Olympiad problems

2021 Bolivian Cono Sur TST, 1

[b]a)[/b] Among $9$ apparently identical coins, one is false and lighter than the others. How can you discover the fake coin by making $2$ weighing in a two-course balance? [b]b)[/b] Find the least necessary number of weighing that must be done to cover a false currency between $27$ coins if all the others are true.

coin combinatorics

2008 Hungary-Israel Binational, 2

For every natural number $ t$, $ f(t)$ is the probability that if a fair coin is tossed $ t$ times, the number of times we get heads is 2008 more than the number of tails. What is the value of $ t$ for which $ f(t)$ attains its maximum? (if there is more than one, describe all of them)

coin probability combinatorics

2021 Pan-American Girls' Math Olympiad, Problem 1

There are $n \geq 2$ coins numbered from $1$ to $n$. These coins are placed around a circle, not necesarily in order. In each turn, if we are on the coin numbered $i$, we will jump to the one $i$ places from it, always in a clockwise order, beginning with coin number 1. For an example, see the figure below. Find all values of $n$ for which there exists an arrangement of the coins in which every coin will be visited.

coin number theory combinatorics construction geometry modular arithmetic parity

2014 German National Olympiad, 5

There are $9$ visually indistinguishable coins, and one of them is fake and thus lighter. We are given $3$ indistinguishable balance scales to find the fake coin; however, one of the scales is defective and shows a random result each time. Show that the fake coin can still be found with $4$ weighings.

weight coin combinatorics probability