Olympiad problems

1977 IMO, 1

Tags: complex numbers , geometry , square , polygon , IMO , IMO 1977

In the interior of a square $ABCD$ we construct the equilateral triangles $ABK, BCL, CDM, DAN.$ Prove that the midpoints of the four segments $KL, LM, MN, NK$ and the midpoints of the eight segments $AK, BK, BL, CL, CM, DM, DN, AN$ are the 12 vertices of a regular dodecagon.

1966 IMO Longlists, 62

Tags: algebra , system of equations , IMO , IMO 1966

Solve the system of equations \[ |a_1-a_2|x_2+|a_1-a_3|x_3+|a_1-a_4|x_4=1 \] \[ |a_2-a_1|x_1+|a_2-a_3|x_3+|a_2-a_4|x_4=1 \] \[ |a_3-a_1|x_1+|a_3-a_2|x_2+|a_3-a_4|x_4=1 \] \[ |a_4-a_1|x_1+|a_4-a_2|x_2+|a_4-a_3|x_3=1 \] where $a_1, a_2, a_3, a_4$ are four different real numbers.

2015 IMO, 2

Tags: number theory , IMO

Find all positive integers $(a,b,c)$ such that $$ab-c,\quad bc-a,\quad ca-b$$ are all powers of $2$. [i]Proposed by Serbia[/i]

1975 IMO, 4

Tags: modular arithmetic , Divisibility , Digits , decimal representation , IMO , IMO 1975 , digit sum

When $4444^{4444}$ is written in decimal notation, the sum of its digits is $ A.$ Let $B$ be the sum of the digits of $A.$ Find the sum of the digits of $ B.$ ($A$ and $B$ are written in decimal notation.)

2014 IMO, 6

Tags: probability , combinatorics , IMO 2014 , IMO , geometry , IMO Shortlist , Gerhard Woeginger

A set of lines in the plane is in [i]general position[/i] if no two are parallel and no three pass through the same point. A set of lines in general position cuts the plane into regions, some of which have finite area; we call these its [i]finite regions[/i]. Prove that for all sufficiently large $n$, in any set of $n$ lines in general position it is possible to colour at least $\sqrt{n}$ lines blue in such a way that none of its finite regions has a completely blue boundary. [i]Note[/i]: Results with $\sqrt{n}$ replaced by $c\sqrt{n}$ will be awarded points depending on the value of the constant $c$.

2013 IMO, 2

Tags: combinatorics , IMO , IMO 2013 , geometry , IMO Shortlist , combinatorical geometry

A configuration of $4027$ points in the plane is called Colombian if it consists of $2013$ red points and $2014$ blue points, and no three of the points of the configuration are collinear. By drawing some lines, the plane is divided into several regions. An arrangement of lines is good for a Colombian configuration if the following two conditions are satisfied: i) No line passes through any point of the configuration. ii) No region contains points of both colors. Find the least value of $k$ such that for any Colombian configuration of $4027$ points, there is a good arrangement of $k$ lines. Proposed by [i]Ivan Guo[/i] from [i]Australia.[/i]

1984 IMO Longlists, 47

Tags: geometry , combinatorial geometry , Coloring , Ramsey Theory , IMO , IMO 1984

Given points $O$ and $A$ in the plane. Every point in the plane is colored with one of a finite number of colors. Given a point $X$ in the plane, the circle $C(X)$ has center $O$ and radius $OX+{\angle AOX\over OX}$, where $\angle AOX$ is measured in radians in the range $[0,2\pi)$. Prove that we can find a point $X$, not on $OA$, such that its color appears on the circumference of the circle $C(X)$.

2022 IMO Shortlist, C8

Tags: combinatorics , grids , IMO , IMO 2022

Let $n$ be a positive integer. A [i]Nordic[/i] square is an $n \times n$ board containing all the integers from $1$ to $n^2$ so that each cell contains exactly one number. Two different cells are considered adjacent if they share a common side. Every cell that is adjacent only to cells containing larger numbers is called a [i]valley[/i]. An [i]uphill path[/i] is a sequence of one or more cells such that: (i) the first cell in the sequence is a valley, (ii) each subsequent cell in the sequence is adjacent to the previous cell, and (iii) the numbers written in the cells in the sequence are in increasing order. Find, as a function of $n$, the smallest possible total number of uphill paths in a Nordic square. Author: Nikola Petrović

2015 IMO, 1

Tags: IMO 2015 , combinatorics , IMO Shortlist , IMO , Hi , geometrical combinatorics

