Consider the set of all polynomials of degree less than or equal to $4$ with rational coefficients. a) Prove that it has a vector space structure over the field of numbers rational. b) Prove that the polynomials $1, x - 2, (x -2)^2, (x - 2)^3$ and $(x -2)^4$ form a base of this space. c) Express the polynomial $7 + 2x - 45x^2 + 3x^4$ in the previous base.

Given a positive real $t$, a set $S$ of nonnegative reals is called $t$-good if for any two distinct elements $a,b$ in $S$, $\frac{a+b}2\ge\sqrt{ab}+t$. For all positive reals $N$, find the maximum number of elements a $t$-good set can have, if all elements are at most $N$. [i](Proposed by Ho Janson)[/i]

Let $f : \mathbb{N} \longrightarrow \mathbb{N}$ be a function such that $(x + y)f (x) \le x^2 + f (xy) + 110$, for all $x, y$ in $\mathbb{N}$. Determine the minimum and maximum values of $f (23) + f (2011)$.

Given a real number $\alpha$, find all pairs $(f,g)$ of functions $f,g :\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ such that $$xf(x+y)+\alpha \cdot yf(x-y)=g(x)+g(y) \;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;\; ,\forall x,y \in \mathbb{R}.$$

Find all functions $f:\mathbb{Z} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ such that $f(1)=\tfrac{5}{2}$ and that \[f(x)f(y)=f(x+y)+f(x-y)\] for all integers $x$ and $y$.

Assume that every root of polynomial $P(x) = x^d - a_1x^{d-1} + ... + (-1)^{d-k}a_d$ is in $[0,1]$. Show that for every $k = 1,2,...,d$ the following inequality holds: $ a_k - a_{k+1} + ... + (-1)^{d-k}a_d \geq 0 $

Let $\mathcal{S}$ be the set of all nonconstant polynomials $P$ with integer coefficients satisfying $P(\sqrt{3}+\sqrt{2})=P(\sqrt{3}-\sqrt{2}).$ If $Q$ is an element of $\mathcal{S}$ with minimal degree, compute the only possible value of $Q(10)-Q(0).$

Prove that for all $n \in \mathbb N$ the following is true: \[2^n \prod_{k=1}^n \sin \frac{k \pi}{2n+1} = \sqrt{2n+1}\]

a) Does there exist a function $f: N \to N$ such that $f(f(n))=f(n+1) - f(n)$ for all $n \in N$? b) Does there exist a function $f: N \to N$ such that $f(f(n))=f(n+2) - f(n)$ for all $n \in N$? I. Voronovich

A sequence of real numbers $ x_0, x_1, x_2, \ldots$ is defined as follows: $ x_0 \equal{} 1989$ and for each $ n \geq 1$ \[ x_n \equal{} \minus{} \frac{1989}{n} \sum^{n\minus{}1}_{k\equal{}0} x_k.\] Calculate the value of $ \sum^{1989}_{n\equal{}0} 2^n x_n.$

Let $n\ge m\ge 1$ be integers. Prove that \[\sum_{k=m}^n \left (\frac 1{k^2}+\frac 1{k^3}\right) \ge m\cdot \left(\sum_{k=m}^n \frac 1{k^2}\right)^2.\] [i]Raymond Feng and Luke Robitaille[/i]

Find all functions $f: R \to R$ that satisfy $f (x) + 2f (\sqrt[3]{1-x^3}) = x^3$ for all real $x$. (Here $\sqrt[3]{x}$ is defined all over $R$.)

Positive real numbers $ x$, $ y$ satisfy the equations $ x^2 \plus{} y^2 \equal{} 1$ and $ x^4 \plus{} y^4 \equal{} \frac {17}{18}$. Find $ xy$.

Find all polynomials $P(x)$ and $Q(x)$ with real coefficients such that $$P(Q(x))=P(x)^{2017}$$ for all real numbers $x$.

