In set $S$, there is an operation $'' \circ ''$ such that $\forall a,b \in S$, a unique $a \circ b \in S$ exists. And (i) $\forall a,b,c \in S$, $(a \circ b) \circ c = a \circ (b \circ c)$. (ii) $a \circ b \neq b \circ a$ when $a \neq b$. Prove that: a.) $\forall a,b,c \in S$, $(a \circ b) \circ c = a \circ c$. b.) If $S = \{1,2, \ldots, 1990\}$, try to define an operation $'' \circ ''$ in $S$ with the above properties.

a) Determine all functions $f:\mathbb{Z}\rightarrow\mathbb{Z}$ such that\[f(x-f(y))=f(f(x))-f(y)-1\]holds for all $x,y\in\mathbb{Z}$. (It is [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c6h1268817p6621849]2015 IMO Shortlist A2 [/url]) b) The same question for if \[f(x-f(y))=f(f(x))-f(y)-2\] for all integers $x,y$

For a non-constant arithmetic progression $(a_n)$ there exists a natural $n$ such that $a_{n}+a_{n+1} = a_{1}+…+a_{3n-1}$ . Prove that there are no zero terms in this progression.

Let $F(0)=0$, $F(1)=\frac32$, and $F(n)=\frac{5}{2}F(n-1)-F(n-2)$ for $n\ge2$. Determine whether or not $\displaystyle{\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\, \frac{1}{F(2^n)}}$ is a rational number. (Proposed by Gerhard Woeginger, Eindhoven University of Technology)

Claire adds the degree measures of the interior angles of a convex polygon and arrives at a sum of $2017$. She then discovers that she forgot to include one angle. What is the degree measure of the forgotten angle? $\textbf{(A)}\ 37\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 63\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 117\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 143\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 163$

In a dance, a group $S$ of $1994$ students stand in a big circle. Each student claps the hands of each of his two neighbours a number of times. For each student $x,$ let $f(x)$ be the total number of times $x$ claps the hands of his neighbours. As an example, suppose there are $3$ students $A, B$ and $C$. A claps hand with $B$ two times, $B$ claps hand with $C$ three times and $C$ claps hand with $A$ five times. Then $f(A) = 7, f(B) = 5$ and $f(C) = 8.$ (i) Prove that $\{f(x) | x \in S\}\ne\{n | n$ is an integer, $2 \le n \le 1995\}$. (ii) Find an example in which $\{f(x) | x \in S\} = \{n | n$ is an integer, $n \ne 3, 2 \le n \le 1996\}$

Prove that for all real numbers $x$ of the interval $0 < x <\pi$ the inequality $$\sin x +\frac12 \sin 2x +\frac13 \sin 3x > 0$$ holds.

$1001$ marbles are drawn at random and without replacement from a jar of $2020$ red marbles and $n$ blue marbles. Find the smallest positive integer $n$ such that the probability that there are more blue marbles chosen than red marbles is strictly greater than $\frac{1}{2}$. [i]Proposed by Taiki Aiba[/i]

Let $ C_1,C_2$ and $ C_3$ be three pairwise disjoint circles. For each pair of disjoint circles, we define their internal tangent lines as the two common tangents which intersect in a point between the two centres. For each $ i,j$, we define $ (r_{ij},s_{ij})$ as the two internal tangent lines of $ (C_i,C_j)$. Let $ r_{12},r_{23},r_{13},s_{12},s_{13},s_{23}$ be the sides of $ ABCA'B'C'$. Prove that $ AA',BB'$ and $ CC'$ are concurrent. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/1/2/5ef098966fc9f48dd06239bc7ee803ce4701e2.png[/img]

A Saudi company has two offices. One office is located in Riyadh and the other in Jeddah. To insure the connection between the two offices, the company has designated from each office a number of correspondents so that : (a) each pair of correspondents from the same office share exactly one common correspondent from the other office. (b) there are at least $10$ correspondents from Riyadh. (c) Zayd, one of the correspondents from Jeddah, is in contact with exactly $8$ correspondents from Riyadh. What is the minimum number of correspondents from Jeddah who are in contact with the correspondent Amr from Riyadh?

There is a central train station in point $O$, which is connected to other train stations $A_1, A_2, \ldots, A_8$ with tracks. There is also a track between stations $A_i$ and $A_{i+1}$ for each $i$ from $1$ to $8$ (here $A_9 = A_1$). The length of each track $A_iA_{i+1}$ is equal to $1$, and the length of each track $OA_i$ is equal to $2$, for each $i$ from $1$ to $8$. There are also $8$ trains $B_1, B_2, \ldots, B_8$, with speeds $1, 2, \ldots, 8$ correspondently. Trains can move only by the tracks above, in both directions. No time is wasted on changing directions. If two or more trains meet at some point, they will move together from now on, with the speed equal to that of the fastest of them. Is it possible to arrange trains into stations $A_1, A_2, \ldots, A_8$ (each station has to contain one train initially), and to organize their movement in such a way, that all trains arrive at $O$ in time $t < \frac{1}{2}$? [i](Proposed by Bogdan Rublov)[/i]

Mia is “helping” her mom pick up $30$ toys that are strewn on the floor. Mia’s mom manages to put $3$ toys into the toy box every $30$ seconds, but each time immediately after those $30$ seconds have elapsed, Mia takes $2$ toys out of the box. How much time, in minutes, will it take Mia and her mom to put all $30$ toys into the box for the first time? $\textbf{(A)}\ 13.5\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 14\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 14.5\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 15\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 15.5$

We will say that a list of positive integers is [i]admissible [/i] if all its numbers are less than or equal to $100$ and their sum is greater than $1810$. Find the smallest positive integer $d$ such that each admissible list can be crossed out some numbers such that the sum of the numbers left uncrossed out is greater than or equal to $1810-d$ and less than or equal to $1810+d$ .

