Olympiad problems

Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad 2020 Final, #4

Tags: Combinations , combination

Once in a restaurant [b][i]Dr. Strange[/i][/b] found out that there were 12 types of food items from 1 to 12 on the menu. He decided to visit the restaurant 12 days in a row and try a different food everyday. 1st day, he tries one of the items from the first two. On the 2nd day, he eats either item 3 or the item he didn’t tried on the 1st day. Similarly, on the 3rd day, he eats either item 4 or the item he didn’t tried on the 2nd day. If someday he's not able to choose items that way, he eats the item that remained uneaten from the menu. In how many ways can he eat the items for 12 days?

1993 Romania Team Selection Test, 4

Tags: combinatorics , Combinations , Binomial , max , inequalities

For each integer $n > 3$ find all quadruples $(n_1,n_2,n_3,n_4)$ of positive integers with $n_1 +n_2 +n_3 +n_4 = n$ which maximize the expression $$\frac{n!}{n_1!n_2!n_3!n_4!}2^{ {n_1 \choose 2}+{n_2 \choose 2}+{n_3 \choose 2}+{n_4 \choose 2}+n_1n_2+n_2n_3+n_3n_4}$$

2014 Hanoi Open Mathematics Competitions, 2

Tags: Combinations , Binomial , inequalities , combinatorics

How many integers are there in $\{0,1, 2,..., 2014\}$ such that $C^x_{2014} \ge C^{999}{2014}$ ? (A): $15$, (B): $16$, (C): $17$, (D): $18$, (E) None of the above. Note: $C^{m}_{n}$ stands for $\binom {m}{n}$

2009 Postal Coaching, 3

Tags: function , Sum , Combinations , recurrence relation

Let $N_0$ denote the set of nonnegative integers and $Z$ the set of all integers. Let a function $f : N_0 \times Z \to Z$ satisfy the conditions (i) $f(0, 0) = 1$, $f(0, 1) = 1$ (ii) for all $k, k \ne 0, k \ne 1$, $f(0, k) = 0$ and (iii) for all $n \ge 1$ and $k, f(n, k) = f(n -1, k) + f(n- 1, k - 2n)$. Find the value of $$\sum_{k=0}^{2009 \choose 2} f(2008, k)$$

2013 Hanoi Open Mathematics Competitions, 6

Tags: Combinations , inequalities

Let be given $a\in\{0,1,2, 3,..., 100\}.$ Find all $n \in\{1,2, 3,..., 2013\}$ such that $C_n^{2013} > C_a^{2013}$ , where $C_k^m=\frac{m!}{k!(m -k)!}$.

2008 Postal Coaching, 1

Tags: number theory , least common multiple , LCM , Combinations

Prove that for any $n \ge 1$, $LCM _{0\le k\le n} \big \{$ $n \choose k$ $\big\} = \frac{1}{n + 1} LCM \{1, 2,3,...,n + 1\}$

1997 Singapore Team Selection Test, 2

Tags: floor function , Sum , Combinations , combinatorics

For any positive integer n, evaluate $$\sum_{i=0}^{\lfloor \frac{n+1}{2} \rfloor} {n-i+1 \choose i}$$ , where $\lfloor n \rfloor$ is the greatest integer less than or equal to $n$ .

1973 Kurschak Competition, 1

Tags: binomial coefficients , Combinations , algebra , arithmetic sequence

For what positive integers $n, k$ (with $k < n$) are the binomial coefficients $${n \choose k- 1} \,\,\, , \,\,\, {n \choose k} \,\,\, , \,\,\, {n \choose k + 1}$$ three successive terms of an arithmetic progression?

2003 Singapore Senior Math Olympiad, 2

Tags: algebra , polynomial , Binomial , Combinations

For each positive integer $k$, we define the polynomial $S_k(x)=1+x+x^2+x^3+...+x^{k-1}$ Show that $n \choose 1$ $S_1(x) +$ $n \choose 2$ $S_2(x) +$ $n \choose 3$ $S_3(x)+...+$ $n \choose n$ $S_n(x) = 2^{n-1}S_n\left(\frac{1+x}{2}\right)$ for every positive integer $n$ and every real number $x$.

2013 Grand Duchy of Lithuania, 4

Tags: Combinations , number theory , Even

A positive integer $n \ge 2$ is called [i]peculiar [/i] if the number $n \choose i$ + $n \choose j $ $-i-j$ is even for all integers $i$ and $j$ such that $0 \le i \le j \le n$. Determine all peculiar numbers.

MathLinks Contest 6th, 2.2

Tags: number theory , Combinations , 6th edition

Let $a_1, a_2, ..., a_{n-1}$ be $n - 1$ consecutive positive integers in increasing order such that $k$ ${n \choose k}$ $\equiv 0$ (mod $a_k$), for all $k \in \{1, 2, ... , n - 1\}$. Find the possible values of $a_1$.

2004 Unirea, 3

Tags: Combinations , combinatorics

Prove that there exist $ 2004 $ pairwise distinct numbers $ n_1,n_2,\ldots ,n_{2004} , $ all greater than $ 1, $ satisfying: $$ \binom{n_1}{2} +\binom{n_2}{2} +\cdots +\binom{n_{2003}}{2} =\binom{n_{2004}}{2} . $$

2007 Thailand Mathematical Olympiad, 14

Tags: binomial coefficients , Sum , Combinations

The sum $$\sum_{k=84}^{8000}{k \choose 84}{{8084 - k} \choose 84}$$ can be written as a binomial coefficient $a \choose b$ for integers $a, b$. Find a possible pair $(a, b)$

2009 QEDMO 6th, 4

Tags: Sum , algebra , Combinations

Let $a$ and $b$ be two real numbers and let $n$ be a nonnegative integer. Then prove that $$\sum_{k=0}^{n} {n \choose k} (a + k)^k (b - k)^{n-k} = \sum_{k=0}^{n} \frac{n!}{t!} (a + b)^t $$

1977 Chisinau City MO, 140

Tags: combinatorics , Combinations

Prove the identities: $$C_{n}^{1}+2C_{n}^{2}+3C_{n}^{3}+...+nC_{n}^{n}=n\cdot 2 ^{n-1}$$ $$C_{n}^{1}-2C_{n}^{2}+3C_{n}^{3}+...-(-1)^{n-1}nC_{n}^{n}=0$$

2011 Saudi Arabia Pre-TST, 2

Tags: Binomial , Combinations , number theory

Find all positive integers $x$ and $y$ such that $${x \choose y} = 1432$$

1990 APMO, 4

Tags: Combinations

A set of 1990 persons is divided into non-intersecting subsets in such a way that 1. No one in a subset knows all the others in the subset, 2. Among any three persons in a subset, there are always at least two who do not know each other, and 3. For any two persons in a subset who do not know each other, there is exactly one person in the same subset knowing both of them. (a) Prove that within each subset, every person has the same number of acquaintances. (b) Determine the maximum possible number of subsets. Note: It is understood that if a person $A$ knows person $B$, then person $B$ will know person $A$; an acquaintance is someone who is known. Every person is assumed to know one's self.

1991 Austrian-Polish Competition, 1

Tags: Combinations , algebra , equation , Austrian Polish

Show that there are infinitely many integers $m \ge 2$ such that $m \choose 2$ $= 3$ $n \choose 4$ holds for some integer $n \ge 4$. Give the general form of all such $m$.