🦘 Math Kangaroo Grade All Felix 1-2 Ecolier 3-4 Benjamin 5-6 Kadett 7-8 Junior 9-10 Student 11-12 ⇄ switch contest
2011 Math Kangaroo

Problem 7

Problem 7 · 2011 Math Kangaroo Medium
Counting & Probability careful-counting

All four-digit numbers whose digit sum is 4 are written down in order of size, starting with the biggest. In which position is the number 2011?

Show answer
Answer: D — 9.
Show hints
Hint 1 of 2
List four-digit numbers with digit sum 4 from biggest to smallest.
Still stuck? Show hint 2 →
Hint 2 of 2
Stop when you reach 2011 and read off its position.
Show solution
Approach: enumerate in decreasing order
  1. Biggest first: 4000, 3100, 3010, 3001, 2200, 2110, 2101, 2020, 2011, ...
  2. Count the positions: 2011 is the 9th number in the list.
  3. So 2011 sits in position 9.
  4. The answer is 9, choice (D).
Mark: · log in to save