Find $ax^5 + by^5$ if the real numbers $a$, $b$, $x$, and $y$ satisfy the equations \begin{eqnarray*} ax + by &=& 3, \\ ax^2 + by^2 &=& 7, \\ ax^3 + by^3 &=& 16, \\ ax^4 + by^4 &=& 42. \end{eqnarray*}

Let $0<a<b<1$ be reals numbers and \[g(x)=\left\{\begin{array}{cc}x+1-a,&\mbox{ if } 0<x<b\\b-a, & \mbox{ if } x=a \\x-a, & \mbox{ if } a<x<b\\1-a ,&\mbox{ if } x=b \\ x-a ,&\mbox{ if } b<x<1 \end{array}\right.\] Give that there exist $n+1$ reals numbers $0<x_0<x_1<...<x_n<1$, for which $g^{[n]}(x_i)=x_i \ (0 \leq i \leq n)$. Prove that there exists a positive integer $N$, such that $g^{[N]}(x)=x$ for all $0<x<1$. ($g^{[n]}(x)= \underbrace{g(g(....(g(x))....))}_{\text{n times}}$) Official solution [url=http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=125&t=365714&p=2011659#p2011659]here[/url]

Assume that $P(x)$ is a polynomial with integer non negative coefficients, different from constant. Baron Munchausen claims that he can restore $P(x)$ provided he knows the values of $P(2)$ and $P(P(2))$ only. Is the baron's claim valid?

The sequences $(a_n)$ and (c_n) are given by $a_0 =\frac12$, $c_0=4$ , and for $n \ge 0$ , $a_{n+1}=\frac{2a_n}{1+a_n^2}$, $c_{n+1}=c_n^2-2c_n+2$ Prove that for all $n\ge 1$, $a_n=\frac{2c_0c_1...c_{n-1}}{c_n}$

If $f(x)$ is a monic quartic polynomial such that $f(-1)=-1$, $f(2)=-4$, $f(-3)=-9$, and $f(4)=-16$, find $f(1)$.

Find every twice-differentiable function $f: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ that satisfies the functional equation $$ f(x)^2 -f(y)^2 =f(x+y)f(x-y)$$ for all $x,y \in \mathbb{R}. $

Let $a,b,a_2,\ldots,a_{n-2}$ be real numbers with $ab\ne0$ such that all the roots of the equation $$ax^n-ax^{n-1}+a_2x^{n-2}+\ldots+a_{n-2}x^2-n^2bx+b=0$$are positive and real. Prove that these roots are all equal.

[b]p1.[/b] (a) Show that for every set of three integers, we can find two of them whose average is also an integer. (b) Show that for every set of $5$ integers, there is a subset of three of them whose average is an integer. [b]p2.[/b] Let $f(x) = x^2 + ax + b$ and $g(x) = x^2 + cx + d$ be two different quadratic polynomials such that $f(7) + f(11) = g(7) + g(11)$. (a) Show that $f(9) = g(9)$. (b) Show that $x = 9$ is the only value of $x$ where $f(x) = g(x)$. [b]p3.[/b] Consider a rectangle $ABCD$ and points $E$ and $F$ on the sides $BC$ and $CD$, respectively, such that the areas of the triangles $ABE$, $ECF$, and $ADF$ are $11$, $3$, and $40$, respectively. Compute the area of rectangle $ABCD$. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/f/0/2b0bb188a4157894b85deb32d73ab0077cd0b7.png[/img] [b]p4.[/b] How many ways are there to put markers on a $8 \times 8$ checkerboard, with at most one marker per square, such that each of the $8$ rows and each of the $8$ columns contain an odd number of markers? [b]p5.[/b] A robot places a red hat or a blue hat on each person in a room. Each person can see the colors of the hats of everyone in the room except for his own. Each person tries to guess the color of his hat. No communication is allowed between people and each person guesses at the same time (so no timing information can be used, for example). The only information a person has is the color of each other person’s hat. Before receiving the hats, the people are allowed to get together and decide on their strategies. One way to think of this is that each of the $n$ people makes a list of all the possible combinations he could see (there are $2^{n-1}$ such combinations). Next to each combination, he writes what his guess will be for the color of his own hat. When the hats are placed, he looks for the combination on his list and makes the guess that is listed there. (a) Prove that if there are exactly two people in the room, then there is a strategy that guarantees that always at least one person gets the right answer for his hat color. (b) Prove that if you have a group of $2008$ people, then there is a strategy that guarantees that always at least $1004$ people will make a correct guess. (c) Prove that if there are $2009$ people, then there is no strategy that guarantees that always at least $1005$ people will make a correct guess. PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

Let $f(x)=x^2+4x+2$. Let $r$ be the difference between the largest and smallest real solutions of the equation $f(f(f(f(x))))=0$. Then $r=a^{\frac{p}{q}}$ for some positive integers $a$, $p$, $q$ so $a$ is square-free and $p,q$ are relatively prime positive integers. Compute $a+p+q$.

