Olympiad problems

2021 Tuymaada Olympiad, 5

Sines of three acute angles form an arithmetic progression, while the cosines of these angles form a geometric progression. Prove that all three angles are equal.

2016 HMIC, 5

Tags: combinatorics , additive combinatorics , hmmt , arithmetic sequence , number theory

Let $S = \{a_1, \ldots, a_n \}$ be a finite set of positive integers of size $n \ge 1$, and let $T$ be the set of all positive integers that can be expressed as sums of perfect powers (including $1$) of distinct numbers in $S$, meaning \[ T = \left\{ \sum_{i=1}^n a_i^{e_i} \mid e_1, e_2, \dots, e_n \ge 0 \right\}. \] Show that there is a positive integer $N$ (only depending on $n$) such that $T$ contains no arithmetic progression of length $N$. [i]Yang Liu[/i]

1959 AMC 12/AHSME, 18

Tags: arithmetic sequence , arithmetic mean , arithmetic series , algebra

The arithmetic mean (average) of the first $n$ positive integers is: $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac{n}{2} \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \frac{n^2}{2}\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ n\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \frac{n-1}{2}\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \frac{n+1}{2} $

2000 IMO, 4

Tags: function , arithmetic sequence , combinatorics , set partition

A magician has one hundred cards numbered 1 to 100. He puts them into three boxes, a red one, a white one and a blue one, so that each box contains at least one card. A member of the audience draws two cards from two different boxes and announces the sum of numbers on those cards. Given this information, the magician locates the box from which no card has been drawn. How many ways are there to put the cards in the three boxes so that the trick works?

2021 Regional Olympiad of Mexico Center Zone, 1

Tags: number theory , arithmetic sequence , induction

Let $p$ be an odd prime number. Let $S=a_1,a_2,\dots$ be the sequence defined as follows: $a_1=1,a_2=2,\dots,a_{p-1}=p-1$, and for $n\ge p$, $a_n$ is the smallest integer greater than $a_{n-1}$ such that in $a_1,a_2,\dots,a_n$ there are no arithmetic progressions of length $p$. We say that a positive integer is a [i]ghost[/i] if it doesn’t appear in $S$. What is the smallest ghost that is not a multiple of $p$? [i]Proposed by Guerrero[/i]

2022-23 IOQM India, 13

Tags: trig bash , arithmetic sequence , geometry

Let $ABC$ be a triangle and let $D$ be a point on the segment $BC$ such that $AD=BC$. \\ Suppose $\angle{CAD}=x^{\circ}, \angle{ABC}=y^{\circ}$ and $\angle{ACB}=z^{\circ}$ and $x,y,z$ are in an arithmetic progression in that order where the first term and the common difference are positive integers. Find the largest possible value of $\angle{ABC}$ in degrees.

2006 Mathematics for Its Sake, 3

Tags: limit of sequence , arithmetic sequence , arithmetic series , study convergence , real analysis , sequence

Let be two positive real numbers $ a,b, $ and an infinite arithmetic sequence of natural numbers $ \left( x_n \right)_{n\ge 1} . $ Study the convergence of the sequences $$ \left( \frac{1}{x_n}\sum_{i=1}^n\sqrt[x_i]{b} \right)_{n\ge 1}\text{ and } \left( \left(\sum_{i=1}^n \sqrt[x_i]{a}/\sqrt[x_i]{b} \right)^\frac{x_n}{\ln x_n} \right)_{n\ge 1} , $$ and calculate their limits. [i]Dumitru Acu[/i]

1987 IMO Longlists, 37

Tags: probability , arithmetic sequence , combinatorics

Five distinct numbers are drawn successively and at random from the set $\{1, \cdots , n\}$. Show that the probability of a draw in which the first three numbers as well as all five numbers can be arranged to form an arithmetic progression is greater than $\frac{6}{(n-2)^3}$

2016 Dutch IMO TST, 2

Tags: sum , arithmetic sequence , algebra

For distinct real numbers $a_1,a_2,...,a_n$, we calculate the $\frac{n(n-1)}{2}$ sums $a_i +a_j$ with $1 \le i < j \le n$, and sort them in ascending order. Find all integers $n \ge 3$ for which there exist $a_1,a_2,...,a_n$, for which this sequence of $\frac{n(n-1)}{2}$ sums form an arithmetic progression (i.e. the dierence between consecutive terms is constant).

1980 AMC 12/AHSME, 11

Tags: arithmetic sequence

If the sum of the first 10 terms and the sum of the first 100 terms of a given arithmetic progression are 100 and 10, respectively, then the sum of first 110 terms is: $\text{(A)} \ 90 \qquad \text{(B)} \ -90 \qquad \text{(C)} \ 110 \qquad \text{(D)} \ -110 \qquad \text{(E)} \ -100$

1978 IMO Longlists, 26

Tags: arithmetic sequence , algebra , factorization , partition , number theory

For every integer $d \geq 1$, let $M_d$ be the set of all positive integers that cannot be written as a sum of an arithmetic progression with difference $d$, having at least two terms and consisting of positive integers. Let $A = M_1$, $B = M_2 \setminus \{2 \}, C = M_3$. Prove that every $c \in C$ may be written in a unique way as $c = ab$ with $a \in A, b \in B.$

2009 USAMTS Problems, 5

Tags: geometric sequence , arithmetic sequence , geometric series

The cubic equation $x^3+2x-1=0$ has exactly one real root $r$. Note that $0.4<r<0.5$. (a) Find, with proof, an increasing sequence of positive integers $a_1 < a_2 < a_3 < \cdots$ such that \[\frac{1}{2}=r^{a_1}+r^{a_2}+r^{a_3}+\cdots.\] (b) Prove that the sequence that you found in part (a) is the unique increasing sequence with the above property.

