For two non-zero real numbers $a, b$ , the equation, $a(x-a)^2 + b(x-b)^2 = 0$ has a unique solution. Prove that $a=\pm b$.

The sequence of reals $a_1, a_2, a_3, \ldots$ is defined recursively by the recurrence: $$\dfrac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} - 3 = a_n(a_n - 3)$$ Given that $a_{2021} = 2021$, find $a_1$.

Determine whether the polynomial $P(x)=(x^2-2x+5)(x^2-4x+20)+1$ is irreducible over $\mathbb{Z}[X]$.

Determine all functions $f: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ that satisfy $$(f(a)-f(b))(f(b)-f(c))(f(c)-f(a)) = f(ab^2+bc^2+ca^2) - f(a^2b+b^2c+c^2a)$$for all real numbers $a$, $b$, $c$. [i]Proposed by Ankan Bhattacharya, USA[/i]

Let $p$ be a prime number. Prove that the determinant of the matrix \[ \begin{bmatrix}x & y & z\\ x^p & y^p & z^p \\ x^{p^2} & y^{p^2} & z^{p^2} \end{bmatrix} \] is congruent modulo $p$ to a product of polynomials of the form $ax+by+cz$, where $a$, $b$, and $c$ are integers. (We say two integer polynomials are congruent modulo $p$ if corresponding coefficients are congruent modulo $p$.)

For all positive real numbers $a, b,c.$ Prove the folllowing inequality$$\frac{a}{c+5b}+\frac{b}{a+5c}+\frac{c}{b+5a}\geq\frac{1}{2}.$$

Assume that $a$ is a given irrational number. (a) Prove that for each positive real number $\epsilon$ there exists at least one integer $q\ge0$ such that $aq-\lfloor aq\rfloor<\epsilon$. (b) Prove that for given $\epsilon>0$ there exist infinitely many rational numbers $\frac pq$ such that $q>0$ and $\left|a-\frac pq\right|<\frac\epsilon q$.

[u]Round 5[/u] [b]5.1[/b] A circle with a radius of $1$ is inscribed in a regular hexagon. This hexagon is inscribed in a larger circle. If the area that is outside the hexagon but inside the larger circle can be expressed as $\frac{a\pi}{b} - c\sqrt{d}$, where $a, b, c, d$ are positive integers, $a, b$ are relatively prime, and no prime perfect square divides into $d$. find the value of $a + b + c + d$. [b]5.2[/b] At a dinner party, $10$ people are to be seated at a round table. If person A cannot be seated next to person $B$ and person $C$ must be next to person $D$, how many ways can the 10 people be seated? Consider rotations of a configuration identical. [b]5.3[/b] Let $N$ be the sum of all the positive integers that are less than $2022$ and relatively prime to $1011$. Find $\frac{N}{2022}$. [u]Round 6[/u] [b]6.1[/b] The line $y = m(x - 6)$ passes through the point $ A$ $(6, 0)$, and the line $y = 8 -\frac{x}{m}$ pass through point $B$ $(0,8)$. The two lines intersect at point $C$. What is the largest possible area of triangle $ABC$? [b]6.2[/b] Let $N$ be the number of ways there are to arrange the letters of the word MATHEMATICAL such that no two As can be adjacent. Find the last $3$ digits of $\frac{N}{100}$. [b]6.3[/b] Find the number of ordered triples of integers $(a, b, c)$ such that $|a|, |b|, |c| \le 100$ and $3abc = a^3 + b^3 + c^3$. [u]Round 7[/u] [b]7.1[/b] In a given plane, let $A, B$ be points such that $AB = 6$. Let $S$ be the set of points such that for any point $C$ in $S$, the circumradius of $\vartriangle ABC$ is at most $6$. Find $a + b + c$ if the area of $S$ can be expressed as $a\pi + b\sqrt{c}$ where $a, b, c$ are positive integers, and $c$ is not divisible by the square of any prime. [b]7.2[/b] Compute $\sum_{1\le a<b<c\le 7} abc$. [b]7.3[/b] Three identical circles are centered at points $A, B$, and $C$ respectively and are drawn inside a unit circle. The circles are internally tangent to the unit circle and externally tangent to each other. A circle centered at point $D$ is externally tangent to circles $A, B$, and $C$. If a circle centered at point $E$ is externally tangent to circles $A, B$, and $D$, what is the radius of circle $E$? The radius of circle $E$ can be expressed as $\frac{a\sqrt{b}-c}{d}$ where $a, b, c$, and d are all positive integers, gcd(a, c, d) = 1, and b is not divisible by the square of any prime. What is the sum of $a + b + c + d$? [u]Round 8[/u] [b]8.[/b] Let $A$ be the number of unused Algebra problems in our problem bank. Let $B$ be the number of times the letter ’b’ appears in our problem bank. Let M be the median speed round score. Finally, let $C$ be the number of correct answers to Speed Round $1$. Estimate $$A \cdot B + M \cdot C.$$ Your answer will be scored according to the following formula, where $X$ is the correct answer and $I$ is your input. $$max \left\{ 0, \left\lceil min \left\{13 - \frac{|I-X|}{0.05 |I|}, 13 - \frac{|I-X|}{0.05 |I-2X|} \right\} \right\rceil \right\}$$ PS. You should use hide for answers. Rounds 1-4 have been posted [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c3h2826128p24988676]here[/url]. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

