Maths Olympiad

Contest Problems
For Primary and Middle Schools

Australian Edition

Exploring Maths Through Problem Solving

Contains APSMO Maths Olympiad Papers

Prior to 1996
 Preface

Contents
Page

Preface to American Edition 4

Preface to Australian Edition 5

Introduction 7

Olympiad Contests 17

Answers 99

Hints 105

Solutions 123

Appendices 229

Problem Types 271

Glossary 273

Index 277

Also From APSMO 281

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 Preface

Preface to Australian Edition

The Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads (APSMO) Inc has been offering
Mathematical Olympiads based on Dr Lenchner’s model to schools throughout Australia, New
Zealand and surrounding countries since 1987. The annual inter-school Olympiads are held
five times a year between May and September.

We take this opportunity to thank Dr Lenchner for his permission to reprint his excellent text
with modifications specific to Australian education.

This text is identical to Dr Lenchner’s original text with the following modifications:
• Australian spelling
• Changes in nomenclature such as imperial to decimal measurements, American coinage
to Australian coinage
• All Olympiad questions remain true to the original. In certain situations the answers may
differ to the original answers, however all care has been taken to ensure that the purpose
and solution methods remain unchanged. Consequently, we have continued to use 1c
and 2c coins although they are no longer in use in Australia.
• Where it was not possible to change a question without altering the solution methods or
intention of the question, a note has been included within the question text as clarification
for students. For example: [Note: There are 3 feet in 1 yard].

Thank you to Dr Anne Prescott, lecturer in primary and secondary mathematics education at
the University of Technology, Sydney, for her valuable assistance in reviewing the alterations
and ensuring that the modified questions contained within this text are correct and suitable for
Australian students.

Jonathan Phegan
Executive Director
Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads (APSMO) Inc

5
 Introduction

Introduction

Page

The Problem Solving Process 9

Understanding the Problem
Planning to Solve the Problem
Carrying Out the Plan
Looking Back

Strategies and Problems 11

Find a Pattern
Draw a Picture or Diagram
Make an Organised List
Make a Table
Work Backwards
Use Reasoning

Solutions to Problems 13
Find a Pattern
Draw a Picture or Diagram
Make an Organised List
Make a Table
Work Backwards
Use Reasoning

Using Different Parts of the Book 15

When You Have a Strategy for a Solution
When You Do Not Have a Strategy for a Solution
Redoing and Sharing Problems
Your Olympiad Score

7
 Introduction

The Problem Solving Process

Understanding the Problem

Before you try to solve a problem, make sure that you understand the wording of the
problem, its question, and any special words it might contain such as factor, digit,
diagonal, and so forth. Does the problem give you too little, just enough, or too much
information? Can you restate the problem in your own words? Can you guess what the
answer will look like?

Planning to solve the problem

You need to have a plan of action to solve a problem. Such plans are called strategies.

The following are some strategies that are used more frequently than others.
Find a Pattern
Draw a Picture or Diagram
Make an Organised List
Make a Table
Work Backwards
Use Reasoning

Carrying Out the Plan

You will observe that each problem in this book has a suggested time limit which
begins after you have read the problem and are ready to begin. Select a strategy from
the above list or use one of your own choice. You may also want to use a combination
of strategies. Now try to solve the problem. If you are not able to do the problem within
the recommended time limit, ignore the time limit and continue to work on the problem
until you have a solution.

Speed is not important!

As you become more experienced with different strategies, mathematical ideas and
principles, and develop your skills, the amount of time you need to do a problem
will decrease naturally. If you have difficulty with a computation, get help from your
teacher, a parent, or another student. If your strategy doesn’t seem to be working, try
a different strategy. If you are still “stumped”, go on to another problem. Later, you
may want to again try to do the problem that stumped you. Perhaps you will think of a
way of doing the problem in the time that has elapsed. If that doesn’t help, read Using
Different Parts of the Book which begins on page 15.

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 Olympiad Problems

Olympiad 1

1.
Suppose today is Tuesday. What day of the week will it be 100
4 min. days from now?

2. I have four 3c-stamps and three 5c-stamps. Using one or more

of these stamps, how many different amounts of postage can I
5 min. make?

3. Find the sum of the counting numbers from 1 to 25 inclusive.

5 min. In other words, if S = 1 + 2 + 3 + ··· + 24 + 25, find the value

of S.

