Over all real numbers $x$, let $k$ be the minimum possible value of the expression $$\sqrt{x^2 + 9} +\sqrt{x^2 - 6x + 45}.$$ Determine $k^2$.

Let $\{a_n\}$, $\{b_n\}$ be sequences of positive real numbers satisfying $$a_n=\sqrt{\frac{1}{100} \sum\limits_{j=1}^{100} b_{n-j}^2}$$ and $$b_n=\sqrt{\frac{1}{100} \sum\limits_{j=1}^{100} a_{n-j}^2}$$ For all $n\ge 101$. Prove that there exists $m\in \mathbb{N}$ such that $|a_m-b_m|<0.001$ [url=https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/417529866] Link [/url]

Determine all functions $f:\mathbb{R}_+\to\mathbb{R}_+$ which satisfy \[f\left(\frac{y}{f(x)}\right)+x=f(xy)+f(f(x)),\]for any positive real numbers $x$ and $y$. [i]Proposed by Pavel Ciurea[/i]

[u]Round 5 [/u] [b]p13.[/b] Circles $\omega_1$, $\omega_2$, and $\omega_3$ have radii $8$, $5$, and $5$, respectively, and each is externally tangent to the other two. Circle $\omega_4$ is internally tangent to $\omega_1$, $\omega_2$, and $\omega_3$, and circle $\omega_5$ is externally tangent to the same three circles. Find the product of the radii of $\omega_4$ and $\omega_5$. [b]p14.[/b] Pythagoras has a regular pentagon with area $1$. He connects each pair of non-adjacent vertices with a line segment, which divides the pentagon into ten triangular regions and one pentagonal region. He colors in all of the obtuse triangles. He then repeats this process using the smaller pentagon. If he continues this process an infinite number of times, what is the total area that he colors in? Please rationalize the denominator of your answer. p15. Maisy arranges $61$ ordinary yellow tennis balls and $3$ special purple tennis balls into a $4 \times 4 \times 4$ cube. (All tennis balls are the same size.) If she chooses the tennis balls’ positions in the cube randomly, what is the probability that no two purple tennis balls are touching? [u]Round 6 [/u] [b]p16.[/b] Points $A, B, C$, and $D$ lie on a line (in that order), and $\vartriangle BCE$ is isosceles with $\overline{BE} = \overline{CE}$. Furthermore, $F$ lies on $\overline{BE}$ and $G$ lies on $\overline{CE}$ such that $\vartriangle BFD$ and $\vartriangle CGA$ are both congruent to $\vartriangle BCE$. Let $H$ be the intersection of $\overline{DF}$ and $\overline{AG}$, and let $I$ be the intersection of $\overline{BE}$ and $\overline{AG}$. If $m \angle BCE = arcsin \left( \frac{12}{13} \right)$, what is $\frac{\overline{HI}}{\overline{FI}}$ ? [b]p17.[/b] Three states are said to form a tri-state area if each state borders the other two. What is the maximum possible number of tri-state areas in a country with fifty states? Note that states must be contiguous and that states touching only at “corners” do not count as bordering. [b]p18.[/b] Let $a, b, c, d$, and $e$ be integers satisfying $$2(\sqrt[3]{2})^2 + \sqrt[3]{2}a + 2b + (\sqrt[3]{2})^2c +\sqrt[3]{2}d + e = 0$$ and $$25\sqrt5 i + 25a - 5\sqrt5 ib - 5c + \sqrt5 id + e = 0$$ where $i =\sqrt{-1}$. Find $|a + b + c + d + e|$. [u]Round 7[/u] [b]p19.[/b] What is the greatest number of regions that $100$ ellipses can divide the plane into? Include the unbounded region. [b]p20.[/b] All of the faces of the convex polyhedron $P$ are congruent isosceles (but NOT equilateral) triangles that meet in such a way that each vertex of the polyhedron is the meeting point of either ten base angles of the faces or three vertex angles of the faces. (An isosceles triangle has two base angles and one vertex angle.) Find the sum of the numbers of faces, edges, and vertices of $P$. [b]p21.[/b] Find the number of ordered $2018$-tuples of integers $(x_1, x_2, .... x_{2018})$, where each integer is between $-2018^2$ and $2018^2$ (inclusive), satisfying $$6(1x_1 + 2x_2 +...· + 2018x_{2018})^2 \ge (2018)(2019)(4037)(x^2_1 + x^2_2 + ... + x^2_{2018}).$$ PS. You should use hide for answers. Rounds 1-4 have been posted [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c4h2784936p24472982]here[/url]. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

Find all quadruples of real numbers such that each of them is equal to the product of some two other numbers in the quadruple.

Let $u_1, u_2, \dots, u_{2019}$ be real numbers satisfying \[u_{1}+u_{2}+\cdots+u_{2019}=0 \quad \text { and } \quad u_{1}^{2}+u_{2}^{2}+\cdots+u_{2019}^{2}=1.\] Let $a=\min \left(u_{1}, u_{2}, \ldots, u_{2019}\right)$ and $b=\max \left(u_{1}, u_{2}, \ldots, u_{2019}\right)$. Prove that \[ a b \leqslant-\frac{1}{2019}. \]

Let $f$ and $g$ be linear functions such that $f(g(2021))-g(f(2021)) = 20$. Compute $f(g(2022))- g(f(2022))$. (Note: A function h is linear if $h(x) = ax + b$ for all real numbers $x$.)

