This website contains problems from math contests. Problems and corresponding tags were obtained from the Art of Problem Solving website.

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Found problems: 280

2024 VJIMC, 4

Let $(b_n)_{n \ge 0}$ be a sequence of positive integers satisfying $b_n=d\left(\sum_{i=0}^{n-1} b_k\right)$ for all $n \ge 1$. (By $d(m)$ we denote the number of positive divisors of $m$.) a) Prove that $(b_n)_{n \ge 0}$ is unbounded. b) Prove that there are infinitely many $n$ such that $b_n>b_{n+1}$.

2021 Macedonian Balkan MO TST, Problem 2

Define a sequence: $x_0=1$ and for all $n\ge 0$, $x_{2n+1}=x_{n}$ and $x_{2n+2}=x_{n}+x_{n+1}$. Prove that for any relatively prime positive integers $a$ and $b$, there is a non-negative integer $n$ such that $a=x_n$ and $b=x_{n+1}$.

1949 Putnam, B5

Tags: Putnam , Sequences
let $(a_{n})$ be an arbitrary sequence of positive numbers. Show that $$\limsup_{n\to \infty} \left(\frac{a_1 +a_{n+1}}{a_{n}}\right)^{n} \geq e.$$

2016 IMC, 1

Let $(x_1,x_2,\ldots)$ be a sequence of positive real numbers satisfying ${\displaystyle \sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{x_n}{2n-1}=1}$. Prove that $$ \displaystyle \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \sum_{n=1}^{k} \frac{x_n}{k^2} \le2. $$ (Proposed by Gerhard J. Woeginger, The Netherlands)

2020 Brazil Cono Sur TST, 3

Let $a_1,a_2, \cdots$ be a sequence of integers that satisfies: $a_1=1$ and $a_{n+1}=a_n+a_{\lfloor \sqrt{n} \rfloor} , \forall n\geq 1 $. Prove that for all positive $k$, there is $m \geq 1$ such that $k \mid a_m$.

2022 Brazil National Olympiad, 3

Let $\{a_n\}_{n=0}^{\infty}$ be a sequence of integers numbers. Let $\Delta^1a_n=a_{n+1}-a_n$ for a non-negative integer $n$. Define $\Delta^Ma_n= \Delta^{M-1}a_{n+1}- \Delta^{M-1}a_n$. A sequence is [i]patriota[/i] if there are positive integers $k,l$ such that $a_{n+k}=\Delta^Ma_{n+l}$ for all non-negative integers $n$. Determine, with proof, whether exists a sequence that the last value of $M$ for which the sequence is [i]patriota[/i] is $2022$.

1948 Putnam, A3

Tags: Putnam , Sequences , series
Let $(a_n)$ be a decreasing sequence of positive numbers with limit $0$ such that $$b_n = a_n -2 a_{n+1}+a_{n+2} \geq 0$$ for all $n.$ Prove that $$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} n b_n =a_1.$$

2004 Nicolae Coculescu, 1

Calculate $ \lim_{n\to\infty } \left( e^{1+1/2+1/3+\cdots +1/n+1/(n+1)} -e^{1+1/2+1/3+\cdots +1/n} \right) . $

2025 VJIMC, 3

Let us call a sequence $(b_1, b_2, \ldots)$ of positive integers fast-growing if $b_{n+1} \geq b_n + 2$ for all $n \geq 1$. Also, for a sequence $a = (a(1), a(2), \ldots)$ of real numbers and a sequence $b = (b_1, b_2, \ldots)$ of positive integers, let us denote \[ S(a, b) = \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \left| a(b_n) + a(b_n + 1) + \cdots + a(b_{n+1} - 1) \right|. \] a) Do there exist two fast-growing sequences $b = (b_1, b_2, \ldots)$, $c = (c_1, c_2, \ldots)$ such that for every sequence $a = (a(1), a(2), \ldots)$, if all the series \[ \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} a(n), \quad S(a, b) \quad \text{and} \quad S(a, c) \] are convergent, then the series $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} |a(n)|$ is also convergent? b) Do there exist three fast-growing sequences $b = (b_1, b_2, \ldots)$, $c = (c_1, c_2, \ldots)$, $d = (d_1, d_2, \ldots)$ such that for every sequence $a = (a(1), a(2), \ldots)$, if all the series \[ S(a, b), \quad S(a, c) \quad \text{and} \quad S(a, d) \] are convergent, then the series $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} |a(n)|$ is also convergent?

