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# m25,#31

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01 Dec 2008, 05:45
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What is the last digit of $$3^{3^3}$$ ?

(A) 1
(B) 3
(C) 6
(D) 7
(E) 9

[Reveal] Spoiler: OA
D

Source: GMAT Club Tests - hardest GMAT questions

What should be the approach in such types of questions?
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30 Aug 2009, 13:01
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To solve this kind of problems, it saves time to remember the following regarding the units digit:

.............................^1....^2.....^3.....^4.....^5......^6
0 has a cycle of 1.......0......0........0
1 has a cycle of 1.......1......1........1
2 has a cycle of 4.......2......4......8......16.......32.....64
3 has a cycle of 4.......3......9......27.....81......243....729
4 has a cycle of 2.......4......16......64....256
5 has a cycle of 1.......5......25......125
6 has a cycle of 1.......6......36......216
7 has a cycle of 4.......7......49......341...2401...16807..117649
8 has a cycle of 4.......8......64......512...4096..32768..262144
9 has a cycle of 2.......9......81......729....6561

This pattern of 1-1-4-4-2 goes on and on into infinity:
10 has a cycle of 1
11 has a cycle of 1
12 has a cycle of 4
13 has a cycle of 4
14 has a cycle of 2
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03 Jan 2010, 17:18
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Marco83 wrote:
I got this question wrong because I interpreted 3^3^3 as (3^3)^3.

Is commonly accepted convention to start developing the exponents from the one on top to the one on the bottom (i.e. x^(a^(b^(c^d))))?

Yes: $$a^m^n=a^{(m^n)}$$ and not $$(a^m)^n$$.

Check Number Theory chapter in Math Book (link below).
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01 Dec 2010, 07:49
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321kumarsushant wrote:
the ans will be 3.
for this type of question which has small no as 2, 3 ,4.
you can calculate it by multiplying only the unit digit if the nos are countable on fingers,
else you should use the above method explained by Gmat Aspirants.

OA for this question is D (7).

What is the last digit of $$3^{3^3}$$?
(A) 1
(B) 3
(C) 6
(D) 7
(E) 9

If exponentiation is indicated by stacked symbols, the rule is to work from the top down, thus:
$$a^m^n=a^{(m^n)}$$ and not $$(a^m)^n$$, which on the other hand equals to $$a^{mn}$$.

So:
$$(a^m)^n=a^{mn}$$;

$$a^m^n=a^{(m^n)}$$ and not $$(a^m)^n$$.

According to above:

$$3^{3^3}=3^{(3^3)}=3^{27}$$

Cyclicity of 3 in positive integer power is four (the last digit of 3 in positive integer power repeats in the following patter {3-9-7-1}-{3-9-7-1}-...) --> the units digit of $$3^{27}$$ is the same as for 3^3 (27=4*6+3) --> 7.

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01 Dec 2008, 06:08
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3^x will have a pattern with unit digit as 3, 9, 7,1, 3,9,7,1,....

Thus, after every four values, the unit digit pattern will repeat.

Divide 27 by 4....3 is the remainder. Unit digit for the third value (from the pattern above) will be 7.
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18 Jul 2013, 11:19
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I had not find a topic for this question, so I have created this one.
The thing is - 3^3^2 = 3^27 in the official answer.
Is not it - 3^3^2 = 3^9 ?
Thank you for the attention.
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d63d1fe678552ac0338e3bdaa5102421.png [ 261.88 KiB | Viewed 5114 times ]

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18 Jul 2013, 11:27
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KirikViktor wrote:
I had not find a topic for this question, so I have created this one.
The thing is - 3^3^2 = 3^27 in the official answer.
Is not it - 3^3^2 = 3^9 ?
Thank you for the attention.

Merging topics.

It's $$3^{3^3}=3^{(3^3)}=3^{27}$$, not $$3^{3^2}$$.

Hope it's clear.
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01 Dec 2008, 19:58
wow! wht an easy approach! Thanks a lot!
scthakur wrote:
3^x will have a pattern with unit digit as 3, 9, 7,1, 3,9,7,1,....

Thus, after every four values, the unit digit pattern will repeat.

Divide 27 by 4....3 is the remainder. Unit digit for the third value (from the pattern above) will be 7.
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03 Jan 2010, 15:24
I got this question wrong because I interpreted 3^3^3 as (3^3)^3.

Is commonly accepted convention to start developing the exponents from the one on top to the one on the bottom (i.e. x^(a^(b^(c^d))))?
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11 Jan 2010, 18:51
I didnt know you had to divide by 4 and to pick the number of the remainder..

