Two players play alternately. The first player is given a pair of positive integers $(x_1, y_1)$. Each player must replace the pair $(x_n, y_n)$ that he is given by a pair of non-negative integers $(x_{n+1}, y_{n+1})$ such that $x_{n+1} = min(x_n, y_n)$ and $y_{n+1} = max(x_n, y_n)- k\cdot x_{n+1}$ for some positive integer $k$. The first player to pass on a pair with $y_{n+1} = 0$ wins. Find for which values of $x_1/y_1$ the first player has a winning strategy.

A game is played with two players and an initial stack of $n$ pennies $(n \geq 3)$. The players take turns choosing one of the stacks of pennies on the table and splitting it into two stacks. The winner is the player who makes a move that causes all stacks to be of height $1$ or $2.$ For which starting values of n does the player who goes first win, assuming best play by both players?

Two students $ A$ and $ B$ are playing the following game: Each of them writes down on a sheet of paper a positive integer and gives the sheet to the referee. The referee writes down on a blackboard two integers, one of which is the sum of the integers written by the players. After that, the referee asks student $ A:$ “Can you tell the integer written by the other student?” If A answers “no,” the referee puts the same question to student $ B.$ If $ B$ answers “no,” the referee puts the question back to $ A,$ and so on. Assume that both students are intelligent and truthful. Prove that after a finite number of questions, one of the students will answer “yes.”

Adithya and Bill are playing a game on a connected graph with $n > 2$ vertices, two of which are labeled $A$ and $B$, so that $A$ and $B$ are distinct and non-adjacent and known to both players. Adithya starts on vertex $A$ and Bill starts on $B$. Each turn, both players move simultaneously: Bill moves to an adjacent vertex, while Adithya may either move to an adjacent vertex or stay at his current vertex. Adithya loses if he is on the same vertex as Bill, and wins if he reaches $B$ alone. Adithya cannot see where Bill is, but Bill can see where Adithya is. Given that Adithya has a winning strategy, what is the maximum possible number of edges the graph may have? (Your answer may be in terms of $n$.) [i]Proposed by Steven Liu[/i]

[b]p1.[/b] Find all solutions $a, b, c, d, e, f$ if it is known that they represent distinct digits and satisfy the following: $\begin{tabular}{ccccc} & a & b & c & a \\ + & & d & d & e \\ & & & d & e \\ \hline d & f & f & d & d \\ \end{tabular}$ [b]p2.[/b] Explain whether it possible that the sum of two squares of positive whole numbers has all digits equal to $1$: $$n^2 + m^2 = 111...111$$ [b]p3. [/b]Two players play the following game on an $8 \times 8$ chessboard. The first player can put a rook on an arbitrary square. Then the second player can put another rook on a free square that is not controlled by the first rook. Then the first player can put a new rook on a free square that is not controlled by the rooks on the board. Then the second player can do the same, etc. A player who cannot put a new rook on the board loses the game. Who has a winning strategy? [b]p4.[/b] Show that the difference $9^{2008} - 7^{2008}$ is divisible by $10$. [b]p5.[/b] Is it possible to find distict positive whole numbers $a, b, c, d, e$ such that $$\frac{1}{a}+\frac{1}{b}+\frac{1}{c}+\frac{1}{d}+\frac{1}{e}= 1?$$ PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

Nikolai and Peter are dividing a cake in the shape of a triangle. Firstly, Nikolai chooses one point $P$ inside the triangle and after that Peter cuts the cake by any line he chooses through $P$, then takes one of the pieces and leaves the other one for Nikolai. What’s the greatest portion of the cake Nikolai can be sure he could take, if he chooses $P$ in the best way possible?

Two players by turn paint the vertices of triangles on the given picture each with his colour. At the end, each of small triangles is painted by the colour of the majority of its vertices. The winner is one who gets at least 6 triangles of his colour. If both players get at most 5, then it is a draw. Does any of them have winning strategy? If yes, then who wins? \[ \begin{picture}(40,50) \put(2,2){\put(0,0){\line(6,0){42}} \put(7,14){\line(6,0){28}} \put(14,28){\line(6,0){14}} \put(0,0){\line(1,2){21}} \put(14,0){\line(1,2){14}} \put(28,0){\line(1,2){7}} \put(14,28){\line(1,2){7}} \put(14,0){\line( \minus{} 1,2){7}} \put(28,0){\line( \minus{} 1,2){14}} \put(42,0){\line( \minus{} 1,2){21}} \put(0,0){\circle*{3}} \put(14,0){\circle*{3}} \put(28,0){\circle*{3}} \put(42,0){\circle*{3}} \put(7,14){\circle*{3}} \put(21,14){\circle*{3}} \put(35,14){\circle*{3}} \put(14,28){\circle*{3}} \put(28,28){\circle*{3}} \put(21,42){\circle*{3}}} \end{picture}\]

A row of $1000$ numbers is written on the blackboard. We write a new row, below the first according to the rule: We write under every number $a$ the natural number, indicating how many times the number $a$ is encountered in the first line. Then we write down the third line: under every number $b$ -- the natural number, indicating how many times the number $b$ is encountered in the second line, and so on. a) Prove that there is a line that coincides with the preceding one. b) Prove that the eleventh line coincides with the twelfth. c) Give an example of the initial line such, that the tenth row differs from the eleventh.

Let $ABC$ be any triangle with $\angle BAC \le \angle ACB \le \angle CBA$. Let $D, E$ and $F$ be the midpoints of $BC, CA$ and $AB$, respectively, and let $\epsilon$ be a positive real number. Suppose there is an ant (represented by a point $T$ ) and two spiders (represented by points $P_1$ and $P_2$, respectively) walking on the sides $BC, CA, AB, EF, FD$ and $DE$. The ant and the spiders may vary their speeds, turn at an intersection point, stand still, or turn back at any point; moreover, they are aware of their and the others’ positions at all time. Assume that the ant’s speed does not exceed $1$ mm/s, the first spider’s speed does not exceed $\frac{\sin A}{2 \sin A+\sin B}$ mm/s, and the second spider’s speed does not exceed $\epsilon$ mm/s. Show that the spiders always have a strategy to catch the ant regardless of the starting points of the ant and the spiders. Note: the two spiders can discuss a plan before the hunt starts and after seeing all three starting points, but cannot communicate during the hunt.

Consider 2009 cards which are lying in sequence on a table. Initially, all cards have their top face white and bottom face black. The cards are enumerated from 1 to 2009. Two players, Amir and Ercole, make alternating moves, with Amir starting. Each move consists of a player choosing a card with the number $k$ such that $k < 1969$ whose top face is white, and then this player turns all cards at positions $k,k+1,\ldots,k+40.$ The last player who can make a legal move wins. (a) Does the game necessarily end? (b) Does there exist a winning strategy for the starting player? [i]Also compare shortlist 2009, combinatorics problem C1.[/i]