Rose and Brunno play the game on a board shaped like a regular 1001-gon. Initially, all vertices of the board are white, and there is a chip at one of them. On each turn, Rose chooses an arbitrary positive integer \( k \), then Brunno chooses a direction: clockwise or counterclockwise, and moves the chip in the chosen direction by \( k \) vertices. If at the end of the turn the chip stands at a white vertex, this vertex is painted red. Find the greatest number of vertices that Rose can make red regardless of Brunno's actions, if the number of turns is not limited.

Let $O$ be the circumcenter of an acute triangle $ABC$. Line $OA$ intersects the altitudes of $ABC$ through $B$ and $C$ at $P$ and $Q$, respectively. The altitudes meet at $H$. Prove that the circumcenter of triangle $PQH$ lies on a median of triangle $ABC$.

Let triangle$ABC(AB<AC)$ with incenter $I$ circumscribed in $\odot O$. Let $M,N$ be midpoint of arc $\widehat{BAC}$ and $\widehat{BC}$, respectively. $D$ lies on $\odot O$ so that $AD//BC$, and $E$ is tangency point of $A$-excircle of $\bigtriangleup ABC$. Point $F$ is in $\bigtriangleup ABC$ so that $FI//BC$ and $\angle BAF=\angle EAC$. Extend $NF$ to meet $\odot O$ at $G$, and extend $AG$ to meet line $IF$ at L. Let line $AF$ and $DI$ meet at $K$. Proof that $ML\bot NK$.

How many positive integers $n$ between $1$ and $2024$ (both included) are there such that $\lfloor{\sqrt{n}}\rfloor$ divides $n$? (For $x \in \mathbb{R}, \lfloor{n}\rfloor$ denotes the greatest integer less than or equal to $x$.) $(A) 44$ $(B) 132$ $(C) 1012$ $(D) 2024$

Let be a sequence $ \left( u_n \right)_{n\ge 1} $ given by the recurrence relation $ u_{n+1} =u_n+\sqrt{u_n^2-u_1^2} , $ and the constraints $ u_2\ge u_1>0. $ Calculate $ \lim_{n\to\infty }\frac{2^n}{u_n} . $ [i]Dan Negulescu[/i]

An operation denoted by $*$ defines, for each pair of numbers $(x, y)$, a number $x*y$ so that for all $x, y$ and $z$ the identities $$x*x = 0 \,\,\,\,\, (1)$$ and $$x*(*z) = (x* y)+ z \,\,\,\,\, (2)$$ hold ($+$ denoting ordinary addition of numbers). Find $1993* 1932$. (G Galperin)

How many ordered triples $(a, b, c)$ of non-zero real numbers have the property that each number is the product of the other two? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 1 \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 2 \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 3 \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 4 \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 5 $

A circle $\omega$ touched lines $a$ and $b$ at points $A$ and $B$ respectively. An arbitrary tangent to the circle meets $a$ and $b$ at $X$ and $Y$ respectively. Points $X'$ and $Y'$ are the reflections of $X$ and $Y$ about $A$ and $B$ respectively. Find the locus of projections of the center of the circle to the lines $X'Y'$.

On a circle we consider a set $M$ consisting of $n$ ($n \ge 3$) points, of which only one is colored red. Determine of which polygons inscribed in a circle having the vertices in the set $M$ are more: those that contain the red dot or those that do not contain those points? How many more are there than others?

Suppose that $A$ is a finite subset of $\mathbb{R}^d$ such that (a) every three distinct points in $A$ contain two points that are exactly at unit distance apart, and (b) the Euclidean norm of every point $v$ in $A$ satisfies \[\sqrt{\frac{1}{2}-\frac{1}{2\vert A\vert}} \le \|v\| \le \sqrt{\frac{1}{2}+\frac{1}{2\vert A\vert}}.\] Prove that the cardinality of $A$ is at most $2d+4$.

Given a positive integer $k$ and other two integers $b > w > 1.$ There are two strings of pearls, a string of $b$ black pearls and a string of $w$ white pearls. The length of a string is the number of pearls on it. One cuts these strings in some steps by the following rules. In each step: [b](i)[/b] The strings are ordered by their lengths in a non-increasing order. If there are some strings of equal lengths, then the white ones precede the black ones. Then $k$ first ones (if they consist of more than one pearl) are chosen; if there are less than $k$ strings longer than 1, then one chooses all of them. [b](ii)[/b] Next, one cuts each chosen string into two parts differing in length by at most one. (For instance, if there are strings of $5, 4, 4, 2$ black pearls, strings of $8, 4, 3$ white pearls and $k = 4,$ then the strings of 8 white, 5 black, 4 white and 4 black pearls are cut into the parts $(4,4), (3,2), (2,2)$ and $(2,2)$ respectively.) The process stops immediately after the step when a first isolated white pearl appears. Prove that at this stage, there will still exist a string of at least two black pearls. [i]Proposed by Bill Sands, Thao Do, Canada[/i]

Let $0<\alpha,\beta<\frac{\pi}{2}$ which satisfy \[(\cos^2\alpha+\cos^2\beta)(1+\tan\alpha\tan\beta)=2\] Prove that $\alpha+\beta=\frac{\pi}{2}$.