Does there exist an irrational number $\alpha > 1$ such that \[\lfloor \alpha^n \rfloor \equiv 0 \pmod{2017}\] for all integers $n \ge 1$?

A point $C$ lies on the bisector of an acute angle with vertex $S$. Let $P$, $Q$ be the projections of $C$ to the sidelines of the angle. The circle centered at $C$ with radius $PQ$ meets the sidelines at points $A$ and $B$ such that $SA\ne SB$. Prove that the circle with center $A$ touching $SB$ and the circle with center $B$ touching $SA$ are tangent. Proposed by: A.Zaslavsky

$\boxed{\text{A2}}$ Find the maximum value of $|\sqrt{x^2+4x+8}-\sqrt{x^2+8x+17}|$ where $x$ is a real number.

Sherlock and Mycroft are playing Battleship on a $4\times4$ grid. Mycroft hides a single $3\times1$ cruiser somewhere on the board. Sherlock can pick squares on the grid and fire upon them. What is the smallest number of shots Sherlock has to fire to guarantee at least one hit on the cruiser?

Three players $A,B$ and $C$ play a game with three cards and on each of these $3$ cards it is written a positive integer, all $3$ numbers are different. A game consists of shuffling the cards, giving each player a card and each player is attributed a number of points equal to the number written on the card and then they give the cards back. After a number $(\geq 2)$ of games we find out that A has $20$ points, $B$ has $10$ points and $C$ has $9$ points. We also know that in the last game B had the card with the biggest number. Who had in the first game the card with the second value (this means the middle card concerning its value).

The diagonals of a cyclic quadrilateral $ABCD$ intersect at $P$, and there exist a circle $\Gamma$ tangent to the extensions of $AB,BC,AD,DC$ at $X,Y,Z,T$ respectively. Circle $\Omega$ passes through points $A,B$, and is externally tangent to circle $\Gamma$ at $S$. Prove that $SP\perp ST$.

Let $ABCD$ be a convex quadrilateral. Assume line $AB$ and $CD$ intersect at $E$, and $B$ lies between $A$ and $E$. Assume line $AD$ and $BC$ intersect at $F$, and $D$ lies between $A$ and $F$. Assume the circumcircles of $\triangle BEC$ and $\triangle CFD$ intersect at $C$ and $P$. Prove that $\angle BAP=\angle CAD$ if and only if $BD\parallel EF$.

Geoff has an infinite stock of sweets, which come in $n$ flavours. He arbitrarily distributes some of the sweets amongst $n$ children (a child can get sweets of any subset of all flavours, including the empty set). Call a distribution $k-\textit{nice}$ if every group of $k$ children together has sweets in at least $k$ flavours. Find all subsets $S$ of $\{ 1, 2, \dots, n \}$ such that if a distribution of sweets is $s$-nice for all $s \in S$, then it is $s$-nice for all $s \in \{ 1, 2, \dots, n \}$. [i]Proposed by Kyle Hess, USA[/i]

Each of ten boxes contains a different number of pencils. No two pencils in the same box are of the same colour. Prove that one can choose one pencil from each box so that no two are of the same colour.

$f(x)=|1-2x|,x\in[0,1]$. Then the number of solutions to $f(f(f(x)))=\frac{1}{2}x$ is________.

Two knights placed on distinct square of an $8\times8$ chessboard, whose squares are unit squares, are said to attack each other if the distance between the centers of the squares on which the knights lie is $\sqrt{5}.$ In how many ways can two identical knights be placed on distinct squares of an $8\times8$ chessboard such that they do NOT attack each other?

Point $D$ is inside $\triangle ABC$ and $AD=DC$. $BD$ intersect $AC$ in $E$. $\frac{BD}{BE}=\frac{AE}{EC}$. Prove, that $BE=BC$

Triangles $\vartriangle ABC$ and $\vartriangle A_1B_1C_1$ lie on different planes. Line $AB$ intersects line $A_1B_1$, line $BC$ intersects line $B_1C_1$ and line $CA$ intersects line $C_1A_1$. Prove that either the three lines $AA_1, BB_1, CC_1$ meet at one point or that they are all parallel.

