8-digit number and divisibility puzzle

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    Divisibility Puzzle
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around an 8-digit number puzzle involving the digits 1 to 8, where each digit is used exactly once. Participants explore the conditions for divisibility by various numbers based on specific digit groupings within the number.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant outlines the conditions for the number P, specifying that AB must be divisible by 8, BC by 7, CD by 6, DE by 5, EF by 4, FG by 3, and GH by 2.
  • Another participant suggests a brute force approach to find the solution.
  • A detailed breakdown of possible values for each digit grouping is provided, including lists of valid combinations for AB, BC, CD, DE, EF, FG, and GH based on divisibility rules.
  • Participants discuss the elimination of combinations that include the digits 0 or 9 or repeat digits, refining the possibilities for each grouping.
  • Connections between the digit groupings are explored, with attempts to find compatible values that satisfy all conditions, leading to the conclusion of a specific number.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the final solution, as the discussion includes multiple attempts and reasoning without a definitive agreement on the correctness of the proposed number.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes limitations such as the dependence on the specific conditions set for divisibility and the constraints of using each digit exactly once, which may not be fully resolved in the reasoning presented.

K Sengupta
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P is a 8-digit base ten positive integer having the form ABCDEFGH that uses each of the nonzero digits from 1 to 8 exactly once, and satisfies all of these conditions:

(i) AB is divisible by 8.
(ii) BC is divisible by 7.
(iii) CD is divisible by 6.
(iv) DE is divisible by 5.
(v) EF is divisible by 4.
(vi) FG is divisible by 3.
(vii) GH is divisible by 2.

Determine all possible value(s) that P can assume.
 
Last edited:
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72185634

Force. Brute and dirty.
 
K Sengupta said:
P is a 8-digit base ten positive integer having the form ABCDEFGH that uses each of the nonzero digits from 1 to 8 exactly once, and satisfies all of these conditions:

(i) AB is divisible by 8.
(ii) BC is divisible by 7.
(iii) CD is divisible by 6.
(iv) DE is divisible by 5.
(v) EF is divisible by 4.
(vi) FG is divisible by 3.
(vii) GH is divisible by 2.

Determine all possible value(s) that P can assume.

Step 1 (list the multiplication table for XY < 90):
AB has to be: 16,24,32,40,48,56,64,72,80,88
BC has to be: 14,21,28,35,42,49,56,63,70,77,84,
CD has to be: 12,18,24,30,36,42,48,54,60,66,72,78,84
DE has to be: 10,15,20,25,30,35,40,45,50,55,60,65,70,75,80,85
EF has to be: 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72, 76, 80, 84, 88
FG has to be: 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66, 69, 72, 75, 78, 81, 84, 87
GH has to be: 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 82, 84, 86, 88

Step 2 Now eliminate any numbers that have 9 in them or 0 in them or numbers with the same digit twice:
AB has to be: 16,24,32,48,56,64,72
BC has to be: 14,21,28,35,42,56,63,84,
CD has to be: 12,18,24,36,42,48,54,72,78,84
DE has to be: 15,25,35,45,65,75,85
EF has to be: 12, 16, 24, 28, 32, 36, 48, 52, 56, 64, 68, 72, 76, 84
FG has to be: 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 36, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57, 63, 72, 75, 78, 81, 84, 87
GH has to be: 12, 14, 16, 18, 24, 26, 28, 32, 34, 36, 38, 42, 46, 48, 52, 54, 56, 58, 62, 64, 68, 72, 74, 76, 78, 82, 84, 86

Step 3:
DE has only endings of 5, so E = 5
Therefore EF is limited to 50 <= EF <= 59

so EF has to be: 52, 56
FG then has to be: 21, 24, 27, 63
GH then has to be: 14, 16, 18, 32, 34, 38, 46, 48, 74, 76

Step 4: Start making connections:

If AB was 16, BC is 63, CD is 36, which can't be possible because of repeating
If AB was 24, BC is 42, so nope
If AB was 32, BC is 21 or 28, then CD is 12,18,or 84. 12 doesn't fit. So try 18 first. DE can then be 85 only. EF is 56, FG is 63. However 3 has shown up already, so try 84. DE is then 45, EF is then 56. Again FG is 63, so doesn't work.

AB = 48, BC = 84, doesn't work
AB = 56 => 63 => 36, doesn't work
64 => 42 => 24 doesn't work.

So AB = 72, so A = 7 B = 2
BC = 21 or 28
72 => 21 => 18 => 85 => 56 => 63 => 34

So the final number is 72185634
 
a=7 b=2 c=1 d=8 e=5 f=6 g=3 h=4
I solved it by looking at the multiples of 8 for AB. Then the last digit of AB must equal the first digit of BC which is a multiple of 7. So I just checked the multiples and crossed out numbers that had either a zero or a digit that occurred twice.
 

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