386 +5Z7 XY3 The right column adds to 13 so there is 1 to carry to the middle column, so we put a 1 to carry above it: 1 386 +5Z7 XY3 Adding the second column: Either there is or there isn't a 1 to carry to the leftmost column. We consider the possibility that there is no carry to the leftmost column: Then Z must be 0 and Y must be 9, and X must be 8: 1 386 +507 893 Trouble is, 893 is not divisible by 3. So this case is eliminated. So there must be a carry of 1 to the leftmost column: 11 386 +5Z7 XY3 Therefore X can only be 9 11 386 +5Z7 9Y3 The sum XY3 which is 9Y3 must be divisible by 3. Therefore its sum of digits 9+Y+3 must be a multiple of 3. Since the sum of the first and third digits of 9Y3 is 9+3=12, which is a multiple of 3, Y must also be divisible by 3. so Y = 0, 3, 6, or 9. For Z to be as small as possible, Y must be as small as possible: so Y must be 0. 11 386 +5Z7 903 And so Z must be 1: 11 386 +517 903 So the smallest possible value of Z is 1. Edwin