For each integer $a_0 > 1$, define the sequence $a_0, a_1, a_2, \ldots$ for $n \geq 0$ as $$a_{n+1} = \begin{cases} \sqrt{a_n} & \text{if } \sqrt{a_n} \text{ is an integer,} \\ a_n + 3 & \text{otherwise.} \end{cases} $$ Determine all values of $a_0$ such that there exists a number $A$ such that $a_n = A$ for infinitely many values of $n$. [i]Proposed by Stephan Wagner, South Africa[/i]

If a square is drawn externally on each side of a parallelogram, prove that: (a) The quadrilateral formed by the centers of these squares is also a square. (b) The diagonals of the new square formed are concurrent with the diagonals of the original parallelogram.

Let us say that a deck of $52$ cards is arranged in a “regular” way if the ace of spades is on the very top of the deck and any two adjacent cards are either of the same value or of the same suit (top and bottom cards regarded adjacent as well). Prove that the number of ways to arrange a deck in regular way is a) divisible by $12!$ (3) b) divisible by $13!$ (5)

Let $a > 3$ be an odd integer. Show that for every positive integer $n$ the number $a^{2^n}- 1$ has at least $n + 1$ distinct prime divisors.

For each positive integer $ n$ find all positive integers $ m$ for which there exist positive integers $ x_1<x_2<...<x_n$ with: $ \frac{1}{x_1}\plus{}\frac{2}{x_2}\plus{}...\plus{}\frac{n}{x_n}\equal{}m.$

Consider a $m\times n$ rectangular board consisting of $mn$ unit squares. Two of its unit squares are called [i]adjacent[/i] if they have a common edge, and a [i]path[/i] is a sequence of unit squares in which any two consecutive squares are adjacent. Two parths are called [i]non-intersecting[/i] if they don't share any common squares. Each unit square of the rectangular board can be colored black or white. We speak of a [i]coloring[/i] of the board if all its $mn$ unit squares are colored. Let $N$ be the number of colorings of the board such that there exists at least one black path from the left edge of the board to its right edge. Let $M$ be the number of colorings of the board for which there exist at least two non-intersecting black paths from the left edge of the board to its right edge. Prove that $N^{2}\geq M\cdot 2^{mn}$.

On an infinite white checkered sheet, a square $Q$ of size $12$ × $12$ is selected. Petya wants to paint some (not necessarily all!) cells of the square with seven colors of the rainbow (each cell is just one color) so that no two of the $288$ three-cell rectangles whose centers lie in $Q$ are the same color. Will he succeed in doing this? (Two three-celled rectangles are painted the same if one of them can be moved and possibly rotated so that each cell of it is overlaid on the cell of the second rectangle having the same color.) (Bogdanov. I)

There are $n^2$ empty boxes, each with a square base. The height and width of each box are integers between $1$ and $n$ inclusive, and no two boxes are identical. One box [i]fits inside[/i] another if its height and width are both smaller, and additionally, one of its dimensions is at least $2$ units smaller. In this way, we can form sequences of boxes (the first inside the second, the second inside the third, and so on). We place each of these sequences on a different shelf. How many shelves are needed to store all the boxes, with certainty?

Find $26$ elements of $\{1, 2, 3, ... , 40\}$ such that the product of two of them is never a square. Show that one cannot find $27$ such elements.

Prove that $ \exists X,Y,Z\in \mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ such that a)$ X^2\plus{}Y^2\equal{}A$ b) $ X^3\plus{}Y^3\plus{}Z^3\equal{}A$ , where $ A\in \mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$

In a certain year the price of gasoline rose by $ 20\%$ during January, fell by $ 20\%$ during February, rose by $ 25\%$ during March, and fell by $ x\%$ during April. The price of gasoline at the end of April was the same as it had been at the beginning of January. To the nearest integer, what is $ x$? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 12\qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 17\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 20\qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 25\qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 35$

How many two-digit numbers have digits whose sum is a perfect square? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 13 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 16 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 17 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 18 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 19$

Denote by $\mathbb{Q}^+$ the set of all positive rational numbers. Determine all functions $f : \mathbb{Q}^+ \mapsto \mathbb{Q}^+$ which satisfy the following equation for all $x, y \in \mathbb{Q}^+:$ \[f\left( f(x)^2y \right) = x^3 f(xy).\] [i]Proposed by Thomas Huber, Switzerland[/i]

In triangle $\vartriangle ABC$ with orthocenter $H$, the internal angle bisector of $\angle BAC$ intersects $\overline{BC}$ at $Y$ . Given that $AH = 4$, $AY = 6$, and the distance from $Y$ to $\overline{AC}$ is $\sqrt{15}$, compute $BC$.

