Olympiad problems

2024 ITAMO, 1

Let $x_0=2024^{2024}$ and $x_{n+1}=|x_n-\pi|$ for $n \ge 0$. Show that there exists a value of $n$ such that $x_{n+2}=x_n$.

2011 Dutch BxMO TST, 3

Tags: absolute value , equation , algebra

Find all triples $(x, y, z)$ of real numbers that satisfy $x^2 + y^2 + z^2 + 1 = xy + yz + zx +|x - 2y + z|$.

2014 Taiwan TST Round 1, 1

Tags: algebra , polynomial , inequalities , absolute value

Let $f(x) = x^n + a_{n-2} x^{n-2} + a_{n-3}x^{n-3} + \dots + a_1x + a_0$ be a polynomial with real coefficients $(n \ge 2)$. Suppose all roots of $f$ are real. Prove that the absolute value of each root is at most $\sqrt{\frac{2(1-n)}n a_{n-2}}$.

1999 Romania Team Selection Test, 11

Tags: polynomial , inequalities , absolute value , algebra

Let $a,n$ be integer numbers, $p$ a prime number such that $p>|a|+1$. Prove that the polynomial $f(x)=x^n+ax+p$ cannot be represented as a product of two integer polynomials. [i]Laurentiu Panaitopol[/i]

1984 AMC 12/AHSME, 30

Tags: trigonometry , absolute value , complex number

For any complex number $w = a + bi$, $|w|$ is defined to be the real number $\sqrt{a^2 + b^2}$. If $w = \cos{40^\circ} + i\sin{40^\circ}$, then \[ |w + 2w^2 + 3w^3 + \cdots + 9w^9|^{-1} \] equals $\textbf{(A)}\ \frac{1}{9}\sin{40^\circ} \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \frac{2}{9}\sin{20^\circ} \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \frac{1}{9}\cos{40^\circ} \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \frac{1}{18}\cos{20^\circ} \qquad \textbf{(E)}\text{ none of these}$

2017 AMC 8, 21

Tags: absolute value

Suppose $a$, $b$, and $c$ are nonzero real numbers, and $a+b+c=0$. What are the possible value(s) for $\frac{a}{|a|}+\frac{b}{|b|}+\frac{c}{|c|}+\frac{abc}{|abc|}$? $\textbf{(A) }0\qquad\textbf{(B) }1\text{ and }-1\qquad\textbf{(C) }2\text{ and }-2\qquad\textbf{(D) }0,2,\text{ and }-2\qquad\textbf{(E) }0,1,\text{ and }-1$

2003 All-Russian Olympiad Regional Round, 8.5

Tags: combinatorics , combinatorial geometry , absolute value

Numbers from$ 1$ to $8$ were written at the vertices of the cube, and on each edge the absolute value of the difference between the numbers at its ends.. What is the smallest number of different numbers that can be written on the edges?

2014 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 5

Tags: absolute value

Prove that there exists a nonzero complex number $c$ and a real number $d$ such that \[\left|\left|\dfrac1{1+z+z^2}\right|-\left|\dfrac1{1+z+z^2}-c\right|\right|=d\] for all $z$ with $|z|=1$ and $1+z+z^2\neq 0$. (Here, $|z|$ denotes the absolute value of the complex number $z$, so that $|a+bi|=\sqrt{a^2+b^2}$ for real numbers $a,b$.)

2013 All-Russian Olympiad, 1

Tags: pigeonhole principle , absolute value , combinatorics

$101$ distinct numbers are chosen among the integers between $0$ and $1000$. Prove that, among the absolute values of their pairwise differences, there are ten different numbers not exceeding $100$.

2012 Today's Calculation Of Integral, 801

Tags: calculus , integration , function , absolute value , calculus computations

Answer the following questions: (1) Let $f(x)$ be a function such that $f''(x)$ is continuous and $f'(a)=f'(b)=0$ for some $a<b$. Prove that $f(b)-f(a)=\int_a^b \left(\frac{a+b}{2}-x\right)f''(x)dx$. (2) Consider the running a car on straight road. After a car which is at standstill at a traffic light started at time 0, it stopped again at the next traffic light apart a distance $L$ at time $T$. During the period, prove that there is an instant　for which the absolute value of the acceleration of the car is more than or equal to $\frac{4L}{T^2}.$

2013 Peru IMO TST, 2

Tags: absolute value , algebra , polynomial

Let $a \geq 3$ be a real number, and $P$ a polynomial of degree $n$ and having real coefficients. Prove that at least one of the following numbers is greater than or equal to $1:$ $$|a^0- P(0)|, \ |a^1-P(1)| , \ |a^2-P(2)|, \cdots, |a^{n + 1}-P(n + 1)|.$$

2020 AMC 10, 5

Tags: absolute value

What is the sum of all real numbers $x$ for which $|x^2-12x+34|=2?$ $\textbf{(A) } 12 \qquad \textbf{(B) } 15 \qquad \textbf{(C) } 18 \qquad \textbf{(D) } 21 \qquad \textbf{(E) } 25$

2007 Pre-Preparation Course Examination, 1

Tags: inequalities , limit , floor function , absolute value , number theory

Let $a\geq 2$ be a natural number. Prove that $\sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac1{a^{n^{2}}}$ is irrational.

