This website contains problems from math contests. Problems and corresponding tags were obtained from the Art of Problem Solving website.

Tags were heavily modified to better represent problems.

AND
OR
NO

Found problems: 53

Let $f:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}$ be a continuous, strictly decreasing function such that $f([0,1])\subseteq[0,1]$. [list=i] [*]For all positive integers $n{}$ prove that there exists a unique $a_n\in(0,1)$, solution of the equation $f(x)=x^n$. Moreover, if $(a_n){}$ is the sequence defined as above, prove that $\lim_{n\to\infty}a_n=1$. [*]Suppose $f$ has a continuous derivative, with $f(1)=0$ and $f'(1)<0$. For any $x\in\mathbb{R}$ we define \[F(x)=\int_x^1f(t) \ dt.\]Let $\alpha{}$ be a real number. Study the convergence of the series \[\sum_{n=1}^\infty F(a_n)^\alpha.\] [/list]
Let $C=\{4,6,8,9,10,\ldots\}$ be the set of composite positive integers. For each $n\in C$ let $a_n$ be the smallest positive integer $k$ such that $k!$ is divisible by $n$. Determine whether the following series converges: $$\sum_{n\in C}\left(\frac{a_n}{n}\right)^n.$$ [i]Proposed by Orif Ibrogimov, ETH Zurich and National University of Uzbekistan[/i]
Let $ \left( x_n \right)_{n\ge 1} $ be a sequence of positive real numbers, verifying the inequality $ x_n\le \frac{x_{n-1}+x_{n-2}}{2} , $ for any natural number $ n\ge 3. $ Show that $ \left( x_n \right)_{n\ge 1} $ is convergent.
A continuous function $f : [a,b] \to [a,b]$ is called piecewise monotone if $[a, b]$ can be subdivided into finitely many subintervals $$I_1 = [c_0,c_1], I_2 = [c_1,c_2], \dots , I_\ell = [ c_{\ell - 1},c_\ell ]$$ such that $f$ restricted to each interval $I_j$ is strictly monotone, either increasing or decreasing. Here we are assuming that $a = c_0 < c_1 < \cdots < c_{\ell - 1} < c_\ell = b$. We are also assuming that each $I_j$ is a maximal interval on which $f$ is strictly monotone. Such a maximal interval is called a lap of the function $f$, and the number $\ell = \ell (f)$ of distinct laps is called the lap number of $f$. If $f : [a,b] \to [a,b]$ is a continuous piecewise-monotone function, show that the sequence $( \sqrt[n]{\ell (f^n )})$ converges; here $f^n$ means $f$ composed with itself $n$-times, so $f^2 (x) = f(f(x))$ etc.
Given any real number $N_0,$ if $N_{j+1}= \cos N_j ,$ prove that $\lim_{j\to \infty} N_j$ exists and is independent of $N_0.$
Given a sequence $(a_n)$ of non-negative real numbers such that $a_{n+m}\leq a_{n} a_{m} $ for all pairs of positive integers $m$ and $n,$ prove that the sequence $(\sqrt[n]{a_n })$ converges.
Consider the sequence defined by $a_1 = 2022$ and $a_{n+1} = a_n + e^{-a_n}$ for $n \geq 1$. Prove that there exists a positive real number $r$ for which the sequence $$\{ra_1\}, \{ra_{10}\}, \{ra_{100}\}, . . . $$converges. [i]Note[/i]: $\{x \} = x - \lfloor x \rfloor$ denotes the part of $x$ after the decimal point. [i]Proposed by Ethan Tan[/i]
Suppose that $(a_n)$ is a sequence of real numbers such that the series $$\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{a_n}n$$is convergent. Show that the sequence $$b_n=\frac1n\sum^n_{j=1}a_j$$is convergent and find its limit.
If $\sum_{i=1}^{\infty} u_{i}^{2}$ and $\sum_{i=1}^{\infty} v_{i}^{2}$ are convergent series of real numbers, prove that $$\sum_{i=1}^{\infty}(u_{i}-v_{i})^{p}$$ is convergent, where $p\geq 2$ is an integer.