4. In a stationery store, pencils have one price and pens have another
price. Two pencils and three pens cost 78c. But three pencils and
6 min. two pens cost 72c. How much does one pencil cost?

A work crew of 3 people requires 3 weeks and 2 days to do a

5. certain job. How long would it take a work crew of 4 people to
do the same job if each person of both crews works at the same
5 min. rate as each of the others?
[Note: each week contains six work days.]
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 Hints

Olympiad 1
1) What day will it be 7 days from now? 14 days from now? 77 days from now?
2) Make an organised list of the different amounts starting with the 3c-stamps.
3) Rewrite the series in reverse order placing each term directly under the term of the given
series. Examine each vertical pair of terms.
4) How much will 5 pens and 5 pencils cost?
5) How long would it take one person to do the entire job alone?

Olympiad 2
1) Act it out.
2) Try using half of the coins as 5c and the other half as 20c.
3) How many square centimetres are there in the rectangular sheet 24 cm by 36 cm?
4) If the average score for 4 games is 145, what is the total score for the 4 games?
5) If you counted from 1 on, how frequently would “1” appear in the units place? tens
place? hundreds place?

Olympiad 3
1) Try a simpler problem with 2, 3, or 4 children.
2) Average speed is the total distance divided by the total time.
3) If the sum of the digits of a number is divisible by 9, the number is also divisible by 9.
4) 1 1 1
= −
9 × 10 9 10
5) Compare the terms of the sequence with multiples of 3, starting with 3.

Olympiad 4
1) Make 1.75 and 1¼ either both decimals or both mixed numbers.
2) A×AB = 114. Try different values for A starting with 2.
3) Experiment with 2 lines and count the sections. Then try 3 lines, and then 4 lines.
4) Could A be less than 3?
5) Do (6*8) first.

Olympiad 5
1) What is the average of the five numbers?
2) How many times larger than 600 square feet is 600 square yards?
3) Work from the bottom up.
4) What is the largest number that the two-digit numbers can divide exactly?
5) Try packaging some marbles in the larger boxes and examine what is left over.

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 Index

Index

When a page reference is given and followed by a number in parentheses, the latter
denotes a section number on the page. For example, 248(2) represents page 248, section
2 (or problem 2). For definitions of terms see the Glossary. When a topic is listed below
and shown in italics, it appears in Problem Types where references are made to Olympiad
contest numbers and problem numbers (see pages 271 and 272).
A Composite number, 234
Addition patterns, 271 Complete factorisation, 242(3)
Algebra, use of, 11 Complex fraction, 238(2)
Answers to problems, 236 Consecutive numbers, 43(3)
Algebra problems, 271 Consecutive even numbers, 23(1)
Area of Consecutive odd numbers, 49(2)
rectangles and squares, 235 Cryptarithm problems, 271
triangles 235 Cube, volume of, 236
of circles 235
Area problems, 271 D
Arithmetic sequence problems, 271 Diagram, drawing a, 11, 13
Arithmetic series problems, 271 Diagram, Venn, 261(5),
Average problems, 271 Diagram, Venn, Problems, 272
Diagram, tree, problems, 272
B Divide into exactly, 234(8)
Backwards, working, problems, 272 Divisibility, combined, problems, 271
Base of a power, 266(1) Divisibility principles for
Blindfold problems, 271 sums and differences 248(2)
Book-pages problems, 271 Divisibility principles for
powers of two, 249(3)
C nine and three, 249(4)
Carrying out the plan, 9 eleven, 250(5)
Circle Drawing a diagram, 11, 13
area of, 235
circumference of, 235 E
Circle problems, 271 Euclid, 256
Clock problems, 271 Euclid’s Algorithm, 256
Co-prime numbers, 234 Even places, 250(5)
Coin problems, 271 Expanded form of a number, 232(3)
Combined divisibility problems, 271
Common factor, 254(1)
Common fraction, 233(5)
Common multiple, 260(1)

