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.

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Found problems: 53

2001 SNSB Admission, 2

Let be a number $ a\in \left[ 1,\infty \right) $ and a function $ f\in\mathcal{C}^2(-a,a) . $ Show that the sequence $$ \left( \sum_{k=1}^n f\left( \frac{k}{n^2} \right) \right)_{n\ge 1} $$ is convergent, and determine its limit.

2022 Miklós Schweitzer, 8

Original in Hungarian; translated with Google translate; polished by myself. Prove that, the signs $\varepsilon_n = \pm 1$ can be chosen such that the function $f(s) = \sum_{n = 1}^\infty\frac{\varepsilon_n}{n^s}\colon \{s\in\Bbb C:\operatorname{Re}s > 1\}\to \Bbb C$ converges to every complex value at every point $\xi \in \{s\in\Bbb C:\operatorname{Re}s = 1\}$ (i.e. for every $\xi \in \{s\in\Bbb C:\operatorname{Re}s = 1\}$ and every $z \in \Bbb C$, there exists a sequence $s_n \to \xi$, $\operatorname{Re}s_n > 1$, for which $f(s_n) \to z$).

2002 German National Olympiad, 4

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.

1964 Putnam, B1

Tags: convergence
Let $u_k$ be a sequence of integers, and let $V_n$ be the number of those which are less than or equal to $n$. Show that if $$\sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{u_k } < \infty,$$ then $$\lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{ V_{n}}{n}=0.$$

2003 IMC, 6

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.

Kvant 2020, M365

[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]

2021 SEEMOUS, Problem 4

For $p \in \mathbb{R}$, let $(a_n)_{n \ge 1}$ be the sequence defined by \[ a_n=\frac{1}{n^p} \int_0^n |\sin( \pi x)|^x \mathrm dx. \] Determine all possible values of $p$ for which the series $\sum_{n=1}^\infty a_n$ converges.

2010 SEEMOUS, Problem 1

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 $\sum_{n=1}^\infty f_n(x),x\in[0,1]$.

2015 VJIMC, 3

[b]Problem 3[/b] Determine the set of real values of $x$ for which the following series converges, and find its sum: $$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \left(\sum_{\substack{k_1, k_2,\ldots , k_n \geq 0\\ 1\cdot k_1 + 2\cdot k_2+\ldots +n\cdot k_n = n}} \frac{(k_1+\ldots+k_n)!}{k_1!\cdot \ldots \cdot k_n!} x^{k_1+\ldots +k_n} \right) \ . $$

1975 Putnam, B5

Define $f_{0}(x)=e^x$ and $f_{n+1}(x)=x f_{n}'(x)$. Show that $\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{f_{n}(1)}{n!}=e^e$.

1973 Putnam, A2

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?

ICMC 6, 6

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]

2019 District Olympiad, 4

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.

1988 Putnam, B4

Tags: convergence
Prove that if $\sum_{n=1}^\infty a_n$ is a convergent series of positive real numbers, then so is $\sum_{n=1}^\infty (a_n)^{n/(n+1)}$.

1952 Putnam, B7

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 $N_0.$

2005 Gheorghe Vranceanu, 4

Let be a sequence of real numbers $ \left( x_n \right)_{n\geqslant 0} $ with $ x_0\neq 0,1 $ and defined as $ x_{n+1}=x_n+x_n^{-1/x_0} . $ [b]a)[/b] Show that the sequence $ \left( x_n\cdot n^{-\