We say that a finite set $\mathcal{S}$ of points in the plane is [i]balanced[/i] if, for any two different points $A$ and $B$ in $\mathcal{S}$, there is a point $C$ in $\mathcal{S}$ such that $AC=BC$. We say that $\mathcal{S}$ is [i]centre-free[/i] if for any three different points $A$, $B$ and $C$ in $\mathcal{S}$, there is no points $P$ in $\mathcal{S}$ such that $PA=PB=PC$. (a) Show that for all integers $n\ge 3$, there exists a balanced set consisting of $n$ points. (b) Determine all integers $n\ge 3$ for which there exists a balanced centre-free set consisting of $n$ points. Proposed by Netherlands

1986 IMO, 2

Tags: function , algebra , functional equation , IMO , IMO 1986 , david monk

Find all functions $f$ defined on the non-negative reals and taking non-negative real values such that: $f(2)=0,f(x)\ne0$ for $0\le x<2$, and $f(xf(y))f(y)=f(x+y)$ for all $x,y$.

1988 IMO, 3

Tags: number theory , Divisibility , Diophantine equation , Perfect Square , Vieta Jumping , IMO , IMO 1988

Let $ a$ and $ b$ be two positive integers such that $ a \cdot b \plus{} 1$ divides $ a^{2} \plus{} b^{2}$. Show that $ \frac {a^{2} \plus{} b^{2}}{a \cdot b \plus{} 1}$ is a perfect square.

1967 IMO Longlists, 17

Tags: number theory , Divisibility , binomial coefficients , IMO , IMO 1967

Let $k,m,n$ be natural numbers such that $m+k+1$ is a prime greater than $n+1$. Let $c_s=s(s+1)$. Prove that \[(c_{m+1}-c_k)(c_{m+2}-c_k)\ldots(c_{m+n}-c_k)\] is divisible by the product $c_1c_2\ldots c_n$.

2004 IMO, 4

Tags: inequalities , IMO 2004 , triangle inequality , IMO Shortlist , n-variable inequality , IMO

Let $n \geq 3$ be an integer. Let $t_1$, $t_2$, ..., $t_n$ be positive real numbers such that \[n^2 + 1 > \left( t_1 + t_2 + \cdots + t_n \right) \left( \frac{1}{t_1} + \frac{1}{t_2} + \cdots + \frac{1}{t_n} \right).\] Show that $t_i$, $t_j$, $t_k$ are side lengths of a triangle for all $i$, $j$, $k$ with $1 \leq i < j < k \leq n$.

1959 IMO Shortlist, 5

Tags: geometry , circumcircle , perpendicular bisector , angle bisector , IMO , IMO 1959

An arbitrary point $M$ is selected in the interior of the segment $AB$. The square $AMCD$ and $MBEF$ are constructed on the same side of $AB$, with segments $AM$ and $MB$ as their respective bases. The circles circumscribed about these squares, with centers $P$ and $Q$, intersect at $M$ and also at another point $N$. Let $N'$ denote the point of intersection of the straight lines $AF$ and $BC$. a) Prove that $N$ and $N'$ coincide; b) Prove that the straight lines $MN$ pass through a fixed point $S$ independent of the choice of $M$; c) Find the locus of the midpoints of the segments $PQ$ as $M$ varies between $A$ and $B$.

1995 IMO, 5

Tags: geometry , inequalities , hexagon , geometric inequality , IMO , imo 1995

Let $ ABCDEF$ be a convex hexagon with $ AB \equal{} BC \equal{} CD$ and $ DE \equal{} EF \equal{} FA$, such that $ \angle BCD \equal{} \angle EFA \equal{} \frac {\pi}{3}$. Suppose $ G$ and $ H$ are points in the interior of the hexagon such that $ \angle AGB \equal{} \angle DHE \equal{} \frac {2\pi}{3}$. Prove that $ AG \plus{} GB \plus{} GH \plus{} DH \plus{} HE \geq CF$.

1973 IMO Shortlist, 14

Tags: geometry , triangle inequality , minimization , Triangle , optimization , IMO , IMO 1973

A soldier needs to check if there are any mines in the interior or on the sides of an equilateral triangle $ABC.$ His detector can detect a mine at a maximum distance equal to half the height of the triangle. The soldier leaves from one of the vertices of the triangle. Which is the minimum distance that he needs to traverse so that at the end of it he is sure that he completed successfully his mission?