On a whiteboard, the numbers $1$ to $9$ are written. Players $A$ and $B$ take turns, and $A$ is first. Each player in turn chooses one of the numbers on the whiteboard and removes it, along with all multiples (if any). The player who removes the last number loses. Determine whether any of the players has a winning strategy, and explain why.

A rectangular sheet with sides $a$ and $b$ is fold along a diagonal. Compute the area of the overlapping triangle.

In the Cartesian coordinate plane define the strips $ S_n \equal{} \{(x,y)|n\le x < n \plus{} 1\}$, $ n\in\mathbb{Z}$ and color each strip black or white. Prove that any rectangle which is not a square can be placed in the plane so that its vertices have the same color. [b]IMO Shortlist 2007 Problem C5 as it appears in the official booklet:[/b] In the Cartesian coordinate plane define the strips $ S_n \equal{} \{(x,y)|n\le x < n \plus{} 1\}$ for every integer $ n.$ Assume each strip $ S_n$ is colored either red or blue, and let $ a$ and $ b$ be two distinct positive integers. Prove that there exists a rectangle with side length $ a$ and $ b$ such that its vertices have the same color. ([i]Edited by Orlando Döhring[/i]) [i]Author: Radu Gologan and Dan Schwarz, Romania[/i]

Let $a, b, c, d$ be the lengths of the sides of a quadrilateral circumscribed about a circle and let $S$ be its area. Prove that $S \leq \sqrt{abcd}$ and find conditions for equality.

Let $ABC$ be a triangle, and let $E$ and $F$ be two arbitrary points on the sides $AB$ and $AC$, respectively. The circumcircle of triangle $AEF$ meets the circumcircle of triangle $ABC$ again at point $M$. Let $D$ be the reflection of point $M$ across the line $EF$ and let $O$ be the circumcenter of triangle $ABC$. Prove that $D$ is on $BC$ if and only if $O$ belongs to the circumcircle of triangle $AEF$.

Let $ABC$ be a right-angle triangle with $\angle B=90^{\circ}$. Let $D$ be a point on $AC$ such that the inradii of the triangles $ABD$ and $CBD$ are equal. If this common value is $r^{\prime}$ and if $r$ is the inradius of triangle $ABC$, prove that \[ \cfrac{1}{r'}=\cfrac{1}{r}+\cfrac{1}{BD}. \]

The remainder when the product $1492\cdot 1776\cdot 1812\cdot 1996$ is divided by $5$ is $\text{(A)}\ 0 \qquad \text{(B)}\ 1 \qquad \text{(C)}\ 2 \qquad \text{(D)}\ 3 \qquad \text{(E)}\ 4$

Let $a,b,c,d$ be positive real numbers such that $a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2=4$. Prove that exist two of $a,b,c,d$ with sum less or equal to $2$.

Let $ABCDE$ be a convex pentagon with $CD= DE$ and $\angle EDC \ne 2 \cdot \angle ADB$. Suppose that a point $P$ is located in the interior of the pentagon such that $AP =AE$ and $BP= BC$. Prove that $P$ lies on the diagonal $CE$ if and only if area $(BCD)$ + area $(ADE)$ = area $(ABD)$ + area $(ABP)$. (Hungary)

The circle contains a closed $100$-part broken line, such that no three segments pass through one point. All its corners are obtuse, and their sum in degrees is divided by $720$. Prove that this broken line has an odd number of self-intersection points.

Let $\triangle{ABC}$ has circumcircle $\Gamma$, drop the perpendicular line from $A$ to $BC$ and meet $\Gamma$ at point $D$, similarly, altitude from $B$ to $AC$ meets $\Gamma$ at $E$. Prove that if $AB=DE, \angle{ACB}=60^{\circ}$ (sorry it is from my memory I can't remember the exact problem, but it means the same)

Determine all real constants $t$ such that whenever $a$, $b$ and $c$ are the lengths of sides of a triangle, then so are $a^2+bct$, $b^2+cat$, $c^2+abt$.