In the land of Microbablia the alphabet has only two letters, ‘A’ and ‘B’. Not surprisingly, the inhabitants are obsessed with the band ABBA. Words in the local dialect with a high ABBA-factor are considered particularly lucky. To compute the ABBA-factor of a word you just count the number of occurrences of ABBA within the word (not necessarily consecutively). So for instance AABA has ABBA-factor $0$, ABBA has ABBA-factor $1$, AABBBA has ABBA-factor $6$, and ABBABBA has ABBA factor $8$. What is the greatest possible ABBA-factor for a $100$ letter word?

[b]p1.[/b] Consider the equation $$x_1x_2 + x_2x_3 + x_3x_4 + · · · + x_{n-1}x_n + x_nx_1 = 0$$ where $x_i \in \{1,-1\}$ for $i = 1, 2, . . . , n$. (a) Show that if the equation has a solution, then $n$ is even. (b) Suppose $n$ is divisible by $4$. Show that the equation has a solution. (c) Show that if the equation has a solution, then $n$ is divisible by $4$. [b]p2.[/b] (a) Find a polynomial $f(x)$ with integer coefficients and two distinct integers $a$ and $b$ such that $f(a) = b$ and $f(b) = a$. (b) Let $f(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients and $a$, $b$, and $c$ be three integers. Suppose $f(a) = b$, $f(b) = c$, and $f(c) = a$. Show that $a = b = c$. [b]p3.[/b] (a) Consider the triangle with vertices $M$ $(0, 2n + 1)$, $S$ $(1, 0)$, and $U \left(0, \frac{1}{2n^2}\right)$, where $n$ is a positive integer. If $\theta = \angle MSU$, prove that $\tan \theta = 2n - 1$. (b) Find positive integers $a$ and $b$ that satisfy the following equation. $$arctan \frac18 = arctan \,\,a - arctan \,\, b$$ (c) Determine the exact value of the following infinite sum. $$arctan \frac12 + arctan \frac18 + arctan \frac{1}{18} + arctan \frac{1}{32}+ ... + arctan \frac{1}{2n^2}+ ...$$ [b]p4.[/b] (a) Prove: $(55 + 12\sqrt{21})^{1/3} +(55 - 12\sqrt{21})^{1/3}= 5$. (b) Completely factor $x^8 + x^6 + x^4 + x^2 + 1$ into polynomials with integer coefficients, and explain why your factorization is complete. [b]p5.[/b] In this problem, we simulate a hula hoop as it gyrates about your waist. We model this situation by representing the hoop with a rotating a circle of radius $2$ initially centered at $(-1, 0)$, and representing your waist with a fixed circle of radius $1$ centered at the origin. Suppose we mark the point on the hoop that initially touches the fixed circle with a black dot (see the left figure). As the circle of radius $2$ rotates, this dot will trace out a curve in the plane (see the right figure). Let $\theta$ be the angle between the positive x-axis and the ray that starts at the origin and goes through the point where the fixed circle and circle of radius $2$ touch. Determine formulas for the coordinates of the position of the dot, as functions $x(\theta)$ and $y(\theta)$. The left figure shows the situation when $\theta = 0$ and the right figure shows the situation when $\theta = 2pi/3$. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/8/6/d15136872118b8e14c8f382bc21b41a8c90c66.png[/img] PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

[b]p1.[/b] Find the largest integer which is a factor of all numbers of the form $n(n +1)(n + 2)$ where $n$ is any positive integer with unit digit $4$. Prove your claims. [b]p2.[/b] Each pair of the towns $A, B, C, D$ is joined by a single one way road. See example. Show that for any such arrangement, a salesman can plan a route starting at an appropriate town that: enables him to call on a customer in each of the towns. Note that it is not required that he return to his starting point. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/6/5/8c2cda79d2c1b1c859825f3df0163e65da761b.png[/img] [b]p3.[/b] $A$ and $B$ are two points on a circular race track . One runner starts at $A$ running counter clockwise, and, at the same time, a second runner starts from $B$ running clockwise. They meet first $100$ yds from A, measured along the track. They meet a second time at $B$ and the third time at $A$. Assuming constant speeds, now long is the track? [b]p4.[/b] $A$ and $B$ are points on the positive $x$ and positive $y$ axis, respectively, and $C$ is the point $(3,4)$. Prove that the perimeter of $\vartriangle ABC$ is greater than $10$. Suggestion: Reflect!! [b]p5.[/b] Let $A_1,A_2,...,A_8$ be a permutation of the integers $1,2,...,8$ so chosen that the eight sums $9 + A_1$, $10 + A_2$, $...$, $16 + A_8$ and the eight differences $9 -A_1$ , $10 - A_2$, $...$, $16 - A_8$ together comprise $16$ different numbers. Show that the same property holds for the eight numbers in reverse order. That is, show that the $16$ numbers $9 + A_8$, $10 + A_7$, $...$, $16 + A_1$ and $9 -A_8$ , $10 - A_7$, $...$, $16 - A_1$ are also pairwise different. PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

A chessboard has 64 cells painted black and white in the usual way. A bishop path is a sequence of distinct cells such that two consecutive cells have exactly one common point. At least how many bishop paths can the set of all white cells be divided into?

