Let $k\ge 1$ be a positive integer. We consider $4k$ chips, $2k$ of which are red and $2k$ of which are blue. A sequence of those $4k$ chips can be transformed into another sequence by a so-called move, consisting of interchanging a number (possibly one) of consecutive red chips with an equal number of consecutive blue chips. For example, we can move from $r\underline{bb}br\underline{rr}b$ to $r\underline{rr}br\underline{bb}b$ where $r$ denotes a red chip and $b$ denotes a blue chip. Determine the smallest number $n$ (as a function of $k$) such that starting from any initial sequence of the $4k$ chips, we need at most $n$ moves to reach the state in which the first $2k$ chips are red.

Let $n > 1$ be an integer. In a circular arrangement of $n$ lamps $L_0, \ldots, L_{n-1},$ each of of which can either ON or OFF, we start with the situation where all lamps are ON, and then carry out a sequence of steps, $Step_0, Step_1, \ldots .$ If $L_{j-1}$ ($j$ is taken mod $n$) is ON then $Step_j$ changes the state of $L_j$ (it goes from ON to OFF or from OFF to ON) but does not change the state of any of the other lamps. If $L_{j-1}$ is OFF then $Step_j$ does not change anything at all. Show that: (i) There is a positive integer $M(n)$ such that after $M(n)$ steps all lamps are ON again, (ii) If $n$ has the form $2^k$ then all the lamps are ON after $n^2-1$ steps, (iii) If $n$ has the form $2^k + 1$ then all lamps are ON after $n^2 - n + 1$ steps.

Christian Reiher and Reid Barton want to open a security box, they already managed to discover the algorithm to generate the key codes and they obtained the following information: $i)$ In the screen of the box will appear a sequence of $n+1$ numbers, $C_0 = (a_{0,1},a_{0,2},...,a_{0,n+1})$ $ii)$ If the code $K = (k_1,k_2,...,k_n)$ opens the security box then the following must happen: a) A sequence $C_i = (a_{i,1},a_{i,2},...,a_{i,n+1})$ will be asigned to each $k_i$ defined as follows: $a_{i,1} = 1$ and $a_{i,j} = a_{i-1,j}-k_ia_{i,j-1}$, for $i,j \ge 1$ b) The sequence $(C_n)$ asigned to $k_n$ satisfies that $S_n = \sum_{i=1}^{n+1}|a_i|$ has its least possible value, considering all possible sequences $K$. The sequence $C_0$ that appears in the screen is the following: $a_{0,1} = 1$ and $a_0,i$ is the sum of the products of the elements of each of the subsets with $i-1$ elements of the set $A =$ {$1,2,3,...,n$}, $i\ge 2$, such that $a_{0, n+1} = n!$ Find a sequence $K = (k_1,k_2,...,k_n)$ that satisfies the conditions of the problem and show that there exists at least $n!$ of them.

Noah has to fit 8 species of animals into 4 cages of the Arc. He planes to put two species of animal in each cage. It turns out that, for each species of animal, there are at most 3 other species with which it cannot share a cage. Prove that there is a way to assign the animals to the cages so that each species shares a cage with a compatible species.

There are $256$ lumps of metal that have different weights in pairs. With the help of a beam balance , one may now compare every two lumps. Find the smallest number $m$ such that you can be sure to find the heaviest as well as the lightest lump with the weighing process.

Let $a,b$ be integers with $0<a<b$. A set $\{x,y,z\}$ of non-negative integers is [i]olympic[/i] if $x<y<z$ and if $\{z-y,y-x\}=\{a,b\}$. Show that the set of all non-negative integers is the union of pairwise disjoint olympic sets.

Find the least positive integer $n$ such that the prime factorizations of $n$, $n + 1$, and $n + 2$ each have exactly two factors (as $4$ and $6$ do, but $12$ does not).

On a coordinate plane are placed four counters, each of whose centers has integer coordinates. One can displace any counter by the vector joining the centers of two of the other counters. Prove that any two preselected counters can be made to coincide by a finite sequence of moves. [i]Р. Sadykov[/i]

At the entrance to a cave is a rotating round table. On top of the table are $n$ identical barrels, evenly spaced along its circumference. Inside each barrel is a herring either with its head up or its head down. In a move, Ali Baba chooses from $1$ to $n$ of the barrels and turns them upside down. Then the table spins around. When it stops, it is impossible to tell which barrels have been turned over. The cave will open if the heads of the herrings in all $n$ barrels are up or are all down. Determine all values of $n$ for which Ali Baba can open the cave in a finite number of moves. [i](11 points)[/i]

Show that there exists infinite triples $(x,y,z) \in N^3$ such that $x^2+y^2+z^2=3xyz$.

