that
the sum of the perimeters remains constant no matter how the square is placed relative
¯
to the two parallel lines. For convenience and simplicity, therefore place the square as
shown below so that the diagonal AC is perpendicular to the parallel lines. Let x and
√
y be the respective heights of the isosceles triangles as shown. Then x + y = 200 − 10
√
. . . Eq. 1. The total perimeter of the two triangles = 2(x + y) + 2 2(x + y), which after
substitution of Eq. 1, simplifies to 20. This approach can be generalised.

Alternative solution 2: Let EF = x, GH = y and E FbA = θ = H GC. b Then the sum of

the perimeters is equal to (x+y)(sin θ +cos θ +1). Next, the distance between the parallel
lines is equal to BE cos θ + BG sin θ, so (10 − x sin θ) cos θ + (10 − y cos θ) sin θ = 10 ,
which simplifies to (x + y) sin θ cos θ = 10(sin θ + cos θ − 1). Substituting for (x + y) gives
the sum of perimeters equal to

10 10
(sin θ + cos θ + 1)(sin θ + cos θ − 1) = ((sin θ + cos θ)2 − 1),
sin θ cos θ sin θ cos θ

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which simplifies to 20 since

(sin θ + cos θ)2 − 1 = sin2 θ + 2 sin θ cos θ + cos2 θ − 1 = 2 sin θ cos θ,

using the fact that sin2 θ + cos2 θ = 1.