The polynomial $$ Q(x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_4)=4(x_1^2+x_2^2+x_3^2+x_4^2)-(x_1+x_2+x_3+x_4)^2 $$ is represented as the sum of squares of four polynomials of four variables with integer coefficients. [b]a)[/b] Find at least one such representation [b]b)[/b] Prove that for any such representation at least one of the four polynomials isidentically zero. [i](A. Yuran)[/i]

How many integers $n$ with $10 \le n \le 500$ have the property that the hundreds digit of $17n$ and $17n+17$ are different? [i]Proposed by Evan Chen[/i]

Let $L_1$ and $L_2$ be two parallel lines and $L_3$ a line perpendicular to $L_1$ and $L_2$ at $H$ and $P$, respectively. Points $Q$ and $R$ lie on $L_1$ such that $QR = PR$ ($Q \ne H$). Let $d$ be the diameter of the circle inscribed in the triangle $PQR$. Point $T$ lies $L_2$ in the same semiplane as $Q$ with respect to line $L_3$ such that $\frac{1}{TH}= \frac{1}{d}- \frac{1}{PH}$ . Let $X$ be the intersection point of $PQ$ and $TH$. Find the locus of the points $X$ as $Q$ varies on $L_1$.

Let $A = \left\{ 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 \right\}$ and let $N$ be the number of functions $f$ from set $A$ to set $A$ such that $f(f(x))$ is a constant function. Find the remainder when $N$ is divided by $1000$.

Find all non-zero real numbers $a, b, c$ such that the following polynomial has four (not necessarily distinct) positive real roots. $$P(x) = ax^4 - 8ax^3 + bx^2 - 32cx + 16c$$

We have a set of ${221}$ real numbers whose sum is ${110721}$. It is deemed that the numbers form a rectangular table such that every row as well as the first and last columns are arithmetic progressions of more than one element. Prove that the sum of the elements in the four corners is equal to ${2004}$.

Find all pairs $(x, y)$ of positive integers satisfying the equation $(x + y)^x = x^y$.

$ABC$ is an acute triangle with $\angle ACB = 45^o$. Let $D$ and $E$ be points on the sides $BC$ and $AC$, respectively, such that $AB = AD = BE$. Let $M,N$ and $X$ be the midpoints of $BD, AE$ and $AB$, respectively. Let lines $AM$ and $BN$ intersect at point $P$. Show that lines $XP$ and $DE$ are perpendicular.

Find all positive integers $ n$ having exactly $ 16$ divisors $ 1\equal{}d_1<d_2<...<d_{16}\equal{}n$ such that $ d_6\equal{}18$ and $ d_9\minus{}d_8\equal{}17.$

Let $(F_n)_{n\geq 1} $ be the Fibonacci sequence $F_1 = F_2 = 1, F_{n+2} = F_{n+1} + F_n (n \geq 1),$ and $P(x)$ the polynomial of degree $990$ satisfying \[ P(k) = F_k, \qquad \text{ for } k = 992, . . . , 1982.\] Prove that $P(1983) = F_{1983} - 1.$

Given [i]Fibonacci[/i] sequence $(F_n),$ and a positive integer $m$. a) Prove that: there exists integers $0\le i<j\le m^2$ such that $F_i\equiv F_j (\bmod m)$ and $F_{i+1}\equiv F_{j+1}(\bmod m)$. b) Prove that: there exists a positive integer $k$ such that $F_{n+k}\equiv F_n(\bmod m),$ for all natural numbers $n$. [i]*Denote $k(m)$ by the smallest positive integer satisfying $F_{n+k(m)}\equiv F_n(\bmod m),$ for all natural numbers $n$*[/i]. c) Prove that: $k(m)$ is the smallest positive integer such that $F_{k(m)}\equiv 0(\bmod m)$ and $F_{k(m)+1}\equiv 1(\bmod m)$. d) Given a positive integer $k$. Prove that: $F_{n+k}\equiv F_n(\bmod m)$ for all natural numbers $n$ iff $k\vdots k(m)$.

Let $n,k$, $1\le k\le n$ be fixed integers. Alice has $n$ cards in a row, where the card has position $i$ has the label $i+k$ (or $i+k-n$ if $i+k>n$). Alice starts by colouring each card either red or blue. Afterwards, she is allowed to make several moves, where each move consists of choosing two cards of different colours and swapping them. Find the minimum number of moves she has to make (given that she chooses the colouring optimally) to put the cards in order (i.e. card $i$ is at position $i$). NOTE: edited from original phrasing, which was ambiguous.

