Qing initially writes the ordered pair $(1,0)$ on a blackboard. Each minute, if the pair $(a,b)$ is on the board, she erases it and replaces it with one of the pairs $(2a-b,a)$, $(2a+b+2,a)$ or $(a+2b+2,b)$. Eventually, the board reads $(2014,k)$ for some nonnegative integer $k$. How many possible values of $k$ are there? [i]Proposed by Evan Chen[/i]

There are $ 16$ pupils in a class. Every month, the teacher divides the pupils into two groups. Find the smallest number of months after which it will be possible that every two pupils were in two different groups during at least one month.

A group of people is lined up in [i]almost-order[/i] if, whenever person $A$ is to the left of person $B$ in the line, $A$ is not more than $8$ centimeters taller than $B$. For example, five people with heights $160, 165, 170, 175$, and $180$ centimeters could line up in [i]almost-order[/i] with heights (from left-to-right) of $160, 170, 165, 180, 175$ centimeters. (b) How many different ways are there to line up $20$ people in [i]almost-order[/i] if their heights are $120, 125, 130,$ $135,$ $140,$ $145,$ $150,$ $155,$ $160,$ $164, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 205$, and $210$ centimeters? (Note that there is someone of height $164$ centimeters.)

For any integer $d > 0,$ let $f(d)$ be the smallest possible integer that has exactly $d$ positive divisors (so for example we have $f(1)=1, f(5)=16,$ and $f(6)=12$). Prove that for every integer $k \geq 0$ the number $f\left(2^k\right)$ divides $f\left(2^{k+1}\right).$ [i]Proposed by Suhaimi Ramly, Malaysia[/i]

Let $T$ be the set of ordered triples $(x,y,z)$, where $x,y,z$ are integers with $0\leq x,y,z\leq9$. Players $A$ and $B$ play the following guessing game. Player $A$ chooses a triple $(x,y,z)$ in $T$, and Player $B$ has to discover $A$[i]'s[/i] triple in as few moves as possible. A [i]move[/i] consists of the following: $B$ gives $A$ a triple $(a,b,c)$ in $T$, and $A$ replies by giving $B$ the number $\left|x+y-a-b\right |+\left|y+z-b-c\right|+\left|z+x-c-a\right|$. Find the minimum number of moves that $B$ needs to be sure of determining $A$[i]'s[/i] triple.

The lock of a safe consists of 3 wheels, each of which may be set in 8 different ways positions. Due to a defect in the safe mechanism the door will open if any two of the three wheels are in the correct position. What is the smallest number of combinations which must be tried if one is to guarantee being able to open the safe (assuming the "right combination" is not known)?

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).

Let $S$ be a set of $n$ points in the coordinate plane. Say that a pair of points is [i]aligned[/i] if the two points have the same $x$-coordinate or $y$-coordinate. Prove that $S$ can be partitioned into disjoint subsets such that (a) each of these subsets is a collinear set of points, and (b) at most $n^{3/2}$ unordered pairs of distinct points in $S$ are aligned but not in the same subset.

Consider the sequences of six positive integers $a_1,a_2,a_3,a_4,a_5,a_6$ with the properties that $a_1=1$, and if for some $j > 1$, $a_j = m > 1$, then $m-1$ appears in the sequence $a_1,a_2,\dots,a_{j-1}$. Such sequences include $1,1,2,1,3,2$ and $1,2,3,1,4,1$ but not $1,2,2,4,3,2$. How many such sequences of six positive integers are there?

Let $n$ be a positive integer. On the table, we have $n^2$ ornaments in $n$ different colours, not necessarily $n$ of each colour. Prove that we can hang the ornaments on $n$ Christmas trees in such a way that there are exactly $n$ ornaments on each tree and the ornaments on every tree are of at most $2$ different colours.

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.

From an unlimited supply of 1-cent coins, 10-cent coins, and 25-cent coins, Silas wants to find a collection of coins that has a total value of $N$ cents, where $N$ is a positive integer. He uses the so-called greedy algorithm, successively choosing the coin of greatest value that does not cause the value of his collection to exceed $N.$ For example, to get 42 cents, Silas will choose a 25-cent coin, then a 10-cent coin, then 7 1-cent coins. However, this collection of 9 coins uses more coins than necessary to get a total of 42 cents; indeed, choosing 4 10-cent coins and 2 1-cent coins achieves the same total value with only 6 coins. In general, the greedy algorithm succeeds for a given $N$ if no other collection of 1-cent, 10-cent, and 25-cent coins gives a total value of $N$ cents using strictly fewer coins than the collection given by the greedy algorithm. Find the number of values of $N$ between $1$ and $1000$ inclusive for which the greedy algorithm succeeds.