Suppose a biased coin gives head with probability $\dfrac{2}{3}$. The coin is tossed repeatedly, if it shows heads then player $A$ rolls a fair die, otherwise player $B$ rolls the same die. The process ends when one of the players get a $6$, and that player is declared the winner. If the probability that $A$ will win is given by $\dfrac{m}{n}$ where $m,n$ are coprime, then what is the value of $m^2n$?

For a fixed $k$ with $4 \le k \le 9$ consider the set of all positive integers with $k$ decimal digits such that each of the digits from $1$ to $k$ occurs exactly once. Show that it is possible to partition this set into two disjoint subsets such that the sum of the cubes of the numbers in the first set is equal to the sum of the cubes in the second set.

Thirty numbers are placed on a circle. For every number $A$ we have: $A$ equals the absolute value of $(B- C)$, where $B$ and $C$ follow $A$ clockwise. The total sum of the numbers equals $1$. Find all the numbers. (Folklore)

Prove the equality $${n \choose 0}^2+ {n \choose 1}^2+ {n \choose 2}^2+...+{n \choose n}^2={2n \choose n}$$

Let $n \geq 3$ be a positive integer. A [i]chipped $n$-board[/i] is a $2 \times n$ checkerboard with the bottom left square removed. Lino wants to tile a chipped $n$-board and is allowed to use the following types of tiles: [list] [*] Type 1: any $1 \times k$ board where $1 \leq k \leq n$ [*] Type 2: any chipped $k$-board where $1 \leq k \leq n$ that must cover the left-most tile of the $2 \times n$ checkerboard. [/list] Two tilings $T_1$ and $T_2$ are considered the same if there is a set of consecutive Type 1 tiles in both rows of $T_1$ that can be vertically swapped to obtain the tiling $T_2$. For example, the following three tilings of a chipped $7$-board are the same: [img]http://i.imgur.com/8QaSgc0.png[/img] For any positive integer $n$ and any positive integer $1 \leq m \leq 2n - 1$, let $c_{m,n}$ be the number of distinct tilings of a chipped $n$-board using exactly $m$ tiles (any combination of tile types may be used), and define the polynomial $$P_n(x) = \sum^{2n-1}_{m=1} c_{m,n}x^m.$$ Find, with justification, polynomials $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ such that $$P_n(x) = f(x)P_{n-1}(x) + g(x)P_{n-2}(x)$$ for all $n \geq 3$.

Let $M$ be the set of real numbers of the form $\frac{m+n}{\sqrt{m^2+n^2}}$, where $m$ and $n$ are positive integers. Prove that for every pair $x \in M, y \in M$ with $x < y$, there exists an element $z \in M$ such that $x < z < y.$

Let $f: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ be a function such that $$\displaystyle{f(f(x)) = \frac{x^2 - x}{2}\cdot f(x) + 2-x,}$$ for all $x \in \mathbb{R}.$ Find all possible values of $f(2).$

You are given $n \geq 3$ distinct real numbers. Prove that one can choose either $3$ numbers with positive sum, or $2$ numbers with negative sum. [i]Proposed by Mykhailo Shtandenko[/i]

The numbers $1, 2, 3, . . . , 101$ are written in a row in some order. Prove that it is always possible to erase $90 $ of the numbers so that the remaining $11$ numbers remain arranged in either increasing or decreasing order.

For all integers $ {a}_{0},{a}_{1}, \cdot\cdot\cdot {a}_{100}$, find the maximum of ${a}_{5}-2{a}_{40}+3{a}_{60}-4{a}_{95} $ $\bigstar$ 1) ${a}_{0}={a}_{100}=0$ 2) for all $i=0,1,\cdot \cdot \cdot 99, $ $|{a}_{i+1}-{a}_{i}|\le1$ 3) $ {a}_{10}={a}_{90} $

For all reals $x,y,z$ prove that $$\sqrt {x^2+\frac {1}{y^2}}+ \sqrt {y^2+\frac {1}{z^2}}+ \sqrt {z^2+\frac {1}{x^2}}\geq 3\sqrt {2}. $$