olymmath

Putnam 2007 A3

  • Session A

Let kk be a positive integer. Suppose that the integers 1,2,3,…,3k+11, 2, 3, \dots, 3k+1 are written down in random order. What is the probability that at no time during this process, the sum of the integers that have been written up to that time is a positive integer divisible by 3? Your answer should be in closed form, but may include factorials.

Curated text Kedlaya Putnam archive. Quoted with source.

Solutions

Human solution Solution 1 by Manjul Bhargava, Kiran Kedlaya and Lenny Ng

The terms of the source let olymmath link to this solution but not copy it. Read the solution (Kedlaya Putnam archive).

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