[b]p1.[/b] Insert "$+$" signs between some of the digits in the following sequence to obtain correct equality: $$1\,\,\,\, 2\,\,\,\, 3\,\,\,\, 4\,\,\,\,5\,\,\,\, 6\,\,\,\, 7 = 100$$ [b]p2.[/b] A square is tiled by smaller squares as shown in the figure. Find the area of the black square in the middle if the perimeter of the big square $ABCD$ is $40$ cm. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/8/c/d54925cba07f63ec8578048f46e1e730cb8df3.png[/img] [b]p3.[/b] Jack made $3$ quarts of fruit drink from orange and apple juice. $\frac25$ of his drink is orange juice and the rest is apple juice. Nick prefers more orange juice in the drink. How much orange juice should he add to the drink to obtain a drink composed of $\frac35$ of orange juice? [b]p4.[/b] A train moving at $55$ miles per hour meets and is passed by a train moving moving in the opposite direction at $35$ miles per hour. A passenger in the first train sees that the second train takes $8$ seconds to pass him. How long is the second train? [b]p5.[/b] It is easy to arrange $16$ checkers in $10$ rows of $4$ checkers each, but harder to arrange $9$ checkers in $10$ rows of $3$ checkers each. Do both. [b]p6.[/b] Every human that lived on Earth exchanged some number of handshakes with other humans. Show that the number of people that made an odd number of handshakes is even. PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

Let $n \ge 2$ and $k \ge1$ be positive integers. In a country there are $n$ cities and between each pair of cities there is a bus connection in both directions. Let $A$ and $B$ be two different cities. Prove that the number of ways in which you can travel from $A$ to $B$ by using exactly $k$ buses is equal to $\frac{(n - 1)^k - (-1)^k}{n}$ .

Let $n>1$ be a positive integer. Find the number of binary strings $(a_1, a_2, \ldots, a_n)$, such that the number of indices $1\leq i \leq n-1$ such that $a_i=a_{i+1}=0$ is equal to the number of indices $1 \leq i \leq n-1$, such that $a_i=a_{i+1}=1$.

[u]Round 1 [/u] [b]p1.[/b] In the convex quadrilateral $ABCD$ with diagonals $AC$ and $BD$, you know that angle $BAC$ is congruent to angle $CBD$, and that angle $ACD$ is congruent to angle $ADB$. Show that angle $ABC$ is congruent to angle $ADC$. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/5/d/41cd120813d5541dc73c5d4a6c86cc82747fcc.png[/img] [b]p2.[/b] In how many different ways can you place $12$ chips in the squares of a $4 \times 4$ chessboard so that (a) there is at most one chip in each square, and (b) every row and every column contains exactly three chips. [b]p3.[/b] Students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were split into pairs consisting of one student from each house. The pairs of students were sent to Honeydukes to get candy for Father's Day. For each pair of students, either the Hufflepuff student brought back twice as many pieces of candy as the Ravenclaw student or the Ravenclaw student brought back twice as many pieces of candy as the Hufflepuff student. When they returned, Professor Trelawney determined that the students had brought back a total of $1000$ pieces of candy. Could she have possibly been right? Why or why not? Assume that candy only comes in whole pieces (cannot be divided into parts). [b]p4.[/b] While you are on a hike across Deception Pass, you encounter an evil troll, who will not let you across the bridge until you solve the following puzzle. There are six stones, two colored red, two colored yellow, and two colored green. Aside from their colors, all six stones look and feel exactly the same. Unfortunately, in each colored pair, one stone is slightly heavier than the other. Each of the lighter stones has the same weight, and each of the heavier stones has the same weight. Using a balance scale to make TWO measurements, decide which stone of each color is the lighter one. [b]p5.[/b] Alex, Bob and Chad are playing a table tennis tournament. During each game, two boys are playing each other and one is resting. In the next game the boy who lost a game goes to rest, and the boy who was resting plays the winner. By the end of tournament, Alex played a total of $10$ games, Bob played $15$ games, and Chad played $17$ games. Who lost the second game? [u]Round 2 [/u] [b]p6.[/b] Consider a set of finitely many points on the plane such that if we choose any three points $A,B,C$ from the set, then the area of the triangle $ABC$ is less than $1$. Show that all of these points can be covered by a triangle whose area is less than $4$. [b]p7.[/b] A palindrome is a number that is the same when read forward and backward. For example, $1771$ and $23903030932$ are palindromes. Can the number obtained by writing the numbers from $1$ to $n$ in order be a palindrome for some $n > 1$ ? (For example, if $n = 11$, the number obtained is $1234567891011$, which is not a palindrome.) PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

