olymmath

AIME 2005b Problem 6

  • Paper
  • Answer

The cards in a stack of 2n2n cards are numbered consecutively from 1 through 2n2n from top to bottom. The top nn cards are removed, kept in order, and form pile A.A. The remaining cards form pile B.B. The cards are then restacked by taking cards alternately from the tops of pile BB and A,A, respectively. In this process, card number (n+1)(n+1) becomes the bottom card of the new stack, card number 1 is on top of this card, and so on, until piles AA and BB are exhausted. If, after the restacking process, at least one card from each pile occupies the same position that it occupied in the original stack, the stack is named magical. For example, eight cards form a magical stack because cards number 3 and number 6 retain their original positions. Find the number of cards in the magical stack in which card number 131 retains its original position.

Dataset text AIME 1983 to 2026. Quoted with source.

Show the answer

392

Solutions

No solution is on olymmath yet. Official and human solutions come first when they arrive. AI solutions come after them, with a label.

Add a solution

Locator aime/2005b/p6 · Tag GAX9DMWJWZ · Edit this page on GitHub · Keys: j next, k previous