Let $S$ be a finite set. $f$ is a function defined on the subset-group $2^S$ of set $S$. $f$ is called $\textsl{monotonic decreasing}$ if when $X \subseteq Y\subseteq S$, then $f(X) \geq f(Y)$ holds. Prove that: $f(X \cup Y)+f(X \cap Y ) \leq f(X)+ f(Y)$ for $X, Y \subseteq S$ if and only if $g(X)=f(X \cup \{ a \}) - f(X)$ is a $\textsl{monotonic decreasing}$ funnction on the subset-group $2^{S \setminus \{a\}}$ of set $S \setminus \{a\}$ for any $a \in S$.

Determine the values that \(n\) can take so that the equation in \( x \) $$ x^4-(3n+2)x^2+n^2=0$$ has four different real roots \( x_1\), \(x_2\), \(x_3\) and \(x_4\) in arithmetic progression. That is, they satisfy that $$x_4-x_3=x_3-x_2=x_2-x_1$$

For non negative reals $a,b$ we know that $a^2+a+b^2\ge a^4+a^3+b^4$. Prove that $$\frac{1-a^4}{a^2}\ge \frac{b^2-1}{b}$$

Solve the following Diophantines. [b]a)[/b] $ x^2+y^2=6z^2 $ [b]b)[/b] $ x^2+y^2-2x+4y-1=0 $ [i]Dan Negulescu[/i]

Consider a function $f:\mathbb{Z}\to \mathbb{Z}$ such that: \[f(m^2+f(n))=f^2(m)+n,\ \forall m,n\in \mathbb{Z}\] Prove that: a)$f(0)=0$; b)$f(1)=1$; c)$f(n)=n,\ \forall n\in \mathbb{Z}$ [i]Lucian Dragomir[/i]

[b]p1.[/b] A [i]multimagic [/i] square is a $3 \times 3$ array of distinct positive integers with the property that the product of the $3$ numbers in each row, each column, and each of the two diagonals of the array is always the same. (a) Prove that the numbers $1, 2, 3, . . . , 9$ cannot be used to form a multimagic square. (b) Give an example of a multimagic square. [b]p2.[/b] A sequence $a_1, a_2, a_3, ... , a_n$ of real numbers is called an arithmetic progression if $$a_1 - a_2 = a_2 - a_3 = ... = a_{n-1} - a_n.$$ Prove that there exist distinct positive integers $n_1, n_2, n_3, ... , n_{2014}$ such that $$\frac{1}{n_1},\frac{1}{n_2}, ... ,\frac{1}{n_{2014}}$$ is an arithmetic progression. [b]p3.[/b] Let $\lfloor x \rfloor$ be the largest integer that is less than or equal to $x$. For example, $\lfloor 3.9 \rfloor = 3$ and $\lfloor 4\rfloor = 4$. Determine (with proof) all real solutions of the equation $$x^2 - 25 \lfloor x\rfloor + 100 = 0.$$ [b]p4.[/b] An army has $10$ cannons and $8$ carts. Each cart can carry at most one cannon. It takes one day for a cart to cross the desert. What is the least number of days that it takes to get the cannons across the desert? (Cannons can be left part way and picked up later during the procedure.) Prove that the amount of time that your solution requires to move the cannons across the desert is the smallest possible. [b]p5.[/b] Let $C$ be a convex polygon with $4031$ sides. Let $p$ be the length of its perimeter and let $d$ be the sum of the lengths of its diagonals. Show that $$\frac{d}{p}> 2014.$$ PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

Let $\mathbb{Q}$ denote the set of rational numbers. Determine all functions $f:\mathbb{Q}\longrightarrow\mathbb{Q}$ such that, for all $x, y \in \mathbb{Q}$, $$f(x)f(y+1)=f(xf(y))+f(x)$$ [i]Nicolás López Funes and José Luis Narbona Valiente, Spain[/i]

