MathDB
SMT 2010 General #14

Source:

February 11, 2012

Problem Statement

A series of lockers, numbered 1 through 100, are all initially closed. Student 1 goes through and opens every locker. Student 3 goes through and "flips" every 3rd locker ("flipping") a locker means changing its state: if the locker is open he closes it, and if the locker is closed he opens it). Thus, Student 3 will close the third locker, open the sixth, close the ninth. . . . Student 5 then goes through and "flips"every 5th locker. This process continues with all students with odd numbers n<100n<100 going through and "flipping" every nnth locker.
How many lockers are open after this process?