Let $a_n = \frac{1}{\binom{2n}{n}}, \forall n \leq 1$. a) Show that $\sum\limits_{n=1}^{+\infty}a_nx^n$ converges for all $x \in (-4, 4)$ and that the function $f(x) = \sum\limits_{n=1}^{+\infty}a_nx^n$ satisfies the differential equation $x(x - 4)f'(x) + (x + 2)f(x) = -x$. b) Prove that $\sum\limits_{n=1}^{+\infty}\frac{1}{\binom{2n}{n}} = \frac{1}{3} + \frac{2\pi\sqrt{3}}{27}$.
Let $f_0:[0,1]\to\mathbb R$ be a continuous function. Define the sequence of functions $f_n:[0,1]\to\mathbb R$ by $$f_n(x)=\int^x_0f_{n-1}(t)dt$$ for all integers $n\ge1$. a) Prove that the series $\sum_{n=1}^\infty f_n(x)$ is convergent for every $x\in[0,1]$. b) Find an explicit formula for the sum of the series $\sum_{n=1}^\infty f_n(x),x\in[0,1]$.
Let a sequence $(x_n)$ be given and let $y_n = x_{n-1} +2 x_n $ for $n>1.$ Suppose that the sequence $(y_n)$ converges. Prove that the sequence $(x_n)$ converges, too.
Find (i) $\lim_{n\to \infty} \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{\sqrt{n^2 +i^{2}}}$. (ii) $\lim_{n\to \infty} \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{\sqrt{n^2 +i}}$. (iii) $\lim_{n\to \infty} \sum_{i=1}^{n^{2}} \frac{1}{\sqrt{n^2 +i}}$.
Let $\{a_n \}_n$ be a sequence of real numbers such there there are countably infinite distinct subsequences converging to the same point. We call two subsequences distinct if they do not have a common term. Which of the following statements always holds: (A) $\{a_n \}_n$ is bounded (B) $\{a_n \}_n$ is unbounded (C) The set of convergent subsequence $\{a_n \}_n$ is countable (D) None of these
Given a positive real number $a_1$, we recursively define $a_{n+1} = 1+a_1 a_2 \cdots \cdot a_n.$ Furthermore, let $$b_n = \frac{1}{a_1 } + \frac{1}{a_2 } +\cdots + \frac{1}{a_n }.$$ Prove that $b_n < \frac{2}{a_1}$ for all positive integers $n$ and that this is the smallest possible bound.
Let $f: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ be a non-decreasing function such that $f(y) - f(x) < y - x$ for all real numbers $x$ and $y > x$. The sequence $u_1,u_2,\ldots$ of real numbers is such that $u_{n+2} = f(u_{n+1}) - f(u_n)$ for all $n\geq 1$. Prove that for any $\varepsilon > 0$ there exists a positive integer $N$ such that $|u_n| < \varepsilon$ for all $n\geq N$.
Let us call a sequence $(b_1, b_2, \ldots)$ of positive integers fast-growing if $b_{n+1} \geq b_n + 2$ for all $n \geq 1$. Also, for a sequence $a = (a(1), a(2), \ldots)$ of real numbers and a sequence $b = (b_1, b_2, \ldots)$ of positive integers, let us denote \[ S(a, b) = \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \left| a(b_n) + a(b_n + 1) + \cdots + a(b_{n+1} - 1) \right|. \] a) Do there exist two fast-growing sequences $b = (b_1, b_2, \ldots)$, $c = (c_1, c_2, \ldots)$ such that for every sequence $a = (a(1), a(2), \ldots)$, if all the series \[ \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} a(n), \quad S(a, b) \quad \text{and} \quad S(a, c) \] are convergent, then the series $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} |a(n)|$ is also convergent? b) Do there exist three fast-growing sequences $b = (b_1, b_2, \ldots)$, $c = (c_1, c_2, \ldots)$, $d = (d_1, d_2, \ldots)$ such that for every sequence $a = (a(1), a(2), \ldots)$, if all the series \[ S(a, b), \quad S(a, c) \quad \text{and} \quad S(a, d) \] are convergent, then the series $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} |a(n)|$ is also convergent?