Let $a$ be a positive integer. The sequence $\{x_n\}_{n\geq 1}$ is defined by $x_1=1$, $x_2=a$ and $x_{n+2} = ax_{n+1} + x_n$ for all $n\geq 1$. Prove that $(y,x)$ is a solution of the equation \[ |y^2 - axy - x^2 | = 1 \] if and only if there exists a rank $k$ such that $(y,x)=(x_{k+1},x_k)$. [i]Serban Buzeteanu[/i]

Given a positive integer $N$. Prove that \[\sum_{m=1}^N \sum_{n=1}^N \frac{1}{mn^2+m^2n+2mn}<\frac{7}{4}.\] [i]Proposed by tan-1[/i]

Let $a_1,a_2,...$ and $b_1,b_2,..$. be two arbitrary infinite sequences of natural numbers. Prove that there exist different indices $r$ and $s$ such that $a_r \ge a_s$ and $b_r \ge b_s$.

For any natural $n$ prove the inequality $$\sqrt{2\sqrt{2}{\sqrt{3}\sqrt{4 ...\sqrt{n-1\sqrt{n}}}}} <3$$

A number $\overline{abcd}$ is called [i]balanced[/i] if $a+b=c+d$. Find all balanced numbers with 4 digits that are the sum of two palindrome numbers.

Let $ a, b, c$ be positive integers satisfying the conditions $ b > 2a$ and $ c > 2b.$ Show that there exists a real number $ \lambda$ with the property that all the three numbers $ \lambda a, \lambda b, \lambda c$ have their fractional parts lying in the interval $ \left(\frac {1}{3}, \frac {2}{3} \right].$

Let $f(x)=x^2+bx+c$, where $b,c \in \mathbb{R}$ and $b>0$ Do there exist disjoint sets $A$ and $B$, whose union is $[0,1]$ and $f(A)=B$, where $f(X)=\{f(x), x \in X\}$ [i]D. Zmiaikou[/i]

a) Suppose that a sequence of numbers $x_1,x_2,x_3,...$ satisfies the inequality $x_n-2x_{n+1}+x_{n+2} \le 0$ for any $n$ . Moreover $x_o=1,x_{20}=9,x_{200}=6$. What is the maximal value of $x_{2009}$ can be? b) Suppose that a sequence of numbers $x_1,x_2,x_3,...$ satisfies the inequality $2x_n-3x_{n+1}+x_{n+2} \le 0$ for any $n$. Moreover $x_o=1,x_1=2,x_3=1$. Can $x_{2009}$ be greater then $0,678$ ?

Positive numbers $x, y, z$ are such that the absolute value of the difference of any two of them are less than $2$. Prove that $$ \sqrt{xy +1}+\sqrt{yz + 1}+\sqrt{zx+ 1} > x+ y + z.$$

Find all functions $ f:\mathbb{R^{\ast }}\rightarrow \mathbb{ R^{\ast }}$ satisfying $f(\frac{f(x)}{f(y)})=\frac{1}{y}f(f(x))$ for all $x,y\in \mathbb{R^{\ast }}$ and are strictly monotone in $(0,+\infty )$

Sequences $x_1,x_2,\dots,$ and $y_1,y_2,\dots,$ are defined with $x_1=\dfrac{1}{8}$, $y_1=\dfrac{1}{10}$ and $x_{n+1}=x_n+x_n^2$, $y_{n+1}=y_n+y_n^2$. Prove that $x_m\neq y_n$ for all $m,n\in\mathbb{Z}^{+}$. [I]Proposed by A. Golovanov[/i]

Let $W(x) = x^4 - 3x^3 + 5x^2 - 9x$ be a polynomial. Determine all pairs of different integers $a$, $b$ satisfying the equation $W(a) = W(b)$.

Let $a$ be the sum and $b$ the product of the real roots of the equation $x^4-x^3-1=0$ Prove that $b < -\frac{11}{10}$ and $a > \frac{6}{11}$.

Let $ a_1,a_{2},\ldots ,a_{100}$ be nonnegative integers satisfying the inequality \[a_1\cdot (a_1-1)\cdot\ldots\cdot (a_1-20)+a_2\cdot (a_2-1)\cdot\ldots\cdot (a_2-20)+\\ \ldots+a_{100}\cdot (a_{100}-1)\cdot\ldots\cdot (a_{100}-20)\le 100\cdot 99\cdot 98\cdot\ldots\cdot 79.\] Prove that $a_1+a_2+\ldots+a_{100}\le 9900$.

Three distinct integers are chosen uniformly at random from the set $$\{2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030\}.$$ Compute the probability that their arithmetic mean is an integer.

Let $a_1$, $a_2$, $\cdots$, $a_n$ be positive real numbers, and let $S_k$ be the sum of the products of $a_1$, $a_2$, $\cdots$, $a_n$ taken $k$ at a time. Show that \[ S_k S_{n-k} \geq {n \choose k}^2 a_1 a_2 \cdots a_n \] for $k = 1$, $2$, $\cdots$, $n - 1$.

Determine all numbers $x, y$ and $z$ satisfying the system of equations $$\begin{cases} x^2 + yz = 1 \\ y^2 - xz = 0 \\ z^2 + xy = 1\end{cases}$$