2019 Azerbaijan IMO TST, 3

Let $a_0,a_1,a_2,\dots $ be a sequence of real numbers such that $a_0=0, a_1=1,$ and for every $n\geq 2$ there exists $1 \leq k \leq n$ satisfying \[ a_n=\frac{a_{n-1}+\dots + a_{n-k}}{k}. \]Find the maximum possible value of $a_{2018}-a_{2017}$.

2004 VJIMC, Problem 3

Denote by $B(c,r)$ the open disk of center $c$ and radius $r$ in the plane. Decide whether there exists a sequence $\{z_n\}^\infty_{n=1}$ of points in $\mathbb R^2$ such that the open disks $B(z_n,1/n)$ are pairwise disjoint and the sequence $\{z_n\}^\infty_{n=1}$ is convergent.

2017 Dutch IMO TST, 2

Tags: Sequences , algebra
let $a_1,a_2,...a_n$ a sequence of real numbers such that $a_1+....+a_n=0$. define $b_i=a_1+a_2+....a_i$ for all $1 \leq i \leq n$ .suppose $b_i(a_{j+1}-a_{i+1}) \geq 0$ for all $1 \leq i \leq j \leq n-1$. Show that $$\max_{1 \leq l \leq n} |a_l| \geq \max_{1 \leq m \leq n} |b_m|$$

Kvant 2019, M2552

Let $a_1,a_2, \cdots$ be a sequence of integers that satisfies: $a_1=1$ and $a_{n+1}=a_n+a_{\lfloor \sqrt{n} \rfloor} , \forall n\geq 1 $. Prove that for all positive $k$, there is $m \geq 1$ such that $k \mid a_m$.

2022 Iran Team Selection Test, 5

Tags: Sequences , algebra
Find all $C\in \mathbb{R}$ such that every sequence of integers $\{a_n\}_{n=1}^{\infty}$ which is bounded from below and for all $n\geq 2$ satisfy $$0\leq a_{n-1}+Ca_n+a_{n+1}<1$$ is periodic. Proposed by Navid Safaei

2022 AMC 10, 20

A four-term sequence is formed by adding each term of a four-term arithmetic sequence of positive integers to the corresponding term of a four-term geometric sequence of positive integers. The first three terms of the resulting four-term sequence are 57, 60, and 91. What is the fourth term of this sequence? $\textbf{(A) }190\qquad\textbf{(B) }194\qquad\textbf{(C) }198\qquad\textbf{(D) }202\qquad\textbf{(E) }206$

2023 AMC 12/AHSME, 25

There is a unique sequence of integers $a_1, a_2, \cdots a_{2023}$ such that $$ \tan2023x = \frac{a_1 \tan x + a_3 \tan^3 x + a_5 \tan^5 x + \cdots + a_{2023} \tan^{2023} x}{1 + a_2 \tan^2 x + a_4 \tan^4 x \cdots + a_{2022} \tan^{2022} x} $$ whenever $\tan 2023x$ is defined. What is $a_{2023}?$ $\textbf{(A) } -2023 \qquad\textbf{(B) } -2022 \qquad\textbf{(C) } -1 \qquad\textbf{(D) } 1 \qquad\textbf{(E) } 2023$

2004 Nicolae Coculescu, 2

Let bet a sequence $\left( a_n \right)_{n\ge 1} $ with $ a_1=1 $ and defined as $ a_n=\sqrt[n]{1+na_{n-1}} . $ Show that $ \left( a_n \right)_{n\ge 1} $ is convergent and determine its limit. [i]Florian Dumitrel[/i]

2016 Peru IMO TST, 14

Determine all positive integers $M$ such that the sequence $a_0, a_1, a_2, \cdots$ defined by \[ a_0 = M + \frac{1}{2} \qquad \textrm{and} \qquad a_{k+1} = a_k\lfloor a_k \rfloor \quad \textrm{for} \, k = 0, 1, 2, \cdots \] contains at least one integer term.

