Subcontests
(3)Choosing a_0 so that sequence is infinite
A sequence a0,a1,a2,…,an,… of positive integers is constructed as follows:
[*]if the last digit of an is less than or equal to 5 then this digit is deleted and an+1 is the number consisting of the remaining digits. (If an+1 contains no digits the process stops.)
[*]otherwise an+1=9an.
Can one choose a0 so that an infinite sequence is obtained? Pairing off so that sum is a prime
a) Show that it is possible to pair off the numbers 1,2,3,…,10 so that the sums of each of the five pairs are five different prime numbers.
b) Is it possible to pair off the numbers 1,2,3,…,20 so that the sums of each of the ten pairs are ten different prime numbers?