Let $ a>0$, and let $ P(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients such that \[ P(1)\equal{}P(3)\equal{}P(5)\equal{}P(7)\equal{}a\text{, and}\] \[ P(2)\equal{}P(4)\equal{}P(6)\equal{}P(8)\equal{}\minus{}a\text{.}\] What is the smallest possible value of $ a$? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 105 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 315 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 945 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 7! \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 8!$

Several identical square sheets of paper are laid out on a rectangular table so that their sides are parallel to the edges of the table (sheets may overlap). Prove that you can stick a few pins in such a way that each sheet will be attached to the table exactly by one pin.

Let $ A,B,C,D$ be four distinct points on a line, in that order. The circles with diameters $ AC$ and $ BD$ intersect at $ X$ and $ Y$. The line $ XY$ meets $ BC$ at $ Z$. Let $ P$ be a point on the line $ XY$ other than $ Z$. The line $ CP$ intersects the circle with diameter $ AC$ at $ C$ and $ M$, and the line $ BP$ intersects the circle with diameter $ BD$ at $ B$ and $ N$. Prove that the lines $ AM,DN,XY$ are concurrent.

The set $M$ consists of $n$ points on the plane and satisfies the conditions: $\bullet$ there are $7$ points in the set $M$, which are vertices of a convex heptagon, $\bullet$ for arbitrary five points with $M$, which are vertices of a convex pentagon, there is a point that also belongs to $M$ and lies inside this pentagon. Find the smallest possible value that $n$ can take .

$ABCDE$ is a pentagon whose vertices lie on circle $\omega$ where $\angle DAB=90^{\circ}$. Let $EB$ and $AC$ intersect at $F$, $EC$ meet $BD$ at $G$. $M$ is the midpoint of arc $AB$ on $\omega$, not containing $C$. If $FG\parallel DE\parallel CM$ holds, then what is the value of $\frac{|GE|}{|GD|}$?

Consider the matrix $X\in\mathcal{M}_2(\mathbb{C})$ which satisfies $X^{2022}=X^{2023}.$ Prove that $X^2=X^3.$

Ten vertices of a regular $20$-gon $A_1A_2....A_{20}$ are painted black and the other ten vertices are painted blue. Consider the set consisting of diagonal $A_1A_4$ and all other diagonals of the same length. 1. Prove that in this set, the number of diagonals with two black endpoints is equal to the number of diagonals with two blue endpoints. 2. Find all possible numbers of the diagonals with two black endpoints.

Consider the sequence of numbers defined recursively by $t_1=1$ and for $n>1$ by $t_n=1+t_{(n/2)}$ when $n$ is even and by $t_n=\frac{1}{t_{(n-1)}}$ when $n$ is odd. Given that $t_n=\frac{19}{87}$, the sum of the digits of $n$ is $ \textbf{(A)}\ 15 \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 17 \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 19 \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 21 \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 23$

Let $x$ be a solution to the equation $\lfloor x \lfloor x + 2\rfloor + 2\rfloor = 10$. Compute the smallest $C$ such that for any solution $x$, $x < C$. Here, $\lfloor m \rfloor$ is defined as the greatest integer less than or equal to $m$. For example, $\lfloor 3\rfloor = 3$ and $\lfloor -4.25\rfloor = -5$.

Let $P$ be a point inside the acute angle $\angle BAC$. Suppose that $\angle ABP = \angle ACP = 90^{\circ}$. The points $D$ and $E$ are on the segments $BA$ and $CA$, respectively, such that $BD = BP$ and $CP = CE$. The points $F$ and $G$ are on the segments $AC$ and $AB$, respectively, such that $DF$ is perpendicular to $AB$ and $EG$ is perpendicular to $AC$. Show that $PF = PG$.

Let $A$ be a real $n\times n$ matrix such that $A^3=0$ a) prove that there is unique real $n\times n$ matrix $X$ that satisfied the equation $X+AX+XA^2=A$ b) Express $X$ in terms of $A$

What is the smallest positive multiple of $225$ that can be written using digits $0$ and $1$ only?

Let the major axis of an ellipse be $AB$, let $O$ be its center, and let $F$ be one of its foci. $P$ is a point on the ellipse, and $CD$ a chord through $O$, such that $CD$ is parallel to the tangent of the ellipse at $P$. $PF$ and $CD$ intersect at $Q$. Compare the lengths of $PQ$ and $OA$.

Calculate the sum: $1+ 2q + 3q^2 +...+nq^{n-1}$

Let $d_n$ denote the number of derangements of the integers $1, 2, \ldots n$ so that no integer $i$ is in the $i^{th}$ position. It is possible to write a recurrence relation $d_{n}=f(n)d_{n-1}+g(n)d_{n-2}$; what is $f(n)+g(n)$?

How many real numbers $a \in (1,9)$ such that the corresponding number $a- \frac1a$ is an integer? (A): $0$, (B): $1$, (C): $8$, (D): $9$, (E) None of the above.

Six straight lines are drawn in a plane with no two parallel and no three concurrent. The number of regions into which they divide the plane is: $\textbf{(A)}\ 16 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 20\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 22 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 24 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 26$

Let $a, b>1$ be reals such that $a+\frac{1}{a^2} \geq 5b-\frac{3}{b^2}$. Show that $a>5b-\frac{4}{b^2}$.

