Consider a $2n \times 2n$ board. From the $i$th line we remove the central $2(i-1)$ unit squares. What is the maximal number of rectangles $2 \times 1$ and $1 \times 2$ that can be placed on the obtained figure without overlapping or getting outside the board?

Suppose that there exist nonzero complex numbers $a$, $b$, $c$, and $d$ such that $k$ is a root of both the equations $ax^3+bx^2+cx+d=0$ and $bx^3+cx^2+dx+a=0$. Find all possible values of $k$ (including complex values).

For how many ordered pairs of positive integers $(a, b)$ such that $a \le 50$ is it true that $x^2 - ax + b$ has integer roots?

Suppose we have a $n$-gon. Some $n-3$ diagonals are coloured black and some other $n-3$ diagonals are coloured red (a side is not a diagonal), so that no two diagonals of the same colour can intersect strictly inside the polygon, although they can share a vertex. Find the maximum number of intersection points between diagonals coloured differently strictly inside the polygon, in terms of $n$. [i]Proposed by Alexander Ivanov, Bulgaria[/i]

Points $ A,X,D$ lie on a line in this order, point $ B$ is on the plane such that $ \angle ABX>120^{\circ}$, and point $ C$ is on the segment $ BX$. Prove the inequality: $ 2AD \ge \sqrt{3} (AB\plus{}BC\plus{}CD)$.

Given $a$, $b$ are positive integers greater than $1$, and for every positive integer $n$, $b^{n}-1$ divides $a^{n}-1$. Define the polynomial $p_{n}(x)$ as follows: $p_0{x}=-1$, $p_{n+1}(x)=b^{n+1}(x-1)p_{n}(bx)-a(b^{n+1}-1)p_{n}(x)$, for $n \ge 0$. Prove that there exist integers $C$ and positive integer $k$ such that $p_{k}(x)=Cx^k$.

All the streets in a city run in one of two perpendicular directions, forming unit squares. Organizers of a car race want to mark down a closed race track in the city in such a way that it would not go through any of the crossings twice and that the track would turn 90◦ right or left at every crossing. Find all possible values of the length of the track.

We consider three vectors drawn from the same initial point $O,$ of lengths $a,b$ and $c$, respectively. Let $E$ be the parallelepiped with vertex $O$ of which the given vectors are the edges and $H$ the parallelepiped with vertex $O$ of which the given vectors are the altitudes. Show that the product of the volumes of $E$ and $H$ equals $(abc)^{2}$ and generalize this result to $n$ dimensions.

In an acute-angled triangle, one of the angles is $60^o$. Prove that the line passing through the center of the circumcircle and the intersection point of the medians of the triangle cuts off an equilateral triangle from it. (A. Zaslavsky)

We have placed $n>3$ cards around a circle, facing downwards. In one step we may perform the following operation with three consecutive cards. Calling the one on the center $B$, the two on the ends $A$ and $C$, we put card $C$ in the place of $A$, then move $A$ and $B$ to the places originally occupied by $B$ and $C$, respectively. Meanwhile, we flip the cards $A$ and $B$. Using a number of these steps, is it possible to move each card to its original place, but facing upwards?

Distinct points $B,B',C,C'$ lie on an arbitrary line $\ell$. $A$ is a point not lying on $\ell$. A line passing through $B$ and parallel to $AB'$ intersects with $AC$ in $E$ and a line passing through $C$ and parallel to $AC'$ intersects with $AB$ in $F$. Let $X$ be the intersection point of the circumcircles of $\triangle{ABC}$ and $\triangle{AB'C'}$($A \neq X$). Prove that $EF \parallel AX$.

Determine whether there exists an infinite sequence of nonzero digits $a_1 , a_2 , a_3 , \cdots $ and a positive integer $N$ such that for every integer $k > N$, the number $\overline{a_k a_{k-1}\cdots a_1 }$ is a perfect square.

If the larger base of an isosceles trapezoid equals a diagonal and the smaller base equals the altitude, then the ratio of the smaller base to the larger base is: $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac{1}{2} \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \frac{2}{3} \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \frac{3}{4} \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \frac{3}{5} \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \frac{2}{5}$

For an integer $n \geq 3$ we define the sequence $\alpha_1, \alpha_2, \ldots, \alpha_k$ as the sequence of exponents in the prime factorization of $n! = p_1^{\alpha_1}p_2^{\alpha_2} \ldots p_k^{\alpha_k}$, where $p_1 < p_2 < \ldots < p_k$ are primes. Determine all integers $n \geq 3$ for which $\alpha_1, \alpha_2, \ldots, \alpha_k$ is a geometric progression.

