Prove a number that is Divisible by Three
Hi Friends... On this page we prove the theorem known from school that an integer is divisible by 3 if and only if the sum of its digits is divisible by 3. We intend our proof to be understandable for everyone who has basic familiarity with integer numbers and who is capable of concentrating his attention. Let x be a positive integer with n+1 digits: x = a 0 + a 1 *10 + a 2 *10 2 + a 3 *10 3 ... + a n *10 n Let s be the sum of its digits: s = a 0 + a 1 + a 2 + a 3 + ... + a n Now, x - s = (a 0 - a 0 ) + (a 1 *10 - a 1 ) + (a 2 *10 2 - a 2 ) + ... + (a n *10 n - a n ) x - s = a 1 *(10 - 1) + a 2 *(10 2 - 1) + ... + a n *(10 n - 1) If we write b k = 10 k - 1, we will have x - s = a 1 *b 1 + a 2 *b 2 + ... + a n *b n Notice that b k = 9...9 (9 occurs k times). Hence all the numbers b k are divisible by 3. Hence all the numbers a k *b k are divisible b...