Suppose $n\ge 2$. Consider the polynomial \[Q_n(x) = 1-x^n - (1-x)^n .\] Show that the equation $Q_n(x) = 0$ has only two real roots, namely $0$ and $1$.

Given $$x_1x_2 \cdots x_{2022} = 1,$$ $$(x_1 +1)(x_2 +1)\cdots (x_{2022} +1)=2,$$ $$\text{and so on},$$ $$(x_1 + 2021) (x_2 + 2021) \cdots (x_{2022} + 2021) = 2^{2021},$$ compute $$(x_1 +2022)(x_2 +2022) \cdots (x_{2022} +2022).$$

A walker and a jogger travel along the same straight line in the same direction. The walker walks at one meter per second, while the jogger runs at two meters per second. The jogger starts one meter in front of the walker. A dog starts with the walker, and then runs back and forth between the walker and the jogger with constant speed of three meters per second. Let $f(n)$ meters denote the total distance travelled by the dog when it has returned to the walker for the nth time (so $f(0)=0$). Find a formula for $f(n)$.

Let $n\geqslant 3$ be an integer. Prove that there exists a set $S$ of $2n$ positive integers satisfying the following property: For every $m=2,3,...,n$ the set $S$ can be partitioned into two subsets with equal sums of elements, with one of subsets of cardinality $m$.

Let the real numbers $a,b,c,d$ satisfy the relations $a+b+c+d=6$ and $a^2+b^2+c^2+d^2=12.$ Prove that \[36 \leq 4 \left(a^3+b^3+c^3+d^3\right) - \left(a^4+b^4+c^4+d^4 \right) \leq 48.\] [i]Proposed by Nazar Serdyuk, Ukraine[/i]

Consider a nonzero integer number $n$ and the function $f:\mathbb{N}\to \mathbb{N}$ by \[ f(x) = \begin{cases} \frac{x}{2} & \text{if } x \text{ is even} \\ \frac{x-1}{2} + 2^{n-1} & \text{if } x \text{ is odd} \end{cases}. \] Determine the set: \[ A = \{ x\in \mathbb{N} \mid \underbrace{\left( f\circ f\circ ....\circ f \right)}_{n\ f\text{'s}}\left( x \right)=x \}. \]

$f$ is a one-to-one function from the set of positive integers to itself such that $$f(xy) = f(x) × f(y)$$ Find the minimum possible value of $f(2020)$.

Find all real numbers $ a$ and $ b$ such that \[ 2(a^2 \plus{} 1)(b^2 \plus{} 1) \equal{} (a \plus{} 1)(b \plus{} 1)(ab \plus{} 1). \] [i]Valentin Vornicu[/i]

Higher Secondary P4 If the fraction $\dfrac{a}{b}$ is greater than $\dfrac{31}{17}$ in the least amount while $b<17$, find $\dfrac{a}{b}$.

Determine all injective functions defined on the set of positive integers into itself satisfying the following condition: If $S$ is a finite set of positive integers such that $\sum\limits_{s\in S}\frac{1}{s}$ is an integer, then $\sum\limits_{s\in S}\frac{1}{f\left( s\right) }$ is also an integer.

Determine all three-digit numbers $N$ having the property that $N$ is divisible by 11, and $\dfrac{N}{11}$ is equal to the sum of the squares of the digits of $N$.

Given integer $ n$ larger than $ 5$, solve the system of equations (assuming $x_i \geq 0$, for $ i=1,2, \dots n$): \[ \begin{cases} \displaystyle x_1+ \phantom{2^2} x_2+ \phantom{3^2} x_3 + \cdots + \phantom{n^2} x_n &= n+2, \\ x_1 + 2\phantom{^2}x_2 + 3\phantom{^2}x_3 + \cdots + n\phantom{^2}x_n &= 2n+2, \\ x_1 + 2^2x_2 + 3^2 x_3 + \cdots + n^2x_n &= n^2 + n +4, \\ x_1+ 2^3x_2 + 3^3x_3+ \cdots + n^3x_n &= n^3 + n + 8. \end{cases} \]

Let $0<k<1$ be a given real number and let $(a_n)_{n\ge1}$ be an infinite sequence of real numbers which satisfies $a_{n+1}\le\left(1+\frac kn\right)a_n-1$. Prove that there is an index $t$ such that $a_t<0$.

