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Missing digit of two to the 29th

Question

The number 2292^{29} has nine digits, all different. Which digit from 00 to 99 does not appear in it? Try to find it without computing 2292^{29} fully.

Short answer

44. A number is congruent to its digit sum mod 99. Since 26≡12^6\equiv1, 229≡25≡5(mod9)2^{29}\equiv2^5\equiv5 \pmod 9, while the digit sum is 45−x≡−x45-x\equiv -x. So x≡4x\equiv4, and indeed 229=5368709122^{29}=536870912.

Adapted from QuantQuestions.io; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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