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

Tags were heavily modified to better represent problems.

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Found problems: 79

Let us connect consecutive vertices of a regular heptagon inscribed in a unit circle by connected subsets (of the plane of the circle) of diameter less than $ 1$. Show that every continuum (in the plane of the circle) of diameter greater than $ 4$, containing the center of the circle, intersects one of these connected sets. [i]M. Bognar[/i]
Consider an arc of a planar curve; let the radius of curvature at any point of the arc be a differentiable function of the arc length and its derivative be everywhere different from zero; moreover, let the total curvature be less than $ \frac{\pi}{2}$. Let $ P_1,P_2,P_3,P_4,P_5$ and $ P_6$ be any points on this arc, subject to the only condition that the radius of curvature at $ P_k$ is greater than at $ P_j$ if $ j<k$. Prove that the radius of the circle passing through the points $ P_1,P_3$ and $ P_5$ is less than the radius of the circle through $ P_2,P_4$ and $ P_6$
What is the radius of the largest disc that can be covered by a finite number of closed discs of radius $ 1$ in such a way that each disc intersects at most three others? [i]L. Fejes-Toth[/i]
Let $ \mathcal{F}$ be a family of subsets of a ground set $ X$ such that $ \cup_{F \in \mathcal{F}}F=X$, and (a) if $ A,B \in \mathcal{F}$, then $ A \cup B \subseteq C$ for some $ C \in \mathcal{F};$ (b) if $ A_n \in \mathcal{F} \;(n=0,1,...)\ , B \in \mathcal{F},$ and $ A_0 \subset A_1 \subset...,$ then, for some $ k \geq 0, \;A_n \cap B=A_k \cap B$ for all $ n \geq k$. Show that there exist pairwise disjoint sets ${ X_{\gamma} \;( \gamma \in \Gamma}\ )$, with $ X= \cup \{ X_{\gamma} : \;\gamma \in \Gamma \ \},$ such that every $ X_{\gamma}$ is contained in some member of $ \mathcal{F}$, and every element of $ \mathcal{F}$ is contained in the union of finitely many $ X_{\gamma}$'s. [i]A. Hajnal[/i]
Let $d \ge 2$ be an integer. Prove that there exists a constant $C(d)$ such that the following holds: For any convex polytope $K\subset \mathbb{R}^d$, which is symmetric about the origin, and any $\varepsilon \in (0, 1)$, there exists a convex polytope $L \subset \mathbb{R}^d$ with at most $C(d) \varepsilon^{1-d}$ vertices such that \[(1-\varepsilon)K \subseteq L \subseteq K.\] Official definitions: For a real $\alpha,$ a set $T \in \mathbb{R}^d$ is a [i]convex polytope with at most $\alpha$ vertices[/i], if $T$ is a convex hull of a set $X \in \mathbb{R}^d$ of at most $\alpha$ points, i.e. $T = \{\sum\limits_{x\in X} t_x x | t_x \ge 0, \sum\limits_{x \in X} t_x = 1\}.$ Define $\alpha K = \{\alpha x | x \in K\}.$ A set $T \in \mathbb{R}^d$ is [i]symmetric about the origin[/i] if $(-1)T = T.$
Let $ f(n)$ denote the maximum possible number of right triangles determined by $ n$ coplanar points. Show that \[ \lim_{n\rightarrow \infty} \frac{f(n)}{n^2}\equal{}\infty \;\textrm{and}\ \lim_{n\rightarrow \infty}\frac{f(n)}{n^3}\equal{}0 .\] [i]P. Erdos[/i]
Let us divide by straight lines a quadrangle of unit area into $ n$ subpolygons and draw a circle into each subpolygon. Show that the sum of the perimeters of the circles is at most $ \pi \sqrt{n}$ (the lines are not allowed to cut the interior of a subpolygon). [i]G. and L. Fejes-Toth[/i]