How about the case for 3^12 where has zero remainder...?
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11 Jan 2010, 21:47
gmatJP wrote:
I didnt know you had to divide by 4 and to pick the number of the remainder..

How about the case for 3^12 where has zero remainder...?

When remainder is zero you should take the base in the power of cyclisity. Last digit of 3^12 = last digit of 3^4, as the cyclisity of 3 if 4 and 12 divided by 4 leaves remainder zero.

For more see the Number Theory chapter in Math Book.
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01 Dec 2010, 07:43
the ans will be 3.
for this type of question which has small no as 2, 3 ,4.
you can calculate it by multiplying only the unit digit if the nos are countable on fingers,
else you should use the above method explained by Gmat Aspirants.
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01 Dec 2010, 07:59
wow! great question and useful tips.. thanks
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01 Dec 2010, 09:02
Bunuel wrote:
321kumarsushant wrote:
the ans will be 3.
for this type of question which has small no as 2, 3 ,4.
you can calculate it by multiplying only the unit digit if the nos are countable on fingers,
else you should use the above method explained by Gmat Aspirants.

OA for this question is D (7).

What is the last digit of $$3^{3^3}$$?
(A) 1
(B) 3
(C) 6
(D) 7
(E) 9

If exponentiation is indicated by stacked symbols, the rule is to work from the top down, thus:
$$a^m^n=a^{(m^n)}$$ and not $$(a^m)^n$$, which on the other hand equals to $$a^{mn}$$.

So:
$$(a^m)^n=a^{mn}$$;

$$a^m^n=a^{(m^n)}$$ and not $$(a^m)^n$$.

According to above:

$$3^{3^3}=3^{(3^3)}=3^{27}$$

Cyclicity of 3 in positive integer power is four (the last digit of 3 in positive integer power repeats in the following patter {3-9-7-1}-{3-9-7-1}-...) --> the units digit of $$3^{27}$$ is the same as for 3^3 (27=4*6+3) --> 7.

ohh ! i got that question wrong.
the ans will be 7.
above explanation is appreciable.
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01 Dec 2010, 10:04
Bunuel wrote:
gmatJP wrote:
I didnt know you had to divide by 4 and to pick the number of the remainder..

How about the case for 3^12 where has zero remainder...?

When remainder is zero you should take the base in the power of cyclisity. Last digit of 3^12 = last digit of 3^4, as the cyclisity of 3 if 4 and 12 divided by 4 leaves remainder zero.

For more see the Number Theory chapter in Math Book.

Good point. I did everything like you guys except I chose the wrong starting point. I divided 27 by 4 and got 6 remainder 3 but thought 3^1 was the point of reference and chose 1 as the answer and not 7.

Thanks for clearing that up Bunuel!
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02 Dec 2010, 06:46
D.

3^3^3 = 3^27
Now we need to find a pattern for last digits of different powers of 3 -->
1 2 3 4
3 9 7 1

after every 4 different unit digits the pattern repeates itself.
Hence for 4*6 = 24th power the units digit will be 1
27 - 4 = 3
the third unit's digit in the pattern above is 7
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05 Dec 2011, 22:09
ritula wrote:
What is the last digit of $$3^{3^3}$$ ?

(A) 1
(B) 3
(C) 6
(D) 7
(E) 9

[Reveal] Spoiler: OA
D

Source: GMAT Club Tests - hardest GMAT questions

What should be the approach in such types of questions?

I solved the problem as below:

3^3^3 = 3^27= 3^9*3^9*3^9.

3^9 = 3^3*3^3*3^3 which has a unit digit of 3

unit digit of 3^27 = 3*3*3 = 27 hence 7

D
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06 Dec 2011, 02:34
VERY SIMPLE
FIRST TWO POWER=9
THEN 3 RAISED TO POWER 9=(3.3).(3.3.).(3.3)(3.3)3
=(9.9.9.9.)3
=(81.81)3
=FIRST DIGIT AS1
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07 Dec 2011, 10:51
D

Just take the last number when you square...and then look for order

3^{3^3} = 3^(27)

3^1 = 3
3^2 = 9
3^3 = 7 (remember only need the last number)
3^4 = 1 (same as above)
3^5 = 3 ...now the numbers are repeating

All you have to do now is see where 27 would land which is 3^3, so answer is 7.
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04 Feb 2012, 21:24
i broke it down to 3^27 => then 27 is divided by 3, 9 times. 3^3 = 27
then 7^9. break it down to pairs 7*7 = 49.
there will be four 9's and a remaining 7.
1*1*7 = 7
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