Consider an infinite series whose $n$-th term is $\pm (1\slash n)$, the $\pm$ signs being determined according to a pattern that repeats periodically in blocks of eight (there are $2^{8}$ possible patterns). (a) Show that a sufficient condition for the series to be conditionally convergent is that there are four "$+$" signs and four "$-$" signs in the block of eight signs. (b) Is this sufficient condition also necessary?
Given a real number $a$ and a sequence $(x_n)_{n=1}^\infty$ defined by: $$\left\{\begin{matrix} x_1=1 \\ x_2=0 \\ x_{n+2}=\frac{x_n^2+x_{n+1}^2}{4}+a\end{matrix}\right.$$ for all positive integers $n$. 1. For $a=0$, prove that $(x_n)$ converges. 2. Determine the largest possible value of $a$ such that $(x_n)$ converges.
[list=a] [*]The sum of several numbers is equal to one. Can the sum of their cubes be greater than one? [*]The same question as before, for numbers not exceeding one. [*]Can it happen that the series $a_1+a_2+\cdots$ converges, but the series $a_1^3+a_2^3+\cdots$ diverges? [/list]
Define $f_{0}(x)=e^x$ and $f_{n+1}(x)=x f_{n}'(x)$. Show that $\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{f_{n}(1)}{n!}=e^e$.
Let $f: [0, \infty) \to [0, \infty)$ be a continuous function with $f(0)>0$ and having the property $$x-y<f(y)-f(x) \le 0~\forall~0 \le x<y.$$ Prove that: $a)$ There exists a unique $\alpha \in (0, \infty)$ such that $(f \circ f)(\alpha)=\alpha.$ $b)$ The sequence $(x_n)_{n \ge 1},$ defined by $x_1 \ge 0$ and $x_{n+1}=f(x_n)~\forall~n \in \mathbb{N}$ is convergent.
Let $(a_{n})$ be the sequence defined by $a_{0}=1,a_{n+1}=\sum_{k=0}^{n}\dfrac{a_k}{n-k+2}$. Find the limit \[\lim_{n \rightarrow \infty} \sum_{k=0}^{n}\dfrac{a_{k}}{2^{k}},\] if it exists.
Is the series $$\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{n!}{(n+1)^{n}}\cdot \left(\frac{19}{7}\right)^{n}$$ convergent or divergent?
Let $a_n>0$, $n\ge1$. Consider the right triangles $\triangle A_0A_1A_2$, $\triangle A_0A_2A_3,\ldots$, $\triangle A_0A_{n-1}A_n,\ldots,$ as in the figure. (More precisely, for every $n\ge2$ the hypotenuse $A_0A_n$ of $\triangle A_0A_{n-1}A_n$ is a leg of $\triangle A_0A_nA_{n+1}$ with right angle $\angle A_0A_nA_{n+1}$, and the vertices $A_{n-1}$ and $A_{n+1}$ lie on the opposite sides of the straight line $A_0A_n$; also, $|A_{n-1}A_n|=a_n$ for every $n\ge1$.) [img]https://services.artofproblemsolving.com/download.php?id=YXR0YWNobWVudHMvYi8yL2M1ZjAxM2I1ZWU0N2E4MzQyYWIzNmQ5OGM3NjJlZjljODdmMTliLnBuZw==&rn=U0VFTU9VUyAyMDEyLnBuZw==[/img] Is it possible for the set of points $\{A_n\mid n\ge0\}$ to be unbounded but the series $\sum_{n=2}^\infty m\angle A_{n-1}A_0A_n$ to be convergent? [i]Note.[/i] A subset $B$ of the plane is bounded if and only if there is a disk $D$ such that $B\subseteq D$.