Problem

Source: APMO 1994

Tags: floor function, logarithms, number theory unsolved, number theory



You are given three lists $A$, $B$, and $C$. List $A$ contains the numbers of the form $10^k$ in base $10$, with $k$ any integer greater than or equal to $1$. Lists $B$ and $C$ contain the same numbers translated into base $2$ and $5$ respectively: $$\begin{array}{lll} A & B & C \\ 10 & 1010 & 20 \\ 100 & 1100100 & 400 \\ 1000 & 1111101000 & 13000 \\ \vdots & \vdots & \vdots \end{array}$$ Prove that for every integer $n > 1$, there is exactly one number in exactly one of the lists $B$ or $C$ that has exactly $n$ digits.