For given integers $n>0$ and $k> 1$, let $F_{n,k}(x,y)=x!+n^k+n+1-y^k$. Prove that there are only finite couples $(a,b)$ of positive integers such that $F_{n,k}(a,b)=0$

In the figure we see the paths connecting the square of a city (point $P$) with the school (point $S$). In the square there are $k$ pupils starting to go to the school. They have the ability to move only to the right and up. If the pupils are free to choose any allowed path (in order to get to school), determine the minimum value of $k$ so that in any case at least two pupils follow the same path. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/e/2/b5d6c6db5942cb706428cb63af3ca15590727f.png[/img]

In a round robin tournament of $7$ people, each person plays every other person exactly once in a game of table tennis. For each game played, the winner is given $2$ points, the loser is given $0$ points, and in the event of a tie, each player gets $1$ point. At the end of the tournament, what is the average score of the $7$ people?

Consider the parallelogram $ABCD$, with $\angle ABC = 60$ and sides $AB =\sqrt3$, $BC = 1$. Let $\omega$ be the circle of center $B$ and radius $BA$, and let $\tau$ be the circle of center $D$ and radius $DA$. Determine the area of the region between the circumferences $\omega$ and $\tau$, within the parallelogram $ABCD$ (the area of the shaded region). [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/5/a/02b17ec644289d95b6fce78cb5f1ecb3d3ba5b.png[/img]

$ABC$ is an isosceles triangle. The base $BC$ is $1$ cm long, and legs $AB$ and $AC$ are $2$ cm long. Let the midpoint of $AB$ be $F$, and the midpoint of $AC$ be $G$. Additionally, $k$ is a circle, that is tangent to $AB$ and A$C$, and it’s points of tangency are $F$ and $G$ accordingly. Prove, that the intersection of $CF$ and $BG$ falls on the circle $k$.

In acute-angled $\bigtriangleup ABC$, $H$ is the orthocenter, $O$ is the circumcenter and $I$ is the incenter. Given that $\angle C > \angle B > \angle A$, prove that $I$ lies within $\bigtriangleup BOH$.

A number from $1$ to $100$ is intended. In what is the smallest number of questions one can surely guess the intended number, if one is allowed to lie once? (Questions are asked like: “Does the intended number belong to such and such a numerical set?” The only possible answers are “Yes” and “No.”)

Let $a,b$ be arbitrary co-prime natural numbers. Alice writes the natural number $t < b$ on a blackboard. Every second she replaces the number on the blackboard, say $x$, with the smallest natural number in $\{x \pm a, x \pm b \}$ that she has not yet ever written. She keeps doing this as long as possible. Prove that this process goes on indefinitely and that Alice will write down every natural number. [i]~Pranjal Srivastava and Rohan Goyal[/i]

Number $a$ is such that $\forall a_1, a_2, a_3, a_4 \in \mathbb{R}$, there are integers $k_1, k_2, k_3, k_4$ such that $\sum_{1 \leq i < j \leq 4} ((a_i - k_i) - (a_j - k_j))^2 \leq a$. Find the minimum of $a$.

Mathematicians $M$ and $N$ each have their own favorite collection of manuals on the book, which he often uses in his work. Once they decided to make a statement in which each mathematician proves at each turn any theorem from his handbook which neither has yet been proven. Everything is done in turn, the mathematician starts $M$. The theorems of the handbook can win first all proven; if the theorems of both manuals can proved at once, wins the last theorem proved by a mathematician. Let $m$ be a theorem in the mathematician's handbook $M$. Find all values of $m$ for which the mathematician $M$ has a winning strategy if is It is known that there are $222$ theorems in the mathematician's handbook $N$ and $101$ of them also appears in the mathematician's $M$ handbook.

Let $R[x]$ be the whole set of real coefficient polynomials, and define the mapping $T: R[x] \to R[x]$ as follows: For $$f (x) = a_nx^{n} + a_{n-1}x^{n- 1} +...+ a_1x + a_0,$$ let $$T(f(x))=a_{n}x^{n+1} + a_{n-1}x^{n} + (a_n+a_{n-2})x^{n-1 } + (a_{n-1}+a_{n-3})x^{n-2}+...+(a_2+a_0)x+a_1.$$ Assume $P_0(x)= 1$, $P_n(x) = T(P_{n-1}(x))$ ( $n=1,2,...$), find the constant term of $P_n(x)$.