A crazy physicist discovered a new kind of particle wich he called an imon, after some of them mysteriously appeared in his lab. Some pairs of imons in the lab can be entangled, and each imon can participate in many entanglement relations. The physicist has found a way to perform the following two kinds of operations with these particles, one operation at a time. (i) If some imon is entangled with an odd number of other imons in the lab, then the physicist can destroy it. (ii) At any moment, he may double the whole family of imons in the lab by creating a copy $I'$ of each imon $I$. During this procedure, the two copies $I'$ and $J'$ become entangled if and only if the original imons $I$ and $J$ are entangled, and each copy $I'$ becomes entangled with its original imon $I$; no other entanglements occur or disappear at this moment. Prove that the physicist may apply a sequence of such operations resulting in a family of imons, no two of which are entangled.

To each vertex of a regular pentagon an integer is assigned, so that the sum of all five numbers is positive. If three consecutive vertices are assigned the numbers $x,y,z$ respectively, and $y<0$, then the following operation is allowed: $x,y,z$ are replaced by $x+y,-y,z+y$ respectively. Such an operation is performed repeatedly as long as at least one of the five numbers is negative. Determine whether this procedure necessarily comes to an end after a finite number of steps.

a.) There are $2n+1$ ($n>2$) batteries. We don't know which batteries are good and which are bad but we know that the number of good batteries is greater by $1$ than the number of bad batteries. A lamp uses two batteries, and it works only if both of them are good. What is the least number of attempts sufficient to make the lamp work? b.) The same problem but the total number of batteries is $2n$ ($n>2$) and the numbers of good and bad batteries are equal. [i]Proposed by Alexander Shapovalov[/i]

Let $\leftarrow$ denote the left arrow key on a standard keyboard. If one opens a text editor and types the keys "ab$\leftarrow$ cd $\leftarrow \leftarrow$ e $\leftarrow \leftarrow$ f", the result is "faecdb". We say that a string $B$ is [i]reachable[/i] from a string $A$ if it is possible to insert some amount of $\leftarrow$'s in $A$, such that typing the resulting characters produces $B$. So, our example shows that "faecdb" is reachable from "abcdef". Prove that for any two strings $A$ and $B$, $A$ is reachable from $B$ if and only if $B$ is reachable from $A$.

Let $m$ boxes be given, with some balls in each box. Let $n < m$ be a given integer. The following operation is performed: choose $n$ of the boxes and put $1$ ball in each of them. Prove: [i](a) [/i]If $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime, then it is possible, by performing the operation a finite number of times, to arrive at the situation that all the boxes contain an equal number of balls. [i](b)[/i] If $m$ and $n$ are not relatively prime, there exist initial distributions of balls in the boxes such that an equal distribution is not possible to achieve.

Let $n \geq 3$ be a fixed integer. The number $1$ is written $n$ times on a blackboard. Below the blackboard, there are two buckets that are initially empty. A move consists of erasing two of the numbers $a$ and $b$, replacing them with the numbers $1$ and $a+b$, then adding one stone to the first bucket and $\gcd(a, b)$ stones to the second bucket. After some finite number of moves, there are $s$ stones in the first bucket and $t$ stones in the second bucket, where $s$ and $t$ are positive integers. Find all possible values of the ratio $\frac{t}{s}$.

Find the smallest positive integer solution to $\tan 19x^\circ=\frac{\cos 96^\circ+\sin 96^\circ}{\cos 96^\circ-\sin 96^\circ}.$

In a $2\times n$ array we have positive reals s.t. the sum of the numbers in each of the $n$ columns is $1$. Show that we can select a number in each column s.t. the sum of the selected numbers in each row is at most $\frac{n+1}4$.

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].

A year is a leap year if and only if the year number is divisible by $400$ (such as $2000$) or is divisible by $4$ but not by $100$ (such as $2012$). The $200\text{th}$ anniversary of the birth of novelist Charles Dickens was celebrated on February $7$, $2012$, a Tuesday. On what day of the week was Dickens born? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \text{Friday} \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \text{Saturday} \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \text{Sunday} \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \text{Monday} \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \text{Tuesday} $

Let $m$ boxes be given, with some balls in each box. Let $n < m$ be a given integer. The following operation is performed: choose $n$ of the boxes and put $1$ ball in each of them. Prove: [i](a) [/i]If $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime, then it is possible, by performing the operation a finite number of times, to arrive at the situation that all the boxes contain an equal number of balls. [i](b)[/i] If $m$ and $n$ are not relatively prime, there exist initial distributions of balls in the boxes such that an equal distribution is not possible to achieve.

Let $G$ be a simple graph with $3n^2$ vertices ($n\geq 2$). It is known that the degree of each vertex of $G$ is not greater than $4n$, there exists at least a vertex of degree one, and between any two vertices, there is a path of length $\leq 3$. Prove that the minimum number of edges that $G$ might have is equal to $\frac{(7n^2- 3n)}{2}$.

Let $n>2$ be an integer. In a country there are $n$ cities and every two of them are connected by a direct road. Each road is assigned an integer from the set $\{1, 2,\ldots ,m\}$ (different roads may be assigned the same number). The [i]priority[/i] of a city is the sum of the numbers assigned to roads which lead to it. Find the smallest $m$ for which it is possible that all cities have a different priority.