Prove that for any reals $a> b> c$, the inequality $a^2(b - c) + b^2(c - a) + c^2(a - b)> 0$.

Find all functions $f : \mathbb{Q} \to \mathbb{R}$ such that $f(x)f(y)f(x+y) = f(xy)(f(x) + f(y))$ for all $x,y\in\mathbb{Q}$. [i]Sammy Luo and Alex Zhu.[/i]

Find all $f : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{N} $ such that $f(a) + f(b)$ divides $2(a + b - 1)$ for all $a, b \in \mathbb{N}$. Remark: $\mathbb{N} = \{ 1, 2, 3, \ldots \} $ denotes the set of the positive integers.

Let $a,b,c>0$ be real numbers with sum 1. Prove that \[ \frac{a^2}b + \frac{b^2}c + \frac{c^2} a \geq 3(a^2+b^2+c^2) . \]

Determine all triplets of real numbers $ x,y,z$ satisfying \[1\plus{}x^4\leq 2(y\minus{}z)^2,\quad 1\plus{}y^4\leq 2(x\minus{}z)^2,\quad 1\plus{}z^4\leq 2(x\minus{}y)^2.\]

[i]20 problems for 20 minutes.[/i] [b]p1.[/b] Evaluate $=\frac{1}{2 \cdot 3 \cdot 4}+\frac{1}{3 \cdot 4 \cdot 5}$. [b]p2.[/b] A regular hexagon and a regular $n$-sided polygon have the same perimeter. If the ratio of the side length of the hexagon to the side length of the $n$-sided polygon is $2 : 1$, what is $n$? [b]p3.[/b] How many nonzero digits are there in the decimal representation of $2 \cdot 10\cdot 500 \cdot 2500$? [b]p4.[/b] When the numerator of a certain fraction is increased by $2012$, the value of the fraction increases by $2$. What is the denominator of the fraction? [b]p5.[/b] Sam did the computation $1 - 10 \cdot a + 22$, where $a$ is some real number, except he messed up his order of operations and computed the multiplication last; that is, he found the value of $(1 - 10) \cdot (a + 22)$ instead. Luckily, he still ended up with the right answer. What is $a$? [b]p6.[/b] Let $n! = n \cdot(n-1) \cdot\cdot\cdot 2 \cdot 1$. For how many integers $n$ between $1$ and $100$ inclusive is $n!$ divisible by $36$? [b]p7.[/b] Simplify the expression $\sqrt{\frac{3 \cdot 27^3}{27 \cdot 3^3}}$ [b]p8.[/b] Four points $A,B,C,D$ lie on a line in that order such that $\frac{AB}{CB}=\frac{AD}{CD}$ . Let $M$ be the midpoint of segment $AC$. If $AB = 6$, $BC = 2$, compute $MB \cdot MD$. [b]p9.[/b] Allan has a deck with $8$ cards, numbered $1$, $1$, $2$, $2$, $3$, $3$, $4$, $4$. He pulls out cards without replacement, until he pulls out an even numbered card, and then he stops. What is the probability that he pulls out exactly $2$ cards? [b]p10.[/b] Starting from the sequence $(3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, ... )$, one applies the following operation repeatedly. In each operation, we change the sequence $$(a_1, a_2, a_3, ... , a_{a_1-1}, a_{a_1} , a_{a_1+1},...)$$ to the sequence $$(a_2, a_3, ... , a_{a_1} , a_1, a_{a_1+1}, ...) .$$ (In other words, for a sequence starting with$ x$, we shift each of the next $x-1$ term to the left by one, and put x immediately to the right of these numbers, and keep the rest of the terms unchanged. For example, after one operation, the sequence is $(4, 5, 3, 6, 7, 8, ... )$, and after two operations, the sequence becomes $(5, 3, 6, 4, 7, 8,... )$. How many operations will it take to obtain a sequence of the form $(7, ... )$ (that is, a sequence starting with $7$)? [b]p11.[/b] How many ways are there to place $4$ balls into a $4\times 6$ grid such that no column or row has more than one ball in it? (Rotations and reflections are considered distinct.) [b]p12.[/b] Point $P$ lies inside triangle $ABC$ such that $\angle PBC = 30^o$ and $\angle PAC = 20^o$. If $\angle APB$ is a right angle, find the measure of $\angle BCA$ in degrees. [b]p13.[/b] What is the largest prime factor of $9^3 - 4^3$? [b]p14.[/b] Joey writes down the numbers $1$ through $10$ and crosses one number out. He then adds the remaining numbers. What is the probability that the sum is less than or equal to $47$? [b]p15.[/b] In the coordinate plane, a lattice point is a point whose coordinates are integers. There is a pile of grass at every lattice point in the coordinate plane. A certain cow can only eat piles of grass that are at most $3$ units away from the origin. How many piles of grass can she eat? [b]p16.[/b] A book has 1000 pages numbered $1$, $2$, $...$ , $1000$. The pages are numbered so that pages $1$ and $2$ are back to back on a single sheet, pages $3$ and $4$ are back to back on the next sheet, and so on, with pages $999$ and $1000$ being back to back on the last sheet. How many pairs of pages that are back to back (on a single sheet) share no digits in the same position? (For example, pages $9$ and $10$, and pages $89$ and $90$.) [b]p17.[/b] Find a pair of integers $(a, b)$ for which $\frac{10^a}{a!}=\frac{10^b}{b!}$ and $a < b$. [b]p18.[/b] Find all ordered pairs $(x, y)$ of real numbers satisfying $$\begin{cases} -x^2 + 3y^2 - 5x + 7y + 4 = 0 \\ 2x^2 - 2y^2 - x + y + 21 = 0 \end{cases}$$ [b]p19.[/b] There are six blank fish drawn in a line on a piece of paper. Lucy wants to color them either red or blue, but will not color two adjacent fish red. In how many ways can Lucy color the fish? [b]p20.[/b] There are sixteen $100$-gram balls and sixteen $99$-gram balls on a table (the balls are visibly indistinguishable). You are given a balance scale with two sides that reports which side is heavier or that the two sides have equal weights. A weighing is defined as reading the result of the balance scale: For example, if you place three balls on each side, look at the result, then add two more balls to each side, and look at the result again, then two weighings have been performed. You wish to pick out two different sets of balls (from the $32$ balls) with equal numbers of balls in them but different total weights. What is the minimal number of weighings needed to ensure this? PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