1989 IMO Shortlist, 20

Tags: combinatorics , geometric inequality , combinatorial inequality , point set , IMO , IMO 1989 , Harm Derksen

Let $ n$ and $ k$ be positive integers and let $ S$ be a set of $ n$ points in the plane such that [b]i.)[/b] no three points of $ S$ are collinear, and [b]ii.)[/b] for every point $ P$ of $ S$ there are at least $ k$ points of $ S$ equidistant from $ P.$ Prove that: \[ k < \frac {1}{2} \plus{} \sqrt {2 \cdot n} \]

1966 IMO Longlists, 58

Tags: combinatorics , system of equations , algebra , IMO , IMO 1966

In a mathematical contest, three problems, $A,B,C$ were posed. Among the participants ther were 25 students who solved at least one problem each. Of all the contestants who did not solve problem $A$, the number who solved $B$ was twice the number who solved $C$. The number of students who solved only problem $A$ was one more than the number of students who solved $A$ and at least one other problem. Of all students who solved just one problem, half did not solve problem $A$. How many students solved only problem $B$?

1977 Germany Team Selection Test, 2

Tags: algebra , polynomial , functional equation , IMO , IMO 1975

Determine the polynomials P of two variables so that: [b]a.)[/b] for any real numbers $t,x,y$ we have $P(tx,ty) = t^n P(x,y)$ where $n$ is a positive integer, the same for all $t,x,y;$ [b]b.)[/b] for any real numbers $a,b,c$ we have $P(a + b,c) + P(b + c,a) + P(c + a,b) = 0;$ [b]c.)[/b] $P(1,0) =1.$

1962 IMO Shortlist, 1

Tags: number theory , decimal representation , Divisibility , IMO , IMO 1962

Find the smallest natural number $n$ which has the following properties: a) Its decimal representation has a 6 as the last digit. b) If the last digit 6 is erased and placed in front of the remaining digits, the resulting number is four times as large as the original number $n$.

2009 IMO, 1

Tags: induction , modular arithmetic , number theory , IMO 2009 , IMO Shortlist , IMO

Let $ n$ be a positive integer and let $ a_1,a_2,a_3,\ldots,a_k$ $ ( k\ge 2)$ be distinct integers in the set $ { 1,2,\ldots,n}$ such that $ n$ divides $ a_i(a_{i + 1} - 1)$ for $ i = 1,2,\ldots,k - 1$. Prove that $ n$ does not divide $ a_k(a_1 - 1).$ [i]Proposed by Ross Atkins, Australia [/i]

1974 IMO Longlists, 1

Tags: geometry , rectangle , combinatorics , IMO , IMO 1974 , Chessboard , dissection

We consider the division of a chess board $8 \times 8$ in p disjoint rectangles which satisfy the conditions: [b]a)[/b] every rectangle is formed from a number of full squares (not partial) from the 64 and the number of white squares is equal to the number of black squares. [b]b)[/b] the numbers $\ a_{1}, \ldots, a_{p}$ of white squares from $p$ rectangles satisfy $a_1, , \ldots, a_p.$ Find the greatest value of $p$ for which there exists such a division and then for that value of $p,$ all the sequences $a_{1}, \ldots, a_{p}$ for which we can have such a division. [color=#008000]Moderator says: see [url]https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c6h58591[/url][/color]

1991 IMO Shortlist, 12

Tags: combinatorics , IMO , Extremal combinatorics , Set systems , relatively prime , imo 1991

Let $ S \equal{} \{1,2,3,\cdots ,280\}$. Find the smallest integer $ n$ such that each $ n$-element subset of $ S$ contains five numbers which are pairwise relatively prime.

2003 IMO Shortlist, 4

Tags: inequalities , arithmetic sequence , IMO , IMO 2003 , IMO Shortlist

Let $n$ be a positive integer and let $x_1\le x_2\le\cdots\le x_n$ be real numbers. Prove that \[ \left(\sum_{i,j=1}^{n}|x_i-x_j|\right)^2\le\frac{2(n^2-1)}{3}\sum_{i,j=1}^{n}(x_i-x_j)^2. \] Show that the equality holds if and only if $x_1, \ldots, x_n$ is an arithmetic sequence.

1977 IMO Longlists, 29

Tags: complex numbers , geometry , square , polygon , IMO , IMO 1977

In the interior of a square $ABCD$ we construct the equilateral triangles $ABK, BCL, CDM, DAN.$ Prove that the midpoints of the four segments $KL, LM, MN, NK$ and the midpoints of the eight segments $AK, BK, BL, CL, CM, DM, DN, AN$ are the 12 vertices of a regular dodecagon.