Let $NAS$ be a triangle such that $NA=NS=5$ and $AS=6$. Let $D$ be the foot of the altitude from $N$ to $AS$ and $E$ the foot of the altitude from $A$ to $NS$. Point $X$ lies on line $DE$ outside the triangle such that $XA=\tfrac{18}{5}$. Find $XS$.

Let $A, B, C$ and $D$ denote the digits in a four-digit number $n = ABCD$. Determine the least $n$ greater than $2017$ satisfying that there exists an integer $x$ such that $$x =\sqrt{A +\sqrt{B +\sqrt{C +\sqrt{D + x}}}}.$$

Let $ABCD$ be a cyclic quadrilateral and let $k_1$ and $k_2$ be circles inscribed in triangles $ABC$ and $ABD$. Prove that external common tangent of those circles (different from $AB$) is parallel with $CD$

Let $R$ be a commutative ring with $1$ such that the number of elements of $R$ is equal to $p^3$ where $p$ is a prime number. Prove that if the number of elements of $\text{zd}(R)$ be in the form of $p^n$ ($n \in \mathbb{N^*}$) where $\text{zd}(R) = \{a \in R \mid \exists 0 \neq b \in R, ab = 0\}$, then $R$ has exactly one maximal ideal.

$(USS 3)$ $(a)$ Prove that if $0 \le a_0 \le a_1 \le a_2,$ then $(a_0 + a_1x - a_2x^2)^2 \le (a_0 + a_1 + a_2)^2\left(1 +\frac{1}{2}x+\frac{1}{3}x^2+\frac{1}{2}x^3+x^4\right)$ $(b)$ Formulate and prove the analogous result for polynomials of third degree.

Show that if the integers $a_1$; $\dots$ $a_m$ are nonzero and for each $k =0; 1; \dots ;n$ ($n < m - 1$), $a_1 + a_22^k + a_33^k + \dots + a_mm^k = 0$; then the sequence $a_1, \dots, a_m$ contains at least $n+1$ pairs of consecutive terms having opposite signs. [i]O. Musin[/i]

The numbers from $ 1$ to $ 8$ are placed at the vertices of a cube in such a manner that the sum of the four numbers on each face is the same. What is this common sum? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 14 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 16 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 18 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 20 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 24$

In the $xy$-plane, consider the L-shaped region bounded by horizontal and vertical segments with vertices at $(0,0), (0,3), (3,3), (3,1), (5,1)$ and $(5,0)$. The slope of the line through the origin that divides the area of this region exactly in half is [asy] size(200); Label l; l.p=fontsize(6); xaxis("$x$",0,6,Ticks(l,1.0,0.5),EndArrow); yaxis("$y$",0,4,Ticks(l,1.0,0.5),EndArrow); draw((0,3)--(3,3)--(3,1)--(5,1)--(5,0)--(0,0)--cycle,black+linewidth(2));[/asy] $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac{2}{7} \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \frac{1}{3} \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \frac{2}{3} \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \frac{3}{4} \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \frac{7}{9} $

Zeroes and ones are arranged in all the squares of $n\times n$ table. All the squares of the left column are filled by ones, and the sum of numbers in every figure of the form [asy]size(50); draw((2,1)--(0,1)--(0,2)--(2,2)--(2,0)--(1,0)--(1,2));[/asy] (consisting of a square and its neighbours from left and from below) is even. Prove that no two rows of the table are identical. [i]Proposed by O. Vanyushina[/i]

If $\theta$ is the unique solution in $(0,\pi)$ to the equation $2\sin(x)+3\sin(\tfrac{3x}{2})+\sin(2x)+3\sin(\tfrac{5x}{2})=0,$ then $\cos(\theta)=\tfrac{a-\sqrt{b}}{c}$ for positive integers $a,b,c$ such that $a$ and $c$ are relatively prime. Find $a+b+c.$

Let $S$ be a set consisting of all positive integers less than or equal to $100$. Let $P$ be a subset of $S$ such that there do not exist two elements $x,y\in P$ such that $x=2y$. Find the maximum possible number of elements of $P$. [i]Proposed by Nathan Ramesh

Prove that there exist infinitely many positive integers $n$ such that the largest prime divisor of $n^4 + n^2 + 1$ is equal to the largest prime divisor of $(n+1)^4 + (n+1)^2 +1$.

Simplify \[\frac{bx(a^2x^2 + 2a^2y^2 + b^2y^2) + ay(a^2x^2 + 2b^2x^2 + b^2y^2)}{bx + ay}.\] $ \textbf{(A)}\ a^2x^2 + b^2y^2\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ (ax + by)^2\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ (ax + by)(bx + ay)\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 2(a^2x^2 + b^2y^2)\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ (bx + ay)^2 $