In the plane we consider rectangles whose sides are parallel to the coordinate axes and have positive length. Such a rectangle will be called a [i]box[/i]. Two boxes [i]intersect[/i] if they have a common point in their interior or on their boundary. Find the largest $ n$ for which there exist $ n$ boxes $ B_1$, $ \ldots$, $ B_n$ such that $ B_i$ and $ B_j$ intersect if and only if $ i\not\equiv j\pm 1\pmod n$. [i]Proposed by Gerhard Woeginger, Netherlands[/i]

Is there a six-link broken line in space that passes through all the vertices of a given cube?

Let $ u_1, u_2, \ldots, u_m$ be $ m$ vectors in the plane, each of length $ \leq 1,$ with zero sum. Show that one can arrange $ u_1, u_2, \ldots, u_m$ as a sequence $ v_1, v_2, \ldots, v_m$ such that each partial sum $ v_1, v_1 \plus{} v_2, v_1 \plus{} v_2 \plus{} v_3, \ldots, v_1, v_2, \ldots, v_m$ has length less than or equal to $ \sqrt {5}.$

Some of the points in the plane are white and some are blue (every point of the plane is either white or blue). Prove that for every positive number $r$: (a) there are at least two points with different color such that the distance between them is equal to $r$; (b) there are at least two points with the same color and the distance between them is equal to $r$; (c) will the statements above be true if the plane is replaced with the real line?

(a) An infinite sheet is divided into squares by two sets of parallel lines. Two players play the following game: the first player chooses a square and colours it red, the second player chooses a non-coloured square and colours it blue, the first player chooses a non-coloured square and colours it red, the second player chooses a non-coloured square and colours it blue, and so on. The goal of the first player is to colour four squares whose vertices form a square with sides parallel to the lines of the two parallel sets. The goal of the second player is to prevent him. Can the first player win? (b) What is the answer to this question if the second player is permitted to colour two squares at once? (DG Azov) PS. (a) for Juniors, (a),(b) for Seniors

Let $A(n)$ be the least possible number of distinct points in the plane with the following property: For every $k = 1,2,...,n$ there is a line containing precisely $k$ of these points. Show that $A(n) =\left[\frac{n+1}{2}\right] \left[\frac{n+2}{2}\right]$

(a) On each of the $1 \times 1$ squares of the top row of an $8 \times 8$ chessboard there is a black pawn, and on each of the $1 \times 1$ squares of the bottom row of this chessboard there is a white pawn. On each move one can shift any pawn vertically or horizontally to any adjacent empty $1 \times 1$ square. What is the smallest number of moves that are needed to move all white pawns to the top row and all black pawns to the bottom one? (b) The same question for a $7 \times 7$ board. (A Shapovalov_

A rectangle is drawn on checkered paper, the sides of which form angles of $45^o$ with the grid lines, and the vertices do not lie on the grid lines. Can an odd number of grid lines intersect each side of a rectangle?

There are $ n \geq4 $ points on the plane, the distance between any two of which is an integer. Prove that there are at least $ \frac {1} {6} $ distances, each of which is divisible by $3$.

The height and radius of the base of the cylinder are equal to $1$. What is the smallest number of balls of radius $1$ that can cover the entire cylinder?

A lattice point in the plane is a point both of whose coordinates are integers. Each lattice point has four neighboring points: upper, lower, left, and right. Let $k$ be a circle with radius $r \geq 2$, that does not pass through any lattice point. An interior boundary point is a lattice point lying inside the circle $k$ that has a neighboring point lying outside $k$. Similarly, an exterior boundary point is a lattice point lying outside the circle $k$ that has a neighboring point lying inside $k$. Prove that there are four more exterior boundary points than interior boundary points.

$ABCBE$ is a regular pentagon. Point $B'$ is symmetric to point $B$ wrt line $AC$ (see figure). Is it possible to pave the plane with pentagons equal to $AB'CBE$? (S. Markelov) [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/9/2/cbb5756517e85e56c4a931e761a6b4da8fe547.png[/img]

$3n$ points are given ($n\ge 1$) in the plane, each $3$ of them are not collinear. Prove that there are $n$ distinct triangles with the vertices those points.

