Kaprekar's Process for 2-Digit Numbers

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Theorem

Kaprekar's process, when applied to a non-repdigit $2$-digit positive integer leads to the cycle:

$09 \to 81 \to 63 \to 27 \to 45 \to 09$

Note that it is important to retain the leading zero on the $9$, or the process trivially terminates in $0$.


Proof

Let $n \in \Z_{>0}$ be a $2$-digit positive integer.

Without loss of generality, let $n$ be expressed in decimal notation as:

$n = 10 x + y$

where:

$x > y$
$0 \le x \le 9, 0 \le y \le 9$

The reversal of $n$ is $10 y + x$.


We have:

\(\ds 10x + y - 10 y - x\) \(=\) \(\ds 9 \left({x - y}\right)\) where $1 \le x - y \le 9$


Thus after the first iteration of Kaprekar's process, $n$ is one of:

$09$
$18$
$27$
$36$
$45$

or their reversals.


Applying Kaprekar's process to $09$ gives:

\(\ds 09\) \(=\) \(\ds 90 - 09\)
\(\ds \) \(=\) \(\ds 81\)
\(\ds \) \(\to\) \(\ds 81 - 18\)
\(\ds \) \(=\) \(\ds 63\)
\(\ds \) \(\to\) \(\ds 63 - 36\)
\(\ds \) \(=\) \(\ds 27\)
\(\ds \) \(\to\) \(\ds 72 - 27\)
\(\ds \) \(=\) \(\ds 45\)
\(\ds \) \(\to\) \(\ds 45 - 54\)
\(\ds \) \(=\) \(\ds 09\)

All those multiples of $9$ can be seen to be in (or end up in) this loop.

Hence the result.

$\blacksquare$


Sources