Let $ \sigma(S_n,k)$ denote the sum of the $ k$th powers of the lengths of the sides of the convex $ n$-gon $ S_n$ inscribed in a unit circle. Show that for any natural number greater than $ 2$ there exists a real number $ k_0$ between $ 1$ and $ 2$ such that $ \sigma(S_n,k_0)$ attains its maximum for the regular $ n$-gon. [i]L. Fejes Toth[/i]
Characterize those configurations of $ n$ coplanar straight lines for which the sum of angles between all pairs of lines is maximum. [i]L.Fejes-Toth, A. Heppes[/i]
Let $ D$ be a convex subset of the $ n$-dimensional space, and suppose that $ D'$ is obtained from $ D$ by applying a positive central dilatation and then a translation. Suppose also that the sum of the volumes of $ D$ and $ D'$ is $ 1$, and $ D \cap D'\not\equal{} \emptyset .$ Determine the supremum of the volume of the convex hull of $ D \cup D'$ taken for all such pairs of sets $ D,D'$. [i]L. Fejes-Toth, E. Makai[/i]
Let $ A\equal{}A_1A_2A_3A_4$ be a tetrahedron, and suppose that for each $ j \not\equal{} k, [A_j,A_{jk}]$ is a segment of length $ \rho$ extending from $ A_j$ in the direction of $ A_k$. Let $ p_j$ be the intersection line of the planes $ [A_{jk}A_{jl}A_{jm}]$ and $ [A_kA_lA_m]$. Show that there are infinitely many straight lines that intersect the straight lines $ p_1,p_2,p_3,p_4$ simultaneously.
Consider a Riemannian metric on the vector space ${\Bbb{R}^n}$ which satisfies the property that for each two points ${a,b}$ there is a single distance minimising geodesic segment ${g(a,b)}$. Suppose that for all ${a \in \Bbb{R}^n}$, the Riemannian distance with respect to ${a}, {\rho_a : \Bbb{R}^n \rightarrow \Bbb{R}}$ is convex and differentiable outside of ${a}$. Prove that if for a point ${x \neq a,b}$ we have \[ \displaystyle \partial_i \rho_a(x)=-\partial_i \rho_b(x),\ i=1,\cdots, n\] then ${x}$ is a point on ${g(a,b)}$ and conversely. [i]Proposed by Lajos Tamássy and Dávid Kertész[/i]
We are given an infinite sequence of $ 1$'s and $ 2$'s with the following properties: (1) The first element of the sequence is $ 1$. (2) There are no two consecutive $ 2$'s or three consecutive $ 1$'s. (3) If we replace consecutive $ 1$'s by a single $ 2$, leave the single $ 1$'s alone, and delete the original $ 2$'s, then we recover the original sequence. How many $ 2$'s are there among the first $ n$ elements of the sequence? [i]P. P. Palfy[/i]
Let $ X_1, \ldots ,X_n$ be $ n$ points in the unit square ($ n>1$). Let $ r_i$ be the distance of $ X_i$ from the nearest point (other than $ X_i$). Prove that the inequality \[ r_1^2\plus{} \ldots \plus{}r_n^2 \leq 4.\] [i]L. Fejes-Toth, E. Szemeredi[/i]
Consider the intersection of an ellipsoid with a plane $ \sigma$ passing through its center $ O$. On the line through the point $ O$ perpendicular to $ \sigma$, mark the two points at a distance from $ O$ equal to the area of the intersection. Determine the loci of the marked points as $ \sigma$ runs through all such planes. [i]L. Tamassy[/i]
For which cardinalities $ \kappa$ do antimetric spaces of cardinality $ \kappa$ exist? $ (X,\varrho)$ is called an $ \textit{antimetric space}$ if $ X$ is a nonempty set, $ \varrho : X^2 \rightarrow [0,\infty)$ is a symmetric map, $ \varrho(x,y)\equal{}0$ holds iff $ x\equal{}y$, and for any three-element subset $ \{a_1,a_2,a_3 \}$ of $ X$ \[ \varrho(a_{1f},a_{2f})\plus{}\varrho(a_{2f},a_{3f}) < \varrho(a_{1f},a_{3f})\] holds for some permutation $ f$ of $ \{1,2,3 \}$. [i]V. Totik[/i]