In the center of a square is a rabbit and at each vertex of this even square, a wolf. The wolves only move along the sides of the square and the rabbit moves freely in the plane. Knowing that the rabbit move at a speed of $10$ km / h and that the wolves move to a maximum speed of $14$ km / h, determine if there is a strategy for the rabbit to leave the square without being caught by the wolves.

The [i]fractional distance[/i] between two points $(x_1,y_1)$ and $(x_2,y_2)$ is defined as \[ \sqrt{ \left\| x_1 - x_2 \right\|^2 + \left\| y_1 - y_2 \right\|^2},\]where $\left\| x \right\|$ denotes the distance between $x$ and its nearest integer. Find the largest real $r$ such that there exists four points on the plane whose pairwise fractional distance are all at least $r$.

Let $S$ be a set of 1980 points in the plane such that the distance between every pair of them is at least 1. Prove that $S$ has a subset of 220 points such that the distance between every pair of them is at least $\sqrt{3}.$

There are several triangles. From them a new triangle is obtained according to the following rule. The largest side of the new triangle is equal to the sum of the large sides of the data, the middle one is equal to the sum of the middle sides, and the smallest one is the sum of the smaller ones. Prove that if all the angles of these triangles were less than $a$, and $\phi$, where $\phi$ is the largest angle of the resulting triangle, then $\cos \phi \ge 1-\sin (a/2)$.

Given $n$ points in the plane, show that the largest distance determined by these points cannot occur more than $n$ times.

A square is placed in the plane and a point $P$ is marked in this plane with invisible ink. A certain person can see this point through special glasses. One can draw a straight line and this person will say on which side of the line the point $P$ lies. If $P$ lies on the line, the person says so. What is the minimal number of questions one needs to find out if $P$ lies inside the square or not? (Folklore)

A numismatist Fred has some coins. A diameter of any coin is no more than $10$ cm. All the coins are contained in a one-layer box of dimensions $30$ cm by $70$ cm. He is presented with a new coin. Its diameter is $25$ cm. Prove that it is possible to put all the coins in a one-layer box of dimensions $55$ cm by $55$ cm. (Fedja Nazarov, St Petersburg)

In a plane are given $n > 2$ distinct points. Some pairs of these points are connected by segments so that no two of the segments intersect. Prove that there are at most $3n-6$ segments.

On an infinite “squared” sheet six squares are shaded as in the diagram. On some squares there are pieces. It is possible to transform the positions of the pieces according to the following rule: if the neighbour squares to the right and above a given piece are free, it is possible to remove this piece and put pieces on these free squares. The goal is to have all the shaded squares free of pieces. Is it possible to reach this goal if (a) In the initial position there are $6$ pieces and they are placed on the $6$ shaded squares? (b) In the initial position there is only one piece, located in the bottom left shaded square? [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/2/d/0d5cbc159125e2a84edd6ac6aca5206bf8d83b.png[/img] (M Kontsevich, Moscow)

On a $ 30 \times30 $ square board or placed figures of shape 1 (of 5 squares) (in all four possible positions) and shaped figures of shape 2 (of 4 squares) . The figures do not overlap, they do not pass through the edges of the board and the squares of which they are drawn lie exactly through the squares of the board. a) Prove that the board can be fully covered using $100$ figures of both shapes. b) Prove that if there are already $50$ shaped figures on the board of shape 1, then at least one more figure can be placed on the board. c) Prove that if there are already $28$ figures of both shapes on the board then at least one more figure of both shapes can be placed on the board. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/3/f/f20d5a91d61557156edf203ff43acac461d9df.png[/img]

We are given $N$ lines ($N > 1$ ) in a plane, no two of which are parallel and no three of which have a point in common. Prove that it is possible to assign, to each region of the plane determined by these lines, a non-zero integer of absolute value not exceeding $N$ , such that the sum of the integers o n either side of any of the given lines is equal to $0$ . (S . Fomin, Leningrad)

In the plane we consider rectangles whose sides are parallel to the coordinate axes and have positive length. Such a rectangle will be called a [i]box[/i]. Two boxes [i]intersect[/i] if they have a common point in their interior or on their boundary. Find the largest $ n$ for which there exist $ n$ boxes $ B_1$, $ \ldots$, $ B_n$ such that $ B_i$ and $ B_j$ intersect if and only if $ i\not\equiv j\pm 1\pmod n$. [i]Proposed by Gerhard Woeginger, Netherlands[/i]