Check what the result would have been if Sundaram had chosen the numbers shown below.
Q1. 17
If the tens digit is larger than the ones digit (that is, a > b), then
(10a + b) – (10b + a) = 10a + b – 10b – a
= 9a – 9b = 9(a – b).
If the unit digit is larger than the tens digit (that is, b > a), he does:
(10b + a) – (10a + b) = 9(b – a).
here a = 1 and b = 7
71 - 17 = 54 = 9*6 = multiple of 9