Construct a tetromino by attaching two $2 \times 1$ dominoes along their longer sides such that the midpoint of the longer side of one domino is a corner of the other domino. This construction yields two kinds of tetrominoes with opposite orientations. Let us call them $S$- and $Z$-tetrominoes, respectively. Assume that a lattice polygon $P$ can be tiled with $S$-tetrominoes. Prove that no matter how we tile $P$ using only $S$- and $Z$-tetrominoes, we always use an even number of $Z$-tetrominoes. [i]Proposed by Tamas Fleiner and Peter Pal Pach, Hungary[/i]

[b]p1.[/b] The serpent of fire and the serpent of ice play a game. Since the serpent of ice loves the lucky number $6$, he will roll a fair $6$-sided die with faces numbered $1$ through $6$. The serpent of fire will pay him $\log_{10} x$, where $x$ is the number he rolls. The serpent of ice rolls the die $6$ times. His expected total amount of winnings across the $6$ rounds is $k$. Find $10^k$. [b]p2.[/b] Let $a = \log_3 5$, $b = \log_3 4$, $c = - \log_3 20$, evaluate $\frac{a^2+b^2}{a^2+b^2+ab} +\frac{b^2+c^2}{b^2+c^2+bc} +\frac{c^2+a^2}{c^2+a^2+ca}$. [b]p3.[/b] Let $\vartriangle ABC$ be an isosceles obtuse triangle with $AB = AC$ and circumcenter $O$. The circle with diameter $AO$ meets $BC$ at points $X, Y$ , where X is closer to $B$. Suppose $XB = Y C = 4$, $XY = 6$, and the area of $\vartriangle ABC$ is $m\sqrt{n}$ for positive integers $m$ and $n$, where $n$ does not contain any square factors. Find $m + n$. [b]p4.[/b] Alice is not sure what to have for dinner, so she uses a fair $6$-sided die to decide. She keeps rolling, and if she gets all the even numbers (i.e. getting all of $2, 4, 6$) before getting any odd number, she will reward herself with McDonald’s. Find the probability that Alice could have McDonald’s for dinner. [b]p5.[/b] How many distinct ways are there to split $50$ apples, $50$ oranges, $50$ bananas into two boxes, such that the products of the number of apples, oranges, and bananas in each box are nonzero and equal? [b]p6.[/b] Sujay and Rishabh are taking turns marking lattice points within a square board in the Cartesian plane with opposite vertices $(1, 1)$,$(n, n)$ for some constant $n$. Sujay loses when the two-point pattern $P$ below shows up:[img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/1/9/d1fe285294d4146afc0c7a2180b15586b04643.png[/img] That is, Sujay loses when there exists a pair of points $(x, y)$ and $(x + 2, y + 1)$. He and Rishabh stop marking points when the pattern $P$ appears on the board. If Rishabh goes first, let $S$ be the set of all integers $3 \le n \le 100$ such that Rishabh has a strategy to always trick Sujay into being the one who creates $P$. Find the sum of all elements of $S$. [b]p7.[/b] Let $a$ be the shortest distance between the origin $(0, 0)$ and the graph of $y^3 = x(6y -x^2)-8$. Find $\lfloor a^2 \rfloor $. ($\lfloor x\rfloor $ is the largest integer not exceeding $x$) [b]p8.[/b] Find all real solutions to the following equation: $$2\sqrt2x^2 + x -\sqrt{1 - x^2 } -\sqrt2 = 0.$$ [b]p9.[/b] Given the expression $S = (x^4 - x)(x^2 - x^3)$ for $x = \cos \frac{2\pi}{5 }+ i\sin \frac{2\pi}{5 }$, find the value of $S^2$ . [b]p10.[/b] In a $32$ team single-elimination rock-paper-scissors tournament, the teams are numbered from $1$ to $32$. Each team is guaranteed (through incredible rock-paper-scissors skill) to win any match against a team with a higher number than it, and therefore will lose to any team with a lower number. Each round, teams who have not lost yet are randomly paired with other teams, and the losers of each match are eliminated. After the $5$ rounds of the tournament, the team that won all $5$ rounds is ranked $1$st, the team that lost the 5th round is ranked $2$nd, and the two teams that lost the $4$th round play each other for $3$rd and $4$th place. What is the probability that the teams numbered $1, 2, 3$, and $4$ are ranked $1$st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively? If the probability is $\frac{m}{n}$ for relatively prime integers $m$ and $n$, find $m$. PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

The following is known about the reals $ \alpha$ and $ \beta$ $ \alpha^{3}-3\alpha^{2}+5\alpha-17=0$ and $ \beta^{3}-3\beta^{2}+5\beta+11=0$ Determine $ \alpha+\beta$

The first term of a sequence is 2005. Each succeeding term is the sum of the cubes of the digits of the previous terms. What is the 2005th term of the sequence? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 29\qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 55\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 85\qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 133\qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 250$

Find all pairs (x; y) of real numbers satisfying the system of equations $x^3 + 1 - xy^2 - y^2 = 0$; $y^3 - 1 - x^2y + x^2 = 0$. Darij

What is the minimal value of $\frac{b}{c + d} + \frac{c}{a + b}$ for positive real numbers $b$ and $c$ and non-negative real numbers $a$ and $d$ such that $b + c\ge a + d$?