[b]p1.[/b] Solve: $INK + INK + INK + INK + INK + INK = PEN$ ($INK$ and $PEN$ are $3$-digit numbers, and different letters stand for different digits). [b]p2. [/b]Two people play a game. They put $3$ piles of matches on the table: the first one contains $1$ match, the second one $3$ matches, and the third one $4$ matches. Then they take turns making moves. In a move, a player may take any nonzero number of matches FROM ONE PILE. The player who takes the last match from the table loses the game. a) The player who makes the first move can win the game. What is the winning first move? b) How can he win? (Describe his strategy.) [b]p3.[/b] The planet Naboo is under attack by the imperial forces. Three rebellion camps are located at the vertices of a triangle. The roads connecting the camps are along the sides of the triangle. The length of the first road is less than or equal to $20$ miles, the length of the second road is less than or equal to $30$ miles, and the length of the third road is less than or equal to $45$ miles. The Rebels have to cover the area of this triangle with a defensive field. What is the maximal area that they may need to cover? [b]p4.[/b] Money in Wonderland comes in $\$5$ and $\$7$ bills. What is the smallest amount of money you need to buy a slice of pizza that costs $\$ 1$ and get back your change in full? (The pizza man has plenty of $\$5$ and $\$7$ bills.) For example, having $\$7$ won't do, since the pizza man can only give you $\$5$ back. [b]p5.[/b] (a) Put $5$ points on the plane so that each $3$ of them are vertices of an isosceles triangle (i.e., a triangle with two equal sides), and no three points lie on the same line. (b) Do the same with $6$ points. PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

What is the smallest value of \( k \) such that for any polynomial \( f(x) \) of degree $100$ with real coefficients, there exists a polynomial \( g(x) \) of degree at most \( k \) with real coefficients such that the graphs of \( y = f(x) \) and \( y = g(x) \) intersect at exactly $100$ points? \\

Determine all integers $n\ge 2$ with the following property: there exist nonzero real numbers $x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n,y$ such that \[(x_1+x_2+\ldots+x_k)(x_{k+1}+x_{k+2}+\ldots+x_n)=y\] for all $k\in\{1,2,\ldots,n-1\}$.

Find all solutions of the following functional equation: \[f(x^{2}+y+f(y))=2y+f(x)^{2}. \]

For real numbers $a$, $b$, $c$ and $d$ holds: $$ a+b+c+d=0$$ $$a^3+b^3+c^3+d^3=0$$ Prove that sum of some two numbers $a$, $b$, $c$ and $d$ is equal to zero

Consider all possible integers $n \ge 0$ such that $(5 \cdot 3^m) + 4 = n^2$ holds for some corresponding integer $m \ge 0$. Find the sum of all such $n$.

Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers such that $b^3+b\le a-a^3$. Prove that: i) $b<a<1$ ii) $a^2+b^2<1$

It's given system of equations $a_{11}x_1+a_{12}x_2+a_{1n}x_n=b_1$ $a_{21}x_1+a_{22}x_2+a_{2n}x_n=b_2$ .......... $a_{n1}x_1+a_{n2}x_2+a_{nn}x_n=b_n$ such that $a_{11},a_{12},...,a_{1n},b_1,a_{21},a_{22},...,a_{2n},b_2,...,a_{n1},a_{n2},...,a_{nn},b_n,$ form an arithmetic sequence.If system has one solution find it

Prove that if the roots of the equation $x^2 + px + q = 0$ are real, then for any real number $a$ the roots of the equation $$x^2 + px + q + (x + a) (2x + p) = 0$$ are also real.

Determine the number of polynomials of degree $ 3 $ that are irreducible over the field of integers modulo a prime.

Let $n\ge 2$ be a positive integer. Find the number of functions $f:\{1,2,\ldots ,n\}\rightarrow\{1,2,3,4,5 \}$ which have the following property: $|f(k+1)-f(k)|\ge 3$, for any $k=1,2,\ldots n-1$. [i]Vasile Pop[/i]

a) Find an integer $a$ for which $(x - a)(x - 10) + 1$ factors in the product $(x + b)(x + c)$ with integers $b$ and $c$. b) Find nonzero and nonequal integers $a, b, c$ so that $x(x - a)(x - b)(x - c) + 1$ factors into the product of two polynomials with integer coefficients.