Let $P(x)$ be any polynomial of degree at most $3.$ It can be shown that there are numbers $x_1$ and $x_2$ such that $\textstyle\int_{-1}^1 P(x) \ dx = P(x_1) + P(x_2),$ where $x_1$ and $x_2$ are independent of the polynomial $P.$ (a) Show that $x_1=-x_2.$ (b) Find $x_1$ and $x_2.$

How many polynomial functions $f$ of degree $\ge 1$ satisfy \[ f(x^2)=[f(x)]^2=f(f(x)) \ ? \] $ \textbf{(A)}\ 0 \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 1 \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 2 \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \text{finitely many but more than 2} \\ \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \text{infinitely many} $

The functions $f(x)-x$ and $f(x^2)-x^6$ are defined for all positive $x$ and increase. Prove that the function $f(x^3) -\frac{\sqrt3}{2} x^6$ also increases for all positive $x$.

Prove that every rational number is representable as $x^4+y^4-z^4-t^4$ with rational $x,y,z,t$.

Let $ a,b,c$ be positive real numbers such that $ a^3 \plus{} b^3 \equal{} c^3$.Prove that: $ a^2 \plus{} b^2 \minus{} c^2 > 6(c \minus{} a)(c \minus{} b)$.

On a circular table sit $\displaystyle {n> 2}$ students. First, each student has just one candy. At each step, each student chooses one of the following actions: (A) Gives a candy to the student sitting on his left or to the student sitting on his right. (B) Separates all its candies in two, possibly empty, sets and gives one set to the student sitting on his left and the other to the student sitting on his right. At each step, students perform the actions they have chosen at the same time. A distribution of candy is called legitimate if it can occur after a finite number of steps. Find the number of legitimate distributions. (Two distributions are different if there is a student who has a different number of candy in each of these distributions.) （Forgive my poor English）