An integer is assigned to each vertex of a regular pentagon so that the sum of the five integers is 2011. A turn of a solitaire game consists of subtracting an integer $m$ from each of the integers at two neighboring vertices and adding $2m$ to the opposite vertex, which is not adjacent to either of the first two vertices. (The amount $m$ and the vertices chosen can vary from turn to turn.) The game is won at a certain vertex if, after some number of turns, that vertex has the number 2011 and the other four vertices have the number 0. Prove that for any choice of the initial integers, there is exactly one vertex at which the game can be won.

The vertices of a connected graph cannot be coloured with less than $n+1$ colours (so that adjacent vertices have different colours). Prove that $\dfrac{n(n-1)}{2}$ edges can be removed from the graph so that it remains connected. [i]V. Dolnikov[/i] [b]EDIT.[/b] It is confirmed by the official solution that the graph is tacitly assumed to be [b]finite[/b].

There are 365 cards with 365 different numbers. Each step, we can choose 3 cards $a_{i},a_{j},a_{k}$ and we know the order of them (examble: $a_{i}<a_{j}<a_{k}$). With 2000 steps, can we order 365 cards from smallest to biggest??

Let $S$ be the set of $10$-tuples of non-negative integers that have sum $2019$. For any tuple in $S$, if one of the numbers in the tuple is $\geq 9$, then we can subtract $9$ from it, and add $1$ to the remaining numbers in the tuple. Call thus one operation. If for $A,B\in S$ we can get from $A$ to $B$ in finitely many operations, then denote $A\rightarrow B$. (1) Find the smallest integer $k$, such that if the minimum number in $A,B\in S$ respectively are both $\geq k$, then $A\rightarrow B$ implies $B\rightarrow A$. (2) For the $k$ obtained in (1), how many tuples can we pick from $S$, such that any two of these tuples $A,B$ that are distinct, $A\not\rightarrow B$.

The sequence of Fibonnaci's numbers if defined from the two first digits $f_1=f_2=1$ and the formula $f_{n+2}=f_{n+1}+f_n$, $\forall n \in N$. [b](a)[/b] Prove that $f_{2010} $ is divisible by $10$. [b](b)[/b] Is $f_{1005}$ divisible by $4$? Albanian National Mathematical Olympiad 2010---12 GRADE Question 4.

Let $ A_0 \equal{} (a_1,\dots,a_n)$ be a finite sequence of real numbers. For each $ k\geq 0$, from the sequence $ A_k \equal{} (x_1,\dots,x_k)$ we construct a new sequence $ A_{k \plus{} 1}$ in the following way. 1. We choose a partition $ \{1,\dots,n\} \equal{} I\cup J$, where $ I$ and $ J$ are two disjoint sets, such that the expression \[ \left|\sum_{i\in I}x_i \minus{} \sum_{j\in J}x_j\right| \] attains the smallest value. (We allow $ I$ or $ J$ to be empty; in this case the corresponding sum is 0.) If there are several such partitions, one is chosen arbitrarily. 2. We set $ A_{k \plus{} 1} \equal{} (y_1,\dots,y_n)$ where $ y_i \equal{} x_i \plus{} 1$ if $ i\in I$, and $ y_i \equal{} x_i \minus{} 1$ if $ i\in J$. Prove that for some $ k$, the sequence $ A_k$ contains an element $ x$ such that $ |x|\geq\frac n2$. [i]Author: Omid Hatami, Iran[/i]

There are $2^n$ words of length $n$ over the alphabet $\{0, 1\}$. Prove that the following algorithm generates the sequence $w_0, w_1, \ldots, w_{2^n-1}$ of all these words such that any two consecutive words differ in exactly one digit. (1) $w_0 = 00 \ldots 0$ ($n$ zeros). (2) Suppose $w_{m-1} = a_1a_2 \ldots a_n,\quad a_i \in \{0, 1\}$. Let $e(m)$ be the exponent of $2$ in the representation of $n$ as a product of primes, and let $j = 1 + e(m)$. Replace the digit $a_j$ in the word $w_{m-1}$ by $1 - a_j$. The obtained word is $w_m$.