[u]Round 1[/u] [b]p1.[/b] How many ways are there to arrange the letters in the word $NEVERLAND$ such that the $2$ $N$’s are adjacent and the two $E$’s are adjacent? Assume that letters that appear the same are not distinct. [b]p2.[/b] In rectangle $ABCD$, $E$ and $F$ are on $AB$ and $CD$, respectively such that $DE = EF = FB$ and $\angle CDE = 45^o$. Find $AB + AD$ given that $AB$ and $AD$ are relatively prime positive integers. [b]p3.[/b] Maisy Airlines sees $n$ takeoffs per day. Find the minimum value of $n$ such that theremust exist two planes that take off within aminute of each other. [u]Round 2[/u] [b]p4.[/b] Nick is mixing two solutions. He has $100$ mL of a solution that is $30\%$ $X$ and $400$ mL of a solution that is $10\%$ $X$. If he combines the two, what percent $X$ is the final solution? [b]p5.[/b] Find the number of ordered pairs $(a,b)$, where $a$ and $b$ are positive integers, such that $$\frac{1}{a}+\frac{2}{b}=\frac{1}{12}.$$ [b]p6.[/b] $25$ balls are arranged in a $5$ by $5$ square. Four of the balls are randomly removed from the square. Given that the probability that the square can be rotated $180^o$ and still maintain the same configuration can be expressed as $\frac{m}{n}$ , where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime, find $m+n$. [u]Round 3[/u] [b]p7.[/b] Maisy the ant is on corner $A$ of a $13\times 13\times 13$ box. She needs to get to the opposite corner called $B$. Maisy can only walk along the surface of the cube and takes the path that covers the least distance. Let $C$ and $D$ be the possible points where she turns on her path. Find $AC^2 + AD^2 +BC^2 +BD^2 - AB^2 -CD^2$. [b]p8.[/b] Maisyton has recently built $5$ intersections. Some intersections will get a park and some of those that get a park will also get a chess school. Find how many different ways this can happen. [b]p9.[/b] Let $f (x) = 2x -1$. Find the value of $x$ that minimizes $| f ( f ( f ( f ( f (x)))))-2020|$. [u]Round 4[/u] [b]p10.[/b] Triangle $ABC$ is isosceles, with $AB = BC > AC$. Let the angle bisector of $\angle A$ intersect side $\overline{BC}$ at point $D$, and let the altitude from $A$ intersect side $\overline{BC}$ at point $E$. If $\angle A = \angle C= x^o$, then the measure of $\angle DAE$ can be expressed as $(ax -b)^o$, for some constants $a$ and $b$. Find $ab$. [b]p11[/b]. Maisy randomly chooses $4$ integers $w$, $x$, $y$, and $z$, where $w, x, y, z \in \{1,2,3, ... ,2019,2020\}$. Given that the probability that $w^2 + x^2 + y^2 + z^2$ is not divisible by $4$ is $\frac{m}{n}$ , where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers, find $m+n$. [b]p12.[/b] Evaluate $$-\log_4 \left(\log_2 \left(\sqrt{\sqrt{\sqrt{...\sqrt{16}}}} \right)\right),$$ where there are $100$ square root signs. PS. You should use hide for answers. Rounds 5-8 have been posted [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c3h3166476p28814111]here [/url] and 9-12 [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c3h3166480p28814155]here[/url]. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

Let $m,n\geq 2$. One needs to cover the table $m \times n$ using only the following tiles: Tile 1 - A square $2 \times 2$. Tile 2 - A L-shaped tile with five cells, in other words, the square $3 \times 3$ [b]without[/b] the upper right square $2 \times 2$. Each tile 1 covers exactly $4$ cells and each tile 2 covers exactly $5$ cells. Rotation is allowed. Determine all pairs $(m,n)$, such that the covering is possible.

Determine maximum real $ k$ such that there exist a set $ X$ and its subsets $ Y_{1}$, $ Y_{2}$, $ ...$, $ Y_{31}$ satisfying the following conditions: (1) for every two elements of $ X$ there is an index $ i$ such that $ Y_{i}$ contains neither of these elements; (2) if any non-negative numbers $ \alpha_{i}$ are assigned to the subsets $ Y_{i}$ and $ \alpha_{1}+\dots+\alpha_{31}=1$ then there is an element $ x\in X$ such that the sum of $ \alpha_{i}$ corresponding to all the subsets $ Y_{i}$ that contain $ x$ is at least $ k$.