2004 VTRMC, Problem 2

A sequence of integers $\{f(n)\}$ for $n=0,1,2,\ldots$ is defined as follows: $f(0)=0$ and for $n>0$, $$\begin{matrix}f(n)=&f(n-1)+3,&\text{if }n=0\text{ or }1\pmod6,\\&f(n-1)+1,&\text{if }n=2\text{ or }5\pmod6,\\&f(n-1)+2,&\text{if }n=3\text{ or }4\pmod6.\end{matrix}$$Derive an explicit formula for $f(n)$ when $n\equiv0\pmod6$, showing all necessary details in your derivation.

2023 AMC 12/AHSME, 24

Let $K$ be the number of sequences $A_1$, $A_2$, $\dots$, $A_n$ such that $n$ is a positive integer less than or equal to $10$, each $A_i$ is a subset of $\{1, 2, 3, \dots, 10\}$, and $A_{i-1}$ is a subset of $A_i$ for each $i$ between $2$ and $n$, inclusive. For example, $\{\}$, $\{5, 7\}$, $\{2, 5, 7\}$, $\{2, 5, 7\}$, $\{2, 5, 6, 7, 9\}$ is one such sequence, with $n = 5$. What is the remainder when $K$ is divided by $10$? $\textbf{(A) } 1 \qquad \textbf{(B) } 3 \qquad \textbf{(C) } 5 \qquad \textbf{(D) } 7 \qquad \textbf{(E) } 9$

2017 Simon Marais Mathematical Competition, A2

Tags: algebra , Sequences
Let $a_1,a_2,a_3,\ldots$ be the sequence of real numbers defined by $a_1=1$ and $$a_m=\frac1{a_1^2+a_2^2+\ldots+a_{m-1}^2}\qquad\text{for }m\ge2.$$ Determine whether there exists a positive integer $N$ such that $$a_1+a_2+\ldots+a_N>2017^{2017}.$$

2006 Petru Moroșan-Trident, 3

Let be a sequence $ \left( u_n \right)_{n\ge 1} $ given by the recurrence relation $ u_{n+1} =u_n+\sqrt{u_n^2-u_1^2} , $ and the constraints $ u_2\ge u_1>0. $ Calculate $ \lim_{n\to\infty }\frac{2^n}{u_n} . $ [i]Dan Negulescu[/i]

2005 Alexandru Myller, 1

[b]1)[/b] Prove that there are finite sequences, of any length, of nonegative integers having the property that the arithmetic mean of any choice of its elements is natural. [b]2)[/b] Study if there is an increasing infinite sequence of nonegative integers having the property that the arithmetic mean of any finite choice of its elements is natural.

2019 Korea USCM, 5

A sequence $\{a_n\}_{n\geq 1}$ is defined by a recurrence relation $$a_1 = 1,\quad a_{n+1} = \log \frac{e^{a_n}-1}{a_n}$$ And a sequence $\{b_n\}_{n\geq 1}$ is defined as $b_n = \prod\limits_{i=1}^n a_i$. Evaluate an infinite series $\sum\limits_{n=1}^\infty b_n$.

1972 Putnam, A3

Tags: Putnam , Sequences , limit
A sequence $(x_{i})$ is said to have a [i]Cesaro limit[/i] exactly if $\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{x_{1}+\ldots+x_{n}}{n}$ exists. Find all real-valued functions $f$ on the closed interval $[0, 1]$ such that $(f(x_i))$ has a Cesaro limit if and only if $(x_i)$ has a Cesaro limit.