On the $BE$ side of a regular $ABE$ triangle, a $BCDE$ rhombus is built outside it. The segments $AC$ and $BD$ intersect at point $F$. Prove that $AF <BD$.

[u]Round 5[/u] [b]p13.[/b] You have a $26 \times 26$ grid of squares. Color each randomly with red, yellow, or blue. What is the expected number (to the nearest integer) of $2 \times 2$ squares that are entirely red? [b]p14.[/b] Four snakes are boarding a plane with four seats. Each snake has been assigned to a different seat. The first snake sits in the wrong seat. Any subsequent snake will sit in their assigned seat if vacant, if not, they will choose a random seat that is available. What is the expected number of snakes who sit in their correct seats? [b]p15.[/b] Let $n \ge 1$ be an integer and $a > 0$ a real number. In terms of n, find the number of solutions $(x_1, ..., x_n)$ of the equation $\sum^n_{i=1}(x^2_i + (a - x_i)^2) = na^2$ such that $x_i$ belongs to the interval $[0, a]$ , for $i = 1, 2, . . . , n$. [u]Round 6 [/u] [b]p16.[/b] All roots of $$\prod^{25}_{n=1} \prod^{2n}_{k=0}(-1)^k \cdot x^k = 0$$ are written in the form $r(\cos \phi + i\sin \phi)$ for $i^2 = -1$, $r > 0$, and $0 \le \phi < 2\pi$. What is the smallest positive value of $\phi$ in radians? [b]p17.[/b] Find the sum of the distinct real roots of the equation $$\sqrt[3]{x^2 - 2x + 1} + \sqrt[3]{x^2 - x - 6} = \sqrt[3]{2x^2 - 3x - 5}.$$ [b]p18.[/b] If $a$ and $b$ satisfy the property that $a2^n + b$ is a square for all positive integers $n$, find all possible value(s) of $a$. [u]Round 7 [/u] [b]p19.[/b] Compute $(1 - \cot 19^o)(1 - \cot 26^o)$. [b]p20.[/b] Consider triangle $ABC$ with $AB = 3$, $BC = 5$, and $\angle ABC = 120^o$. Let point $E$ be any point inside $ABC$. The minimum of the sum of the squares of the distances from $E$ to the three sides of $ABC$ can be written in the form $a/b$ , where a and b are natural numbers such that the greatest common divisor of $a$ and $b$ is $1$. Find $a + b$. [b]p21.[/b] Let $m \ne 1$ be a square-free number (an integer – possibly negative – such that no square divides $m$). We denote $Q(\sqrt{m})$ to be the set of all $a + b\sqrt{m}$ where $a$ and $b$ are rational numbers. Now for a fixed $m$, let $S$ be the set of all numbers $x$ in $Q(\sqrt{m})$ such that x is a solution to a polynomial of the form: $x^n + a_1x^{n-1} + .... + a_n = 0$, where $a_0$, $...$, $a_n$ are integers. For many integers m, $S = Z[\frac{m}] = \{a + b\sqrt{m}\}$ where $a$ and $b$ are integers. Give a classification of the integers for which this is not true. (Hint: It is true for $ m = -1$ and $2$.) PS. You should use hide for answers. Rounds 1-4 have been posted [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c4h2782002p24434611]here[/url]. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

A circle intersects square $ABCD$ at points $A, E$, and $F$, where $E$ lies on $AB$ and $F$ lies on $AD$, such that $AE + AF = 2(BE + DF)$. If the square and the circle each have area $ 1$, determine the area of the union of the circle and square.

The number $2017$ is prime. Let $S=\sum_{k=0}^{62}\binom{2014}{k}$. What is the remainder when $S$ is divided by $2017$? $\textbf{(A) }32\qquad \textbf{(B) }684\qquad \textbf{(C) }1024\qquad \textbf{(D) }1576\qquad \textbf{(E) }2016\qquad$

Find all positive integers $ k$ for which the following statement is true: If $ F(x)$ is a polynomial with integer coefficients satisfying the condition $ 0 \leq F(c) \leq k$ for each $ c\in \{0,1,\ldots,k \plus{} 1\}$, then $ F(0) \equal{} F(1) \equal{} \ldots \equal{} F(k \plus{} 1)$.

A finite sequence of three-digit integers has the property that the tens and units digits of each term are, respectively, the hundreds and tens digits of the next term, and the tens and units digits of the last term are, respectively, the hundreds and tens digits of the first term. For example, such a sequence might begin with the terms $ 247,$ $ 275,$ and $ 756$ and end with the term $ 824.$ Let $ \mathcal{S}$ be the sum of all the terms in the sequence. What is the largest prime factor that always divides $ \mathcal{S}?$ $ \textbf{(A)}\ 3 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 7 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 13 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 37 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 43$

Let $A_1, B_1$ and $C_1$ be points on sides $BC$, $CA$ and $AB$ of an acute triangle $ABC$ respectively, such that $AA_1$, $BB_1$ and $CC_1$ are the internal angle bisectors of triangle $ABC$. Let $I$ be the incentre of triangle $ABC$, and $H$ be the orthocentre of triangle $A_1B_1C_1$. Show that $$AH + BH + CH \geq AI + BI + CI.$$