Prove that if $A{}$ is an $n\times n$ matrix with complex entries such that $A+A^*=A^2A^*$ then $A=A^*$. (Here, we denote by $M^*$ the conjugate transpose $\overline{M}^t$ of the matrix $M{}$).

Wendy takes Honors Biology at school, a smallish class with only fourteen students (including Wendy) who sit around a circular table. Wendy's friends Lucy, Starling, and Erin are also in that class. Last Monday none of the fourteen students were absent from class. Before the teacher arrived, Lucy and Starling stretched out a blue piece of yarn between them. Then Wendy and Erin stretched out a red piece of yarn between them at about the same height so that the yarn would intersect if possible. If all possible positions of the students around the table are equally likely, let $m/n$ be the probability that the yarns intersect, where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers. Compute $m+n$.

Triangle $ \triangle ABC$ is given. Points $ D$ i $ E$ are on line $ AB$ such that $ D \minus{} A \minus{} B \minus{} E, AD \equal{} AC$ and $ BE \equal{} BC$. Bisector of internal angles at $ A$ and $ B$ intersect $ BC,AC$ at $ P$ and $ Q$, and circumcircle of $ ABC$ at $ M$ and $ N$. Line which connects $ A$ with center of circumcircle of $ BME$ and line which connects $ B$ and center of circumcircle of $ AND$ intersect at $ X$. Prove that $ CX \perp PQ$.

Let m and n be positive integers. Alice wishes to walk from the point $(0, 0)$ to the point $(m,n)$ in increments of $(1, 0)$ and $(0, 1)$, and Bob wishes to walk from the point $(0,1)$ to the point $(m, n + 1)$ in increments of$ (1, 0)$ and $(0,1)$. Find (with proof) the number of ways for Alice and Bob to get to their destinations if their paths never pass through the same point (even at different times).

Let $a$ be a positive integer such that $5^{1994}-1\mid a$. Prove that the expression of $a$ in base $5$ contains at least $1994$ nonzero digits.

Consider the ellipsoid$$\frac{x^2}{a^2}+\frac{y^2}{a^2}+\frac{z^2}{b^2}=1$$($a$ and $b > 0$) and the ellipse $E$ which is the intersection of the ellipsoid with the plane of equation$$mx + ny + pz = 0$$where the point $P = [m, n, p]$ is a random point from the unit sphere $(m^2 + n^2 + p^2 = 1)$. Consider the random variable $A_E$ the area of the ellipse $E$. If the point $P$ is chosen with uniform distribution with respect to the area on the unit sphere, what is the expectation of $A_E$ ?

Find the largest positive integer $n$ such that the following equations have integer solutions in $x, y_{1}, y_{2}, ... , y_{n}$ : $(x+1)^{2}+y_{1}^{2}= (x+2)^{2}+y_{2}^{2}= ... = (x+n)^{2}+y_{n}^{2}.$

The set of values of $m$ for which $mx^2-6mx+5m+1>0$ for all real $x$ is $\textbf{(A)}~m<\frac14$ $\textbf{(B)}~m\ge0$ $\textbf{(C)}~0\le m\le\frac14$ $\textbf{(D)}~0\le m<\frac14$

Ann made a 3-step staircase using 18 toothpicks as shown in the figure. How many toothpicks does she need to add to complete a 5-step staircase? $ \textbf{(A) }9\qquad\textbf{(B) }18\qquad\textbf{(C) }20\qquad\textbf{(D) }22\qquad\textbf{(E) }24 $ [asy] size(150); defaultpen(linewidth(0.8)); path h = ellipse((0.5,0),0.45,0.015), v = ellipse((0,0.5),0.015,0.45); for(int i=0;i<=2;i=i+1) { for(int j=0;j<=3-i;j=j+1) { filldraw(shift((i,j))*h,black); filldraw(shift((j,i))*v,black); } }[/asy]

For $n \geq 3$ and $a_{1} \leq a_{2} \leq \ldots \leq a_{n}$ given real numbers we have the following instructions: - place out the numbers in some order in a ring; - delete one of the numbers from the ring; - if just two numbers are remaining in the ring: let $S$ be the sum of these two numbers. Otherwise, if there are more the two numbers in the ring, replace Afterwards start again with the step (2). Show that the largest sum $S$ which can result in this way is given by the formula \[S_{max}= \sum^n_{k=2} \begin{pmatrix} n -2 \\ [\frac{k}{2}] - 1\end{pmatrix}a_{k}.\]

Evaluate $\int_{\frac{1-\sqrt{5}}{2}}^{\frac{1+\sqrt{5}}{2}} (2x^2-1)e^{2x}dx.$

Let $a$ and $b$ be two real numbers and let$M(a,b)=\max\left \{ 3a^{2}+2b; 3b^{2}+2a\right \}$. Find the values of $a$ and $b$ for which $M(a,b)$ is minimal.

