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Bunuel
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Hi architkap,

The posted solution by imeanup is correct, let me walk you through it cleanly. The whole thing comes down to three constraints working together: the prefix, "odd," and "exactly one 9."

Set up the structure

The number is 7 digits: _ _ _ | _ _ _ _. The first three are 635 or 674 - that's 2 options for the front.

Now notice something important: neither 635 nor 674 contains a 9. So the "exactly one 9" must live somewhere in the last four positions (4-7). This is the key observation that makes the counting work.

Also, the number must be odd, so the last digit (position 7) must be from {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}.

The trick is that position 7 has two jobs at once - it controls oddness and it might be the slot holding the 9. That overlap is why we split into two cases.

Case 1: the single 9 is the last digit

Position 7 = 9, which is odd, so the "odd" rule is satisfied automatically.
Positions 4, 5, 6 must each be non-9 - 9 choices each (0-8).

Count: 9 × 9 × 9 = 729 per prefix.

Case 2: the single 9 is in position 4, 5, or 6

The 9 sits in one of those three spots - 3 placements.
Position 7 must be odd but not 9 (only one 9 allowed) - {1, 3, 5, 7} = 4 choices.
The two remaining middle spots are non-9 - 9 choices each.

Count: 3 × 9 × 9 × 4 = 972 per prefix.

Combine

Per prefix: 729 + 972 = 1701.
Two prefixes: 1701 × 2 = 3402.

The one thing to carry away: because the prefix has no 9, the 9 is forced into the back four, and you must case-split on whether it lands on the odd last digit.

Answer: C

architkap
could someone please explain this? Bunuel KarishmaB

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