Let $n\ge 2$ be an integer, and let $a_1, a_2, \cdots , a_n$ be positive integers. Show that there exist positive integers $b_1, b_2, \cdots, b_n$ satisfying the following three conditions: $\text{(A)} \ a_i\le b_i$ for $i=1, 2, \cdots , n;$ $\text{(B)} \ $ the remainders of $b_1, b_2, \cdots, b_n$ on division by $n$ are pairwise different; and $\text{(C)} \ $ $b_1+b_2+\cdots b_n \le n\left(\frac{n-1}{2}+\left\lfloor \frac{a_1+a_2+\cdots a_n}{n}\right \rfloor \right)$ (Here, $\lfloor x \rfloor$ denotes the integer part of real number $x$, that is, the largest integer that does not exceed $x$.)

The area and the perimeter of the triangle with sides $10,8,6$ are equal. Find all the triangles with integral sides whose area and perimeter are equal.

Let $k\ge 1$ be a positive integer. We consider $4k$ chips, $2k$ of which are red and $2k$ of which are blue. A sequence of those $4k$ chips can be transformed into another sequence by a so-called move, consisting of interchanging a number (possibly one) of consecutive red chips with an equal number of consecutive blue chips. For example, we can move from $r\underline{bb}br\underline{rr}b$ to $r\underline{rr}br\underline{bb}b$ where $r$ denotes a red chip and $b$ denotes a blue chip. Determine the smallest number $n$ (as a function of $k$) such that starting from any initial sequence of the $4k$ chips, we need at most $n$ moves to reach the state in which the first $2k$ chips are red.

A magician should determine the area of a hidden convex $ 2008$-gon $ A_{1}A_{2}\cdots A_{2008}$. In each step he chooses two points on the perimeter, whereas the chosen points can be vertices or points dividing selected sides in selected ratios. Then his helper divides the polygon into two parts by the line through these two points and announces the area of the smaller of the two parts. Show that the magician can find the area of the polygon in $ 2006$ steps.

In a country, mathematicians chose an $\alpha> 2$ and issued coins in denominations of 1 ruble, as well as $\alpha ^k$ rubles for each positive integer k. $\alpha$ was chosen so that the value of each coins, except the smallest, was irrational. Is it possible that any natural number of rubles can be formed with at most 6 of each denomination of coins?

2010 MOPpers are assigned numbers 1 through 2010. Each one is given a red slip and a blue slip of paper. Two positive integers, A and B, each less than or equal to 2010 are chosen. On the red slip of paper, each MOPper writes the remainder when the product of A and his or her number is divided by 2011. On the blue slip of paper, he or she writes the remainder when the product of B and his or her number is divided by 2011. The MOPpers may then perform either of the following two operations: [list] [*] Each MOPper gives his or her red slip to the MOPper whose number is written on his or her blue slip. [*] Each MOPper gives his or her blue slip to the MOPper whose number is written on his or her red slip.[/list] Show that it is always possible to perform some number of these operations such that each MOPper is holding a red slip with his or her number written on it. [i]Brian Hamrick.[/i]

Let $n$ be an integer $> 1$. In a circular arrangement of $n$ lamps $L_0, \cdots, L_{n-1}$, each one of which can be either ON or OFF, we start with the situation that all lamps are ON, and then carry out a sequence of steps, $Step_0, Step_1, \cdots$. If $L_{j-1}$ ($j$ is taken mod n) is ON, then $Step_j$ changes the status of $L_j$ (it goes from ON to OFF or from OFF to ON) but does not change the status of any of the other lamps. If $L_{j-1}$ is OFF, then $Step_j$ does not change anything at all. Show that: [i](a)[/i] There is a positive integer $M(n)$ such that after $M(n)$ steps all lamps are ON again. [i](b)[/i] If $n$ has the form $2^k$, then all lamps are ON after $n^2 - 1$ steps. [i](c) [/i]If $n$ has the form $2^k +1$, then all lamps are ON after $n^2 -n+1$ steps.

Let $A$ be a $101$-element subset of the set $S=\{1,2,\ldots,1000000\}$. Prove that there exist numbers $t_1$, $t_2, \ldots, t_{100}$ in $S$ such that the sets \[ A_j=\{x+t_j\mid x\in A\},\qquad j=1,2,\ldots,100 \] are pairwise disjoint.