2006 German National Olympiad, 5

Tags: root , absolute value , polynomial , inequalities

Let $x \neq 0$ be a real number satisfying $ax^2+bx+c=0$ with $a,b,c \in \mathbb{Z}$ obeying $|a|+|b|+|c| > 1$. Then prove \[ |x| \geq \frac{1}{|a|+|b|+|c|-1}. \]

2009 South africa National Olympiad, 5

Tags: invariant , absolute value , combinatorics

A game is played on a board with an infinite row of holes labelled $0, 1, 2, \dots$. Initially, $2009$ pebbles are put into hole $1$; the other holes are left empty. Now steps are performed according to the following scheme: (i) At each step, two pebbles are removed from one of the holes (if possible), and one pebble is put into each of the neighbouring holes. (ii) No pebbles are ever removed from hole $0$. (iii) The game ends if there is no hole with a positive label that contains at least two pebbles. Show that the game always terminates, and that the number of pebbles in hole $0$ at the end of the game is independent of the specific sequence of steps. Determine this number.

2018 Israel National Olympiad, 3

Tags: absolute value , minimum value , maximum value , maximum and minimum , algebra , inequality

Determine the minimal and maximal values the expression $\frac{|a+b|+|b+c|+|c+a|}{|a|+|b|+|c|}$ can take, where $a,b,c$ are real numbers.

2011 AMC 10, 7

Tags: absolute value

Which of the following equations does NOT have a solution? $\textbf{ (A) }\:(x+7)^2=0$ $\textbf{(B) }\:|-3x|+5=0$ $\textbf{ (C) }\:\sqrt{-x}-2=0$ $\textbf{ (D) }\:\sqrt{x}-8=0$ $\textbf{ (E) }\:|-3x|-4=0 $

2014 Turkey MO (2nd round), 1

Tags: absolute value , combinatorics

In a bag there are $1007$ black and $1007$ white balls, which are randomly numbered $1$ to $2014$. In every step we draw one ball and put it on the table; also if we want to, we may choose two different colored balls from the table and put them in a different bag. If we do that we earn points equal to the absolute value of their differences. How many points can we guarantee to earn after $2014$ steps?

2021 AMC 10 Fall, 14

Tags: algebra , system of equations , absolute value

How many ordered pairs $(x,y)$ of real numbers satisfy the following system of equations? \begin{align*} x^2+3y&=9\\ (|x|+|y|-4)^2&=1\\ \end{align*} $\textbf{(A)}\: 1\qquad\textbf{(B)} \: 2\qquad\textbf{(C)} \: 3\qquad\textbf{(D)} \: 5\qquad\textbf{(E)} \: 7$

1999 Swedish Mathematical Competition, 1

Tags: absolute value , algebra , equation

Solve $|||||x^2-x-1| - 2| - 3| - 4| - 5| = x^2 + x - 30$.

2019 LIMIT Category B, Problem 6

Tags: absolute value , function , calculus

Let $f(x)=a_0+a_1|x|+a_2|x|^2+a_3|x|^3$, where $a_0,a_1,a_2,a_3$ are constant. Then $\textbf{(A)}~f(x)\text{ is differentiable at }x=0\text{ if whatever be }a_0,a_1,a_2,a_3$ $\textbf{(B)}~f(x)\text{ is not differentiable at }x=0\text{ if whatever be }a_0,a_1,a_2,a_3$ $\textbf{(C)}~f(x)\text{ is differentiable at }x=0\text{ only if }a_1=0$ $\textbf{(D)}~f(x)\text{ is differentiable at }x=0\text{ only if }a_1=0,a_3=0$

1982 AMC 12/AHSME, 11

Tags: absolute value

How many integers with four different digits are there between $1,000$ and $9,999$ such that the absolute value of the difference between the first digit and the last digit is $2$? $\textbf {(A) } 672 \qquad \textbf {(B) } 784 \qquad \textbf {(C) } 840 \qquad \textbf {(D) } 896 \qquad \textbf {(E) } 1008$

2015 AIME Problems, 10

Tags: absolute value , algebra , polynomial

Let $f(x)$ be a third-degree polynomial with real coefficients satisfying \[|f(1)|=|f(2)|=|f(3)|=|f(5)|=|f(6)|=|f(7)|=12.\] Find $|f(0)|$.

2025 Kosovo National Mathematical Olympiad`, P4

Tags: absolute value , algebra , inequalities

Show that for any real numbers $a$ and $b$ different from $0$, the inequality $$\bigg \lvert \frac{a}{b} + \frac{b}{a}+ab \bigg \lvert \geq \lvert a+b+1 \rvert$$ holds. When is equality achieved?

2008 China Team Selection Test, 2

Tags: polynomial , modular arithmetic , absolute value , algebra

Prove that for all $ n\geq 2,$ there exists $ n$-degree polynomial $ f(x) \equal{} x^n \plus{} a_{1}x^{n \minus{} 1} \plus{} \cdots \plus{} a_{n}$ such that (1) $ a_{1},a_{2},\cdots, a_{n}$ all are unequal to $ 0$; (2) $ f(x)$ can't be factorized into the product of two polynomials having integer coefficients and positive degrees; (3) for any integers $ x, |f(x)|$ isn't prime numbers.