Determine the largest positive integer $k$ for which the following statement is true: given $k$ distinct subsets of the set $\{1, 2, 3, \dots , 2023\}$, each with $1011$ elements, it is possible partition the subsets into two collections so that any two subsets in one same collection have some element in common.

A 3-dimensional chess board consists of $ 4 \times 4 \times 4$ unit cubes. A rook can step from any unit cube K to any other unit cube that has a common face with K. A bishop can step from any unit cube K to any other unit cube that has a common edge with K, but does not have a common face. One move of both a rook and a bishop consists of an arbitrary positive number of consecutive steps in the same direction. Find the average number of possible moves for either piece, where the average is taken over all possible starting cubes K.

The number 7 is written on a board. Alice and Bob in turn (Alice begins) write an additional digit in the number on the board: it is allowed to write the digit at the beginning (provided the digit is nonzero), between any two digits or at the end. If after someone’s turn the number on the board is a perfect square then this person wins. Is it possible for a player to guarantee the win? [i]Alexandr Gribalko[/i]

2010 MOPpers are assigned numbers 1 through 2010. Each one is given a red slip and a blue slip of paper. Two positive integers, A and B, each less than or equal to 2010 are chosen. On the red slip of paper, each MOPper writes the remainder when the product of A and his or her number is divided by 2011. On the blue slip of paper, he or she writes the remainder when the product of B and his or her number is divided by 2011. The MOPpers may then perform either of the following two operations: [list] [*] Each MOPper gives his or her red slip to the MOPper whose number is written on his or her blue slip. [*] Each MOPper gives his or her blue slip to the MOPper whose number is written on his or her red slip.[/list] Show that it is always possible to perform some number of these operations such that each MOPper is holding a red slip with his or her number written on it. [i]Brian Hamrick.[/i]

Let $G$ be a tournoment such that it's edges are colored either red or blue. Prove that there exists a vertex of $G$ like $v$ with the property that, for every other vertex $u$ there is a mono-color directed path from $v$ to $u$.

It is known that $4$ people $A, B, C$, and $D$ each have a $1/3$ probability of telling the truth. Suppose that $\bullet$ $A$ makes a statement. $\bullet$ $B$ makes a statement about the truthfulness of $A$’s statement. $\bullet$ $C$ makes a statement about the truthfulness of $B$’s statement. $\bullet$ $D$ says that $C$ says that $B$ says that $A$ was telling the truth. What is the probability that $A$ was actually telling the truth?

In a far-away country, travel between cities is only possible by bus or by train. One can travel by train or by bus between only certain cities, and there are not necessarily rides in both directions. We know that for any two cities $A$ and $B$, one can reach $B$ from $A$, [i]or[/i] $A$ from $B$ using only bus, or only train rides. Prove that there exists a city such that any other city can be reached using only one type of vehicle (but different cities may be reached with different vehicles).

For any permutation $ f : \{ 1, 2, \cdots , n \} \to \{1, 2, \cdots , n \} $, and define \[ A = \{ i | i > f(i) \} \] \[ B = \{ (i, j) | i<j \le f(j) < f(i) \ or \ f(j) < f(i) < i < j \} \] \[ C = \{ (i, j) | i<j \le f(i) < f(j) \ or \ f(i) < f(j) < i < j \} \] \[ D = \{ (i, j) | i< j \ and \ f(i) > f(j)\} \] Prove that $ |A| + 2|B| + |C| = |D| $.

Given six three-element subsets of a finite set $X$, show that it is possible to color the elements of $X$ in two colors so that none of the given subsets is in one color

Five dice are rolled. The product of the faces are then computed. Which result has a larger probability of occurring; $180$ or $144$?

Find the number of ordered triples of sets $(T_1, T_2, T_3)$ such that 1. each of $T_1, T_2$, and $T_3$ is a subset of $\{1, 2, 3, 4\}$, 2. $T_1 \subseteq T_2 \cup T_3$, 3. $T_2 \subseteq T_1 \cup T_3$, and 4. $T_3\subseteq T_1 \cup T_2$.

Nine distinct light bulbs are placed in a circle, each of which is off. Determine the number of ways to turn on some of the light bulbs in the circle such that no four consecutive bulbs are all off.

Jesse has ten squares, which are labeled $1, 2, \dots, 10$. In how many ways can he color each square either red, green, yellow, or blue such that for all $1 \le i < j \le 10$, if $i$ divides $j$, then the $i$-th and $j$-th squares have different colors?

Let $p$ be a prime. Prove that any complete graph with $1000p$ vertices, whose edges are labelled with integers, has a cycle whose sum of labels is divisible by $p$.