Is it true that for every $n\ge 2021$ there exist $n$ integer numbers such that the square of each number is equal to the sum of all other numbers, and not all the numbers are equal? (O. Rudenko)

Find all functions $f$ from the set of real numbers into the set of real numbers which satisfy for all $x$, $y$ the identity \[ f\left(xf(x+y)\right) = f\left(yf(x)\right) +x^2\] [i]Proposed by Japan[/i]

Suppose $a$ is a non-zero real number such that $a +\frac{1}{a}$ is a whole number. (a) Prove that $a^2 +\frac{1}{a^2}$ is also an integer. (b) Prove that $a^n+\frac{1}{a^n}$ is also an integer, for any integer value positive of $n$.

For a polynomial $ P(x)$ with integer coefficients, $ r(2i \minus{} 1)$ (for $ i \equal{} 1,2,3,\ldots,512$) is the remainder obtained when $ P(2i \minus{} 1)$ is divided by $ 1024$. The sequence \[ (r(1),r(3),\ldots,r(1023)) \] is called the [i]remainder sequence[/i] of $ P(x)$. A remainder sequence is called [i]complete[/i] if it is a permutation of $ (1,3,5,\ldots,1023)$. Prove that there are no more than $ 2^{35}$ different complete remainder sequences.

a)Let $A,B\in \mathcal{M}_3(\mathbb{R})$ such that $\text{rank}\ A>\text{rank}\ B$. Prove that $\text{rank}\ A^2\ge \text{rank}\ B^2$. b)Find the non-constant polynomials $f\in \mathbb{R}[X]$ such that $(\forall)A,B\in \mathcal{M}_4(\mathbb{R})$ with $\text{rank}\ A>\text{rank}\ B$, we have $\text{rank}\ f(A)>\text{rank}\ f(B)$.

Given a real number $c$ and an integer $m, m \ge 2$. Real numbers $x_1, x_2,... , x_m$ satisfy the conditions $x_1 + x_2 +...+ x_m = 0$ and $\frac{x^2_1 + x^2_2 + ...+ x^2_m}{m}= c$. Find max $(x_1, x_2,..., x_m)$ if it is known to be as small as possible.

Solve the equation: $x^3-2ax^2+(a^2-2\sqrt2 a -6)x + 2\sqrt2 a^2+ 8a + 4\sqrt2 =0$

Show that for all $x > 1$ there is a triangle with sides, $x^4 + x^3 + 2x^2 + x + 1, 2x^3 + x^2 + 2x + 1, x^4 - 1.$

For arbitrary non-constant polynomials $f_1(x),\ldots,f_{2018}(x)\in\mathbb Z[x]$, is it always possible to find a polynomial $g(x)\in\mathbb Z[x]$ such that $$f_1(g(x)),\ldots,f_{2018}(g(x))$$are all reducible.

Determine $x^2+y^2$ and $x^4+y^4$, when $x^3+y^3=2$ and $x+y=1$

How many integers are there in $(b,2008b]$, where $b$ ($b > 0$) is given.

How many numbers $\overline{abc}$ with $a,b,c>0$ there exists such that $$\overline{cba}\mid \overline{abc}$$ $\textbf{1.1.}$ The vertical line denotes that $\overline{cba}$ divides $\overline{abc}.$ [i]Proposed by Roger Carranza, Choluteca[/i]

A positive integer $d$ and a permutation of positive integers $a_1,a_2,a_3,\dots$ is given such that for all indices $i\geq 10^{100}$, $|a_{i+1}-a_{i}|\leq 2d$ holds. Prove that there exists infinity many indices $j$ such that $|a_j -j|< d$.

A large candle is $119$ centimeters tall. It is designed to burn down more quickly when it is first lit and more slowly as it approaches its bottom. Specifically, the candle takes $10$ seconds to burn down the first centimeter from the top, $20$ seconds to burn down the second centimeter, and $10k$ seconds to burn down the $k$-th centimeter. Suppose it takes $T$ seconds for the candle to burn down completely. Then $\tfrac{T}{2}$ seconds after it is lit, the candle's height in centimeters will be $h$. Find $10h$.

Prove that the real and imaginary part of the number $ \prod_{j=1}^n (j^3+\sqrt{-1}) $ is positive, for any natural numbers $ n. $ [i]Nicolae Mușuroia[/i]

Do there exist two polynomials $P(x)$ and $Q(x)$ with integer coefficients such that $$(P-Q)(x), \,\,\,\, P(x) \,\,\,\, and \,\,\,\,(P+Q)(x)$$ are squares of polynomials (and $Q$ is not equal to $cP$, where $c$ is a real number)? (V Prasolov)

Let $p$ be a prime number. $T(x)$ is a polynomial with integer coefficients and degree from the set $\{0,1,...,p-1\}$ and such that $T(n) \equiv T(m) (mod p)$ for some integers m and n implies that $ m \equiv n (mod p)$. Determine the maximum possible value of degree of $T(x)$

Consider positive real numbers $x,y,z$. Prove the inequality $$\frac 1x+\frac 1y+\frac 1z+\frac{9}{x+y+z}\ge 3\left (\left (\frac{1}{2x+y}+\frac{1}{x+2y}\right )+\left (\frac{1}{2y+z}+\frac{1}{y+2z}\right )+\left (\frac{1}{2z+x}+\frac{1}{x+2z}\right )\right ).$$ [i] (Vlad Robu \& Sergiu Novac)[/i]