(1) Find the possible number of roots for the equation $|x + 1| + |x + 2| + |x + 3| = a$, where $x \in R$ and $a$ is parameter. (2) Let $\{ a_1, a_2, \ldots, a_n \}$ be an arithmetic progression, $n \in \mathbb{N}$, and satisfy the condition \[ \sum^{n}_{i=1}|a_i| = \sum^{n}_{i=1}|a_{i} + 1| = \sum^{n}_{i=1}|a_{i} - 2| = 507. \] Find the maximum value of $n$.

For a given natural number $n$, consider those sets $A\subseteq \mathbb{Z}_n$ for which the equation $xy=uv$ has no other solution in the residual classes $x,y,u,v\in A$ than the trivial solutions $x=u$, $y=v$ and $x=v$, $y=u$. Let $g(n)$ be the maximum of the size of such sets $A$. Prove that $$\limsup_{n\to\infty}\frac{g(n)}{\sqrt{n}}=1$$

Suppose that $k,m,n$ are positive integers with $k \le n$. Prove that: \[\sum_{r=0}^m \dfrac{k \binom{m}{r} \binom{n}{k}}{(r+k) \binom{m+n}{r+k}} = 1\]

Positive real numbers $x_1,x_2,...,x_n$ satisfy the condition $\sum_{i=1}^n x_i \le \sum_{i=1}^n x_i ^2$ . Prove the inequality $\sum_{i=1}^n x_i^t \le \sum_{i=1}^n x_i ^{t+1}$ for all real numbers $t > 1$.

Find all prime numbers $p$, for which there exist $x, y \in \mathbb{Q}^+$ and $n \in \mathbb{N}$, satisfying $x+y+\frac{p}{x}+\frac{p}{y}=3n$.

Show that \[\left(a+2b+\dfrac{2}{a+1}\right)\left(b+2a+\dfrac{2}{b+1}\right)\geq 16\] for all positive real numbers $a$ and $b$ such that $ab\geq 1$.

For each positive integer $n$, define $a_n = n(n + 1)$. Prove that $$n^{1/a_1} + n^{1/a_3} + n^{1/a_5} + ...+ n^{1/a_{2n-1}} \ge n^{a_{3n+2}/a_{3n+1}}$$ .

Let $a$ be a positive integer and let $\{a_n\}$ be defined by $a_0 = 0$ and \[a_{n+1 }= (a_n + 1)a + (a + 1)a_n + 2 \sqrt{a(a + 1)a_n(a_n + 1)} \qquad (n = 1, 2 ,\dots ).\] Show that for each positive integer $n$, $a_n$ is a positive integer.

Determine all triplets of positive integers $(p,m,n)$ such that $p$ is a prime, $m \neq n < 2p$ and $2 \nmid n$. Also, the following polynomial is reducible in $\mathbb{Z}[x]$ $$x^{2p} - 2px^m - p^2x^n - 1$$

Let $a \geq b \geq 1 \geq c \geq 0$ be real numbers such that $a+b+c=3$. Show that $$3 \left( \frac{a}{b}+\frac{b}{a} \right ) \geq 4c^2+\frac{a^2}{b}+\frac{b^2}{a}$$

$x, y, z$ are positive reals less than $1$. Show that at least one of $(1 - x)y$, $(1 - y)z$ and $(1 - z)x$ does not exceed $\frac14$ .

Define the distance between real numbers $x$ and $y$ by $d(x,y) =\sqrt{([x]-[y])^2+(\{x\}-\{y\})^2}$ . Determine (as a union of intervals) the set of real numbers whose distance from $3/2$ is less than $202/100$ .

Compute the sum of all positive real numbers $x \le 5$ satisfying $$x =\frac{ \lceil x^2 \rceil + \lceil x \rceil \cdot \lfloor x \rfloor}{ \lceil x\rceil + \lfloor x \rfloor}$$

Prove that there doesn't exist any function $f:\mathbb{N}\rightarrow \mathbb{N}$ such that : $f(f(n-1)=f(n+1)-f(n)$, for every natural $n\geq2$

How many integers belong to ($a,2008a$), where $a$ ($a > 0$) is given.

Let $p$ and $q$ be integers. Show that there exists an interval $I$ of length $1/q$ and a polynomial $P$ with integral coefficients such that \[ \left|P(x)-\frac pq \right| < \frac{1}{q^2}\]for all $x \in I.$

Determine all functions $f:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}$ such that for every pair of real numbers $x$ and $y$, \[f(x+y^2)=f(x)+|yf(y)|.\]

Suppose $A\subseteq \mathbb R^m$ is closed and non-empty. Let $f:A\to A$ is a lipchitz function with constant less than 1. (ie there exist $c<1$ that $|f(x)-f(y)|<c|x-y|,\ \forall x,y \in A)$. Prove that there exists a unique point $x\in A$ such that $f(x)=x$.

An equilateral triangle has inside it a point with distances 5,12,13 from the vertices . Find its side.