Let $ R$ be a bounded domain of area $ t$ in the plane, and let $ C$ be its center of gravity. Denoting by $ T_{AB}$ the circle drawn with the diameter $ AB$, let $ K$ be a circle that contains each of the circles $ T_{AB} \;(A,B \in R)$. Is it true in general that $ K$ contains the circle of area $ 2t$ centered at $ C$? [i]J. Szucs[/i]
Let $ P(z)$ be a polynomial of degree $ n$ with complex coefficients, \[ P(0)\equal{}1, \;\textrm{and}\ \;|P(z)|\leq M\ \;\textrm{for}\ \;|z| \leq 1\ .\] Prove that every root of $ P(z)$ in the closed unit disc has multiplicity at most $ c\sqrt{n}$, where $ c\equal{}c(M) >0$ is a constant depending only on $ M$. [i]G. Halasz[/i]
Let $ K$ be a convex cone in the $ n$-dimensional real vector space $ \mathbb{R}^n$, and consider the sets $ A\equal{}K \cup (\minus{}K)$ and $ B\equal{}(\mathbb{R}^n \setminus A) \cup \{ 0 \}$ ($ 0$ is the origin). Show that one can find two subspaces in $ \mathbb{R}^n$ such that together they span $ \mathbb{R}^n$, and one of them lies in $ A$ and the other lies in $ B$. [i]J. Szucs[/i]
Let $\rho:\mathbb{R}^n\to \mathbb{R}$, $\rho(\mathbf{x})=e^{-||\mathbf{x}||^2}$, and let $K\subset \mathbb{R}^n$ be a convex body, i.e., a compact convex set with nonempty interior. Define the barycenter $\mathbf{s}_K$ of the body $K$ with respect to the weight function $\rho$ by the usual formula \[\mathbf{s}_K=\frac{\int_K\rho(\mathbf{x})\mathbf{x}d\mathbf{x}}{\int_K\rho(\mathbf{x})d\mathbf{x}}.\] Prove that the translates of the body $K$ have pairwise distinct barycenters with respect to $\rho$.
Assume that $ R$, a recursive, binary relation on $ \mathbb{N}$ (the set of natural numbers), orders $ \mathbb{N}$ into type $ \omega$. Show that if $ f(n)$ is the $ n$th element of this order, then $ f$ is not necessarily recursive. [i]L. Posa[/i]
Let $ p$ be a prime, $ n$ a natural number, and $ S$ a set of cardinality $ p^n$ . Let $ \textbf{P}$ be a family of partitions of $ S$ into nonempty parts of sizes divisible by $ p$ such that the intersection of any two parts that occur in any of the partitions has at most one element. How large can $ |\textbf{P}|$ be?
Show that for any natural number $ n$ and any real number $ d > 3^n / (3^n\minus{}1)$, one can find a covering of the unit square with $ n$ homothetic triangles with area of the union less than $ d$.
Can the set of positive rationals be split into two nonempty disjoint subsets $\mathbb Q_1$ and $\mathbb Q_2$, such that both are closed under addition, i.e. $p+q\in\mathbb Q_k$ for every $p,q\in\mathbb Q_k$, $k=1,2$? Can it be done when addition is exchanged for multiplication, i.e. $p\cdot q\in\mathbb Q_k$ for every $p,q\in\mathbb Q_k$, $k=1,2$?
[list] (a) Consider an ellipse in the plane. Prove that there exists a Riemannian metric which is defined on the whole plane, and with respect to which the ellipse is a geodesic. Prove that the Gaussian curvature of any such Riemannian metric takes a positive value. (b) Consider two nonintersecting, simple closed smooth curves in the plane. Prove that if there is a Riemmanian metric defined on the whole plane and the two curves are geodesics of that metric, then the Gaussian curvature of the metric vanishes somewhere. [/list] [i]Proposed by Tran Quoc Binh[/i]