2013 AMC 12/AHSME, 14

Tags: algebra , function , domain , ratio , arithmetic sequence , logarithm

The sequence \[\log_{12}{162},\, \log_{12}{x},\, \log_{12}{y},\, \log_{12}{z},\, \log_{12}{1250}\] is an arithmetic progression. What is $x$? $ \textbf{(A)} \ 125\sqrt{3} \qquad \textbf{(B)} \ 270 \qquad \textbf{(C)} \ 162\sqrt{5} \qquad \textbf{(D)} \ 434 \qquad \textbf{(E)} \ 225\sqrt{6}$

2000 AMC 10, 23

Tags: arithmetic sequence

When the mean, median, and mode of the list $10,2,5,2,4,2,x$ are arranged in increasing order, they form a non-constant arithmetic progression. What is the sum of all possible real values of $x$? $\text{(A)}\ 3\qquad\text{(B)}\ 6 \qquad\text{(C)}\ 9 \qquad\text{(D)}\ 17\qquad\text{(E)}\ 20$

2003 Iran MO (3rd Round), 8

Tags: induction , least common multiple , arithmetic sequence , number theory

A positive integer $n$ is said to be a [i]perfect power[/i] if $n=a^b$ for some integers $a,b$ with $b>1$. $(\text{a})$ Find $2004$ perfect powers in arithmetic progression. $(\text{b})$ Prove that perfect powers cannot form an infinite arithmetic progression.

PEN S Problems, 8

Tags: arithmetic sequence

The set $S=\{ \frac{1}{n} \; \vert \; n \in \mathbb{N} \}$ contains arithmetic progressions of various lengths. For instance, $\frac{1}{20}$, $\frac{1}{8}$, $\frac{1}{5}$ is such a progression of length $3$ and common difference $\frac{3}{40}$. Moreover, this is a maximal progression in $S$ since it cannot be extended to the left or the right within $S$ ($\frac{11}{40}$ and $\frac{-1}{40}$ not being members of $S$). Prove that for all $n \in \mathbb{N}$, there exists a maximal arithmetic progression of length $n$ in $S$.

2023 Grosman Mathematical Olympiad, 1

Tags: number theory , divisibility , arithmetic sequence

An arithmetic progression of natural numbers of length $10$ and with difference $11$ is given. Prove that the product of the numbers in this progression is divisible by $10!$.

2009 District Olympiad, 2

Tags: arithmetic sequence

Numbers from $1$ to $100$ are written on the board. Is it possible to cross $10$ numbers in such way, that we couldn't select 10 numbers from rest which would form arithmetic progression?

2020 Estonia Team Selection Test, 1

Tags: arithmetic sequence , algebra , arithmetic progression

Let $a_1, a_2,...$ a sequence of real numbers. For each positive integer $n$, we denote $m_n =\frac{a_1 + a_2 +... + a_n}{n}$. It is known that there exists a real number $c$ such that for any different positive integers $i, j, k$: $(i - j) m_k + (j - k) m_i + (k - i) m_j = c$. Prove that the sequence $a_1, a_2,..$ is arithmetic

1998 National High School Mathematics League, 10

Tags: arithmetic sequence

Arithmetic sequence with all items real, and the common difference is $4$. If the sum of the square of the first item and all items else is not more than $100$, then there are________items at most.

2017 Saudi Arabia Pre-TST + Training Tests, 4

Tags: arithmetic sequence , algebra , polynomial

Does there exist an integer $n \ge 3$ and an arithmetic sequence $a_0, a_1, ... , a_n$ such that the polynomial $a_nx^n +... + a_1x + a_0$ has $n$ roots which also form an arithmetic sequence?

1955 AMC 12/AHSME, 45

Tags: geometric sequence , arithmetic sequence

Given a geometric sequence with the first term $ \neq 0$ and $ r \neq 0$ and an arithmetic sequence with the first term $ \equal{}0$. A third sequence $ 1,1,2\ldots$ is formed by adding corresponding terms of the two given sequences. The sum of the first ten terms of the third sequence is: $ \textbf{(A)}\ 978 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 557 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 467 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 1068 \\ \textbf{(E)}\ \text{not possible to determine from the information given}$

2010 Contests, 3

Tags: ratio , prime number , arithmetic sequence , number theory

Suppose that $a_1,...,a_{15}$ are prime numbers forming an arithmetic progression with common difference $d > 0$ if $a_1 > 15$ show that $d > 30000$

2019 Malaysia National Olympiad, B3

Tags: arithmetic sequence , arithmetic progression , algebra

An arithmetic sequence of five terms is considered $good$ if it contains 19 and 20. For example, $18.5,19.0,19.5,20.0,20.5$ is a $good$ sequence. For every $good$ sequence, the sum of its terms is totalled. What is the total sum of all $good$ sequences?

2003 AIME Problems, 8

Tags: ratio , modular arithmetic , arithmetic sequence , geometric sequence

In an increasing sequence of four positive integers, the first three terms form an arithmetic progression, the last three terms form a geometric progression, and the first and fourth terms differ by 30. Find the sum of the four terms.