Find all functions $ f: \mathbb{R} \mapsto \mathbb{R}$ such that $ \forall x,y,z \in \mathbb{R}$ we have: If \[ x^3 \plus{} f(y) \cdot x \plus{} f(z) \equal{} 0,\] then \[ f(x)^3 \plus{} y \cdot f(x) \plus{} z \equal{} 0.\]

In $xyz$ space, find the volume of the solid expressed by $x^2+y^2\leq z\le \sqrt{3}y+1.$

Let's call this position of the hour and minute hands on the analog clock [i]wonderful[/i], during which the hands change places after some time. Count the total number of wonderful clockwise positions.

Let $a, b, c$ be nonzero integers such that $M = \frac{a}{b}+\frac{b}{c}+\frac{c}{a}$ and $N =\frac{a}{c}+\frac{b}{a}+\frac{c}{b}$ are both integers. Find $M$ and $N$.

[u]Round 5 [/u] [b]p13.[/b] A palindrome is a number that reads the same forward as backwards; for example, $121$ and $36463$ are palindromes. Suppose that $N$ is the maximal possible difference between two consecutive three-digit palindromes. Find the number of pairs of consecutive palindromes $(A, B)$ satisfying $A < B$ and $B - A = N$. [b]p14.[/b] Suppose that $x, y$, and $z$ are complex numbers satisfying $x +\frac{1}{yz} = 5$, $y +\frac{1}{zx} = 8$, and $z +\frac{1}{xy} = 6$. Find the sum of all possible values of $xyz$. [b]p15.[/b] Let $\Omega$ be a circle with radius $25\sqrt2$ centered at $O$, and let $C$ and $J$ be points on $\Omega$ such that the circle with diameter $\overline{CJ}$ passes through $O$. Let $Q$ be a point on the circle with diameter $\overline{CJ}$ satisfying $OQ = 5\sqrt2$. If the area of the region bounded by $\overline{CQ}$, $\overline{QJ}$, and minor arc $JC$ on $\Omega$ can be expressed as $\frac{a\pi-b}{c}$ for integers $a, b$, and $c$ with $gcd \,\,(a, c) = 1$, then find $a + b + c$. [u]Round 6[/u] [b]p16.[/b] Veronica writes $N$ integers between $2$ and $2020$ (inclusive) on a blackboard, and she notices that no number on the board is an integer power of another number on the board. What is the largest possible value of $N$? [b]p17.[/b] Let $ABC$ be a triangle with $AB = 12$, $AC = 16$, and $BC = 20$. Let $D$ be a point on $AC$, and suppose that $I$ and $J$ are the incenters of triangles $ABD$ and $CBD$, respectively. Suppose that $DI = DJ$. Find $IJ^2$. [b]p18.[/b] For each positive integer $a$, let $P_a = \{2a, 3a, 5a, 7a, . . .\}$ be the set of all prime multiples of $a$. Let $f(m, n) = 1$ if $P_m$ and $P_n$ have elements in common, and let $f(m, n) = 0$ if $P_m$ and $P_n$ have no elements in common. Compute $$\sum_{1\le i<j\le 50} f(i, j)$$ (i.e. compute $f(1, 2) + f(1, 3) + ,,, + f(1, 50) + f(2, 3) + f(2, 4) + ,,, + f(49, 50)$.) [u]Round 7[/u] [b]p19.[/b] How many ways are there to put the six letters in “$MMATHS$” in a two-by-three grid such that the two “$M$”s do not occupy adjacent squares and such that the letter “$A$” is not directly above the letter “$T$” in the grid? (Squares are said to be adjacent if they share a side.) [b]p20.[/b] Luke is shooting basketballs into a hoop. He makes any given shot with fixed probability $p$ with $p < 1$, and he shoots n shots in total with $n \ge 2$. Miraculously, in $n$ shots, the probability that Luke makes exactly two shots in is twice the probability that Luke makes exactly one shot in! If $p$ can be expressed as $\frac{k}{100}$ for some integer $k$ (not necessarily in lowest terms), find the sum of all possible values for $k$. [b]p21.[/b] Let $ABCD$ be a rectangle with $AB = 24$ and $BC = 72$. Call a point $P$ [i]goofy [/i] if it satisfies the following conditions: $\bullet$ $P$ lies within $ABCD$, $\bullet$ for some points $F$ and $G$ lying on sides $BC$ and $DA$ such that the circles with diameter $BF$ and $DG$ are tangent to one another, $P$ lies on their common internal tangent. Find the smallest possible area of a polygon that contains every single goofy point inside it. PS. You should use hide for answers. Rounds 1-4 have been posted [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c4h2800971p24674988]here[/url]. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

A sequence $(a_n)_{n\ge 1}$ of integers is defined by the recurrence \[a_1=1,\ a_2=5,\ a_n=\frac{a_{n-1}^2+4}{a_{n-2}}\ \text{for}\ n\ge 2.\] Prove that all terms of the sequence are integers and find an explicit formula for $a_n$.