[b]6.1[/b] Three shooters - Anilov, Borisov and Vorobiev - made $6$ each shots at one target and scored equal points. It is known that Anilov scored $43$ points in the first three shots, and Borisov scored $43$ points with the first shot knocked out 3 points. How many points did each shooter score per shot? if there was one hit in 50, two in 25, three in 20, three in 10, two in 5, in 3 - two, in 2 - two, in 1 - three? [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/a/1/4abb71f7bccc0b9d2e22066ec17c31ef139d6a.png[/img] [b]6.2 / 7.4 [/b]Prove that a $10 \times 10$ chessboard cannot be covered with $ 25$ figures like [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/0/4/89aafe1194628332ec13ad1c713bb35cbefff7.png[/img]. [b]6.3[/b] The squares of a chessboard contain natural numbers such that each is equal to the arithmetic mean of its neighbors. Sum of numbers standing in the corners of the board is $16$. Find the number standing on the field $e2$. [b]6.4 [/b] There is a table $ 100 \times 100$. What is the smallest number of letters which can be arranged in its cells so that no two are identical the letters weren't next to each other? [b]6.5[/b] The pioneer detachment is lined up in a rectangle. In each rank the tallest is noted, and from these pioneers the most short. In each row, the lowest one is noted, and from them is selected the tallest. Which of these two pioneers is taller? (This means that the two pioneers indicated are the highest of the low and the lowest of tall - must be different) [b]6.6[/b] Find the product of three numbers whose sum is equal to the sum of their squares, equal to the sum of their cubes and equal to $1$. PS. You should use hide for answers.Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c3983461_1964_leningrad_math_olympiad]here[/url].

$n$ is a positive integer, $K$ the set of polynoms of real variables $x_1,x_2,...,x_{n+1}$ and $y_1,y_2,...,y_{n+1}$, function $f:K\rightarrow K$ satisfies \[f(p+q)=f(p)+f(q),\quad f(pq)=f(p)q+pf(q),\quad (\forall)p,q\in K.\] If $f(x_i)=(n-1)x_i+y_i,\quad f(y_i)=2ny_i$ for all $i=1,2,...,n+1$ and \[\prod_{i=1}^{n+1}(tx_i+y_i)=\sum_{i=0}^{n+1}p_it^{n+1-i}\] for any real $t$, prove, that for all $k=1,...,n+1$ \[f(p_{k-1})=kp_k+(n+1)(n+k-2)p_{k-1}\]

Let $\mathbb{Z}_{\ge 0}$ be the set of all nonnegative integers. Find all the functions $f: \mathbb{Z}_{\ge 0} \rightarrow \mathbb{Z}_{\ge 0} $ satisfying the relation \[ f(f(f(n))) = f(n+1 ) +1 \] for all $ n\in \mathbb{Z}_{\ge 0}$.

A function $f$ with its domain on the positive integers $N =\{1, 2, ...\}$ satisfies the following conditions: (a) $f(1) = 2017$. (b) $\sum_{i=1}^n f(i) = n^2f(n)$, for every positive integer $n > 1$. What is the value of $f(2017)$?

Does there exist an positive integer $n$, so that for any positive integer $m<1002$, there exists an integer $k$ so that \[\displaystyle \frac{m}{1002} < \frac{k}{n} < \frac {m+1}{1003}\] holds? If $n$ does not exist, prove it; if $n$ exists, determine the minimum value of it. I know this problem was easy, but it still appeared on our TST, and so I posted it here.

Let $0<k<\frac{1}{2}$ be a real number and let $a_0, b_0$ be arbitrary real numbers in $(0,1)$. The sequences $(a_n)_{n\ge 0}$ and $(b_n)_{n\ge 0}$ are then defined recursively by $$a_{n+1} = \dfrac{a_n+1}{2} \text{ and } b_{n+1} = b_n^k$$ for $n\ge 0$. Prove that $a_n<b_n$ for all sufficiently large $n$. [i]Proposed by Michael Ma