$a > 0$ and $b$, $c$ are integers such that $ac$ – $b^2$ is a square-free positive integer P. [hide="For example"] P could be $3*5$, but not $3^2*5$.[/hide] Let $f(n)$ be the number of pairs of integers $d, e$ such that $ad^2 + 2bde + ce^2= n$. Show that$f(n)$ is finite and that $f(n) = f(P^{k}n)$ for every positive integer $k$. [b]Original Statement:[/b] Let $a,b,c$ be given integers $a > 0,$ $ac-b^2 = P = P_1 \cdots P_n$ where $P_1 \cdots P_n$ are (distinct) prime numbers. Let $M(n)$ denote the number of pairs of integers $(x,y)$ for which \[ ax^2 + 2bxy + cy^2 = n. \] Prove that $M(n)$ is finite and $M(n) = M(P_k \cdot n)$ for every integer $k \geq 0.$ Note that the "$n$" in $P_N$ and the "$n$" in $M(n)$ do not have to be the same.

If the answer to this problem is $x$, then compute the value of $\tfrac{x^2}{8} +2$. [i]Proposed by Lewis Chen [/i]

For dessert, Melinda eats a spherical scoop of ice cream with diameter $2$ inches. She prefers to eat her ice cream in cube-like shapes, however. She has a special machine which, given a sphere placed in space, cuts it through the planes $x = n$, $y = n$, and $z = n$ for every integer $n$ (not necessarily positive). Melinda centers the scoop of ice cream uniformly at random inside the cube $0 \le x, y,z \le 1$, and then cuts it into pieces using her machine. What is the expected number of pieces she cuts the ice cream into?

The number $n$ is called a composite number if it can be written in the form $n = a\times b$, where $a, b$ are positive integers greater than $1$. Write number $2013$ in a sum of $m$ composite numbers. What is the largest value of $m$? (A): $500$, (B): $501$, (C): $502$, (D): $503$, (E): None of the above.

Laura has $2010$ lamps connected with $2010$ buttons in front of her. For each button, she wants to know the corresponding lamp. In order to do this, she observes which lamps are lit when Richard presses a selection of buttons. (Not pressing anything is also a possible selection.) Richard always presses the buttons simultaneously, so the lamps are lit simultaneously, too. a) If Richard chooses the buttons to be pressed, what is the maximum number of different combinations of buttons he can press until Laura can assign the buttons to the lamps correctly? b) Supposing that Laura will choose the combinations of buttons to be pressed, what is the minimum number of attempts she has to do until she is able to associate the buttons with the lamps in a correct way?

In a certain country $10\%$ of the employees get $90\%$ of the total salary paid in this country. Supposing that the country is divided in several regions, is it possible that in every region the total salary of any 10% of the employees is no greater than $11\%$ of the total salary paid in this region?

Let $ABCD$ be a parallelogram with center $O$ such that $\angle BAD <90^o$ and $\angle AOB> 90^o$. Consider points $A_1$ and $B_1$ on the rays $OA$ and $OB$ respectively, such that $A_1B_1$ is parallel to $AB$ and $\angle A_1B_1C = \frac12 \angle ABC$. Prove that $A_1D$ is perpendicular to $B_1C$.

Determine all functions $f:\mathbf{R} \rightarrow \mathbf{R}^+$ such that for all real numbers $x,y$ the following conditions hold: $\begin{array}{rl} i. & f(x^2) = f(x)^2 -2xf(x) \\ ii. & f(-x) = f(x-1)\\ iii. & 1<x<y \Longrightarrow f(x) < f(y). \end{array}$

Show that $ \pi$ is irrational.

Let $C$ be a right angle in triangle $ABC$. On legs $AC$ and$BC$ the squares $ACKL, BCMN$ are constructed outside of triangle. If $CE$ is an altitude of the triangle prove that $LEM$ is a right angle.

Let $p$ be a prime. How many different (infinite) sequences $\left(a_k\right)_{k\ge0}$ exist such that for every positive integer $n$ \[\frac{a_0}{a_1}+\frac{a_0}{a_2}+\cdots+\frac{a_0}{a_n}+\frac{p}{a_{n+1}}=1?\]