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What is the smallest positive integer N, such that the digit sum of N and N+1 are both divisible by 19?

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    $\begingroup$ Are you asking about digit sum (N) + digit sum (N+1) being divisible by 19, or the digit sums of N and N+1 each being divisible by 19? $\endgroup$ Jan 13, 2021 at 21:10
  • $\begingroup$ @Punintended The wording is ambiguous. It should be "the digit sums of N and N+1 are both divisible by 19" else it's too simple. $\endgroup$
    – xhienne
    Jan 13, 2021 at 21:18
  • $\begingroup$ @xhienne I figured that was the case, but Glorfindel beat me to the answer so I was hoping it was the latter ;P $\endgroup$ Jan 13, 2021 at 21:25
  • $\begingroup$ Thanks for the hint of the wording, I corrected it! $\endgroup$
    – ThomasL
    Jan 13, 2021 at 22:23

1 Answer 1

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I think it is

$N = 199 \cdot 10^{17} - 1 = 1989999999999999999999$ (digit sum 171 = 9 * 19)
$N + 1 = 199 \cdot 10^{17} = 1990000000000000000000$ (digit sum 19)

Reasoning:

The number $N$ ends in $n$ nines, where $n \ge 0$. The difference between the digit sum of $N + 1$ and $N$ is $1 - 9n$. Both digit sums are divisible by $19$, so their difference must be as well. The smallest $n$ for which $1 - 9n$ is divisible by $19$ is $n = 17$, so $N$ must end in $17$ nines, for a digit sum of $153$. The next multiple of $19$ is $171$, so the remaining digits of $N$ must add up to $171 - 153 = 18$. Two nines is not possible, since the number must end in $17$ nines, not $19$. The next number that qualifies is $198$.

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