$ABCD$ is inscribed in unit circle $\Gamma$. Let $\Omega_1$, $\Omega_2$ be the circumcircles of $\vartriangle ABD$, $\vartriangle CBD$ respectively. Circles $\Omega_1$, $\Omega_2$ are tangent to segment $BD$ at $M$,$N$ respectively. Line A$M$ intersects $\Gamma$, $\Omega_1$ again at points $X_1$,$X_2$ respectively (different from $A$, $M$). Let $\omega_1$ be the circle passing through $X_1$, $X_2$ and tangent to $\Omega_1$. Line $CN$ intersects $\Gamma$, $\Omega_2$ again at points $Y_1$, $Y_2$ respectively (different from $C$, $N$). Let $\omega_2$ be the circle passing through $Y_1$, $Y_2$ and tangent to $\Omega_2$. Circles $\Omega_1$,$\Omega_2$, $\omega_1$, $\omega_2$ have radii $R_1$, $R_2$, $r_1$, $r_2$ respectively. Prove that $$r_1+r_2-R_1-R_2=1.$$ [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/1/5/70471f2419fadc4b2183f5fe74f0c7a2e69ed4.png[/img] [url=https://www.geogebra.org/m/vxx8ghww]geogebra file[/url]

Let $\Omega$ be the circumcircle of an isosceles trapezoid $ABCD$, in which $AD$ is parallel to $BC$. Let $X$ be the reflection point of $D$ with respect to $BC$. Point $Q$ is on the arc $BC$ of $\Omega$ that does not contain $A$. Let $P$ be the intersection of $DQ$ and $BC$. A point $E$ satisfies that $EQ$ is parallel to $PX$, and $EQ$ bisects $\angle BEC$. Prove that $EQ$ also bisects $\angle AEP$. [i]Proposed by Li4.[/i]

Prove that there exists a subset $S$ of positive integers such that we can represent each positive integer as difference of two elements of $S$ in exactly one way.

Let $ ABCD$ be a quadrilateral inscribed in a circle of center $ O$. Let M and N be the midpoints of diagonals $ AC$ and $ BD$, respectively and let $ P$ be the intersection point of the diagonals $ AC$ and $ BD$ of the given quadrilateral .It is known that the points $ O,M,Np$ are distinct. Prove that the points $ O,N,A,C$ are concyclic if and only if the points $ O,M,B,D$ are concyclic. [i]Proposer[/i]: [b]Dorian Croitoru[/b]

Let $p,q,r$ be prime numbers such that $2p>q$, $q > 2r$ and $q>p+r$. Prove that $p+q+r\ge 20$.

Find all integers $n$ and $m$, $n > m > 2$, and such that a regular $n$-sided polygon can be inscribed in a regular $m$-sided polygon so that all the vertices of the $n$-gon lie on the sides of the $m$-gon.

Let $\vartriangle ABC$ be an equilateral triangle and let $P$ be a point in its interior. Let the lines $AP,BP,CP$ meet the sides $BC,CA,AB$ in the points $X,Y,Z$ respectively. Prove that $XY \cdot YZ\cdot ZX \ge XB\cdot YC\cdot ZA$.

For the integer $n>1$, define $D(n)=\{ a-b\mid ab=n, a>b>0, a,b\in\mathbb{N} \}$. Prove that for any integer $k>1$, there exists pairwise distinct positive integers $n_1,n_2,\ldots,n_k$ such that $n_1,\ldots,n_k>1$ and $|D(n_1)\cap D(n_2)\cap\cdots\cap D(n_k)|\geq 2$.

Let $k$ be a positive integer. The little one and the magician on the skywalk play a game. Initially, there are $N = 2^k$ distinct balls line up in a row, with each of the ball covered by a cup. On each turn, the little one chooses two cups, then the magician can either swap the balls in the two cups, or do a fake move so that the balls in the two cups stay the same. The little one cannot distinguish whether the magician fakes a move on not, nor can she observe the balls inside the cups. After $M = k \times 2^{k-1}$ turns, the magician opens all cups so the little one can check the ball in each of the cups. If the little one can identify whether the magician fakes a move or not for each of the $M$ turns, then the little one win. Prove that the little one has a winning strategy. [i] Proposed by usjl[/i]

When making a batch of $N \ge 5$ coins, a worker mistakenly made two coins from a different material (all coins look the same). The boss knows that there are exactly two such coins, that they weigh the same, but differ in weight from the others. The employee knows what coins these are and that they are lighter than others. He needs, after carrying out two weighings on cup scales without weights, to convince his boss that the coins are counterfeit easier than real ones, and in which coins are counterfeit. Can he do it?

$X$ has $n$ elements. $F$ is a family of subsets of $X$ each with three elements, such that any two of the subsets have at most one element in common. Show that there is a subset of $X$ with at least $\sqrt{2n}$ members which does not contain any members of $F$.

There are $n$ matches on the table ($n > 1$). Two players take turns shooting them from the table. On the first move, the player removes any number of matches from the table from $1$ to $n - 1$, and then each time you can take no more matches from the table, than the partner took with the previous move. The one who took the last match wins.. Find all $n$ for which the first player can provide win for yourself.

Laurie plays a game called $\textit{bash}$ where she picks two distinct numbers between $1$ and $10$, inclusive, at random. She then finds their sum, product, and non-negative difference. At random, she picks two of these three numbers and tells them to Ali. If the probability that Ali is able to logically deduce the original numbers can be written as $\frac{m}{n}$, with $m$ and $n$ relatively prime, find $m+n$. [i]Proposed by [b] atmchallenge [/b][/i]