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Difficulty: 1/102022 NMTC 2022 (QII-41)

If the integer is divisible by the integer , which of the following notations correctly represents this relationship?

Options:

  • B.

  • C.

  • D.

    none of these

Guide / Hint

Hint 1: Recall that ' is divisible by ' means that is a divisor (or factor) of .

Hint 2: The standard symbol for 'divides' is the vertical line , written with the divisor on the left.

Hint 3: Therefore, ' divides ' is written as , corresponding to option index 0.

Solution

Step 1 (Definition of Divisibility): The statement ' is divisible by ' means that divides , meaning there exists some integer such that:

Step 2 (Identify notation): In number theory, the statement ' divides ' is represented by the vertical bar symbol:

Step 3 (Avoid common confusion): The notation reads ' divides ', which is the opposite statement () and is not generally true when is divisible by .

Step 4 (Conclusion): The correct notation is , which is at option index 0.

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    2022 NMTC 2022 QII-41 - Olympiad Math Olympiad Question | Leminno