277
Maths Olympiad Contest Problems

Exponents G
reading, 266(1) Geometry
multiplying powers of the same formulas for perimeter and area,
base, 266(2) 235
dividing powers of the same base, formulas for volume, 236
266(3) Geometric sequence problems, 271
zero power of B, 267(4)
powers of powers, 267(5) H
Extended fractions, 239(3) Highest common factor (HCF)
Extended fractions problems, 271 definition, 259
methods of computing
F listing, 254(1)
Factors testing, 254(2)
complete factorisation, 242(3) factoring. 255(3)
greatest common factor, 234, 254(1) difference of two number, 255(4)
how many factors a number has, HCF of three numbers, 255(5)
243(5) Euclidean algorithm, 256
multiples and divisibility, 244(6)
relatively prime numbers, 234 L
Fermat, Rene de, 268(6) LCM algorithm, 263(7)
Fermat’s Little Theorem, 268-9 Looking back, 10
Flashing lights problems, 271 Lowest common multiple (LCM)
Four step problem solving method definition, 234, 260
understanding the problem, 9 methods of computing
planning to solve the problem, 9 listing, 260(1)
carrying out the plan, 9 testing, 260(2)
looking back, 10 factoring, 260(3)
Fractions relating HCF and LCM, 261(4)
common (simple), 233(5) Venn diagram, 261(5)
complex, 233(5), 238(2) LCM of three numbers, 262(6)
dividing, 238(2) LCM algorithm, 263(7)
extended, 239(3)
improper, 233(5) M
proper, 233(5) Magic squares problems, 271
simplified, 233(5) Motion problems, 271
unit, 233(5) Multiples
common, 260(1)
least common multiple, 234, 260
Multiples problems, 271

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 Index

Multiplication patterns problems, 271 Perimeter problems, 272

Multiplicative inverse, see reciprocal Picture, drawing a, 11, 13
Plan, carrying out a, 9
N Plane figures, 235(9)
Natural numbers, 232(4) Planning how to solve a problem, 9
Numbers Polygons, 235(9)
composite, 234 Postage stamps problems, 272
consecutive, 43(3) Powers of the same base in
consecutive even, 23(1) multiplication, 266(2)
consecutive odd, 49(2) division, 266(3)
counting, 232(4) Prime numbers, 234
cube, 266(1) Prime factorisation of a number, 234
factored completely, 242(3) also see complete factorisation of a
natural, 232(4) number
prime, 234 Problem solving process
rational, 232(4) understanding the problem, 9
square, 266(1) planning to solve the problem, 9
carrying out the plan, 9
O looking back, 10
Odd places, 250(5) Problem types, 271, 272
Order of operations, 233(6)
Order of a term of a sequence, 129(5) Q
Organised list, making an, 11, 14 Quadrilaterals, 235(9)

P R
Painted cubes problems, 272 Rational numbers, 232(4)
Pairing factors of a number, 242(2) Reading
Palimage problem, 272 numbers, 232(1)
Pattern, finding a, 11, 13 sequences, 232(1)
Patterns in series, 232(1)
addition, 59(5) & 177(5,M2) Reasonableness of answers, 10
sums, 11, 13 Reciprocal, 238(1)
multiplication, 15(5), 268(6) Rectangle
Perimeter of a perimeter, 235
circle, 235(9) (also called area, 235
circumference) Relatively prime numbers, 234
rectangle, 235(9) Rule for a sequence, 21(5) & 129(5)
square, 235(9)
triangle, 235(9)

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Maths Olympiad Contest Problems

Rules for powers of the same base U

multiplication, 266(2) Understanding the problem, 9
division, 266(3) Unit fractions, 233(5)
Units of measure, 236(10)
S
Scoring an Olympiad contest, 16 V
Sequence, arithmetic, 21(5) Venn diagrams, 261(5)
Sets of numbers Venn diagram problems, 272
natural (also known as counting), Volume, 236
232(4)
whole, 232(4) W
rational, 232(4) When you have a solution, 15
Simultaneous events problems, 272 When you do not have a solution, 15
Solids, volume of, 236(9) Work backwards problems, 272
Square Work problems, 272
perimeter, 235(9)
area, 235(9) Z
Strategies for problem solving Zero power of a base, 267(4)
find a pattern, 11, 13 Zeros, terminal, 26(5)
draw a picture or diagram, 11, 13
make an organised list, 11, 14
make a table, 12, 14
work backward, 12, 14
use reasoning, 12, 14
Sums, pattern of, 11, 13

T
Table, making a, 12, 14
Terms of a sequence, order of, 41(3)
Terminal zeros, 26(5)
Tests for divisibility by
powers of two, 249(3)
nine and three, 249(4)
eleven, 250(5)
Towers of cubes problems, 272
Tree diagram problems, 272
Triangle
perimeter of, 235(9)
area of, 235(9)

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