[b]6.1. [/b] Three workers can do some work. Second and the third can together complete it twice as fast as the first, the first and the third can together complete it three times faster than the second. At what time since the first and second can do this job faster than the third? [b]6.2.[/b] Prove that the greatest common divisor of the sum of two numbers and their least common multiple is equal to their greatest common divisor the numbers themselves. [b]6.3.[/b] There were 20 schoolchildren at the consultation and 20 problems were dealt with. It turned out that each student solved two problems and each problem was solved by two schoolchildren. Prove that it is possible to organize the analysis in this way tasks so that everyone solves one problem and all tasks are solved. [hide=original wording] Наконсультациибыло20школьниковиразбиралось20задач. Оказалось, что каждый школьник решил две задачи и каждую задачу решило два школьника. Докажите, что можно так организовать разбор задач, чтобыкаждыйрассказалоднузадачуивсезадачибылирассказаны.[/hide] [b]6.4[/b].Two people Α and Β must get from point Μ to point Ν,located 15 km from M. On foot they can move at a speed of 6 km/h. In addition, they have a bicycle at their disposal, on which υou can drive at a speed of 15 km/h. A and B depart from Μ at the same time, A walks, and B rides a bicycle until meeting pedestrian C, going from N to M. Then B walks and C rides a bicycle to meeting with A, hands him a bicycle, on which he arrives at N. When must pedestrian C leave Nfor A and B to arrive at N simultaneously if he walks at the same speed as A and B? [b]6.5./ 7.1[/b] Prove that out of any six people there will always be three pairs of acquaintances or three pairs of strangers. PS. You should use hide for answers.Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c3983442_1961_leningrad_math_olympiad]here[/url].

Find the least value of the expression $(x+y)(y+z)$, under the conditionthat $x,y,z$ are positive numbers satisfying the equation $xyz(x + y + z) = 1$.

Find all real numbers $x$, such that: a) $\lfloor x \rfloor + \lfloor 2x \rfloor +...+ \lfloor 2012x \rfloor = 2013$ b) $\lfloor x \rfloor + \lfloor 2x \rfloor +...+ \lfloor 2013x \rfloor = 2014$

Define a complexity of a set $a_1,a_2,\dots,$ consisting of 0 and 1 to be the smallest positive integer $k$ such that for some positive integers $\epsilon_1,\epsilon_2,\dots, \epsilon_k$ each number of the sequence $a_n$, $n>k$, has the same parity as $\epsilon_1 a_{n-1}+\epsilon_2 a_{n-2}+\dots+\epsilon_k a_{n-k}$. Sequence $a_1,a_2,\dots,$ has a complexity of $1000$. What is the complexity of sequence $1-a_1,1-a_2,\dots,$. [I]Proposed by A. Kirichenko[/i]

Let $ a\equal{}\sqrt[1992]{1992}$. Which number is greater \[ \underbrace{a^{a^{a^{\ldots^{a}}}}}_{1992}\quad\text{or}\quad 1992? \]

Find the smallest possible value of a real number $c$ such that for any $2012$-degree monic polynomial \[P(x)=x^{2012}+a_{2011}x^{2011}+\ldots+a_1x+a_0\] with real coefficients, we can obtain a new polynomial $Q(x)$ by multiplying some of its coefficients by $-1$ such that every root $z$ of $Q(x)$ satisfies the inequality \[ \left\lvert \operatorname{Im} z \right\rvert \le c \left\lvert \operatorname{Re} z \right\rvert. \]

Find all functions $f:\mathbb R^+ \rightarrow \mathbb R^+$ such that for all positive real numbers $x,y$, \[x^2[f(x)+f(y)]=(x+y)f(yf(x)).\]

If $p(x)$ is a polynomial with integer coeffcients, let $q(x) = \frac{p(x)}{x(1-x)}$ . If $q(x) = q\left(\frac{1}{1-x}\right)$ for every $x \ne 0$, and $p(2) = -7, p(3) = -11$, find $p(10)$.

A function $f$ with domain $A$ and range $B$ is called [i]injective[/i] if every input in $A$ maps to a unique output in $B$ (equivalently, if $x, y \in A$ and $x \neq y$, then $f(x) \neq f(y)$). With $\mathbb{C}$ denoting the set of complex numbers, let $P$ be an injective polynomial with domain and range $\mathbb{C}$. Suppose further that $P(0) = 2021$ and that when $P$ is written in standard form, all coefficients of $P$ are integers. Compute the smallest possible positive integer value of $P(10)/P(1)$.

Prove that every positive rational number can be expressed uniquely as a finite sum of the form $$a_1+\frac{a_2}{2!}+\frac{a_3}{3!}+\dots+\frac{a_n}{n!},$$ where $a_n$ are integers such that $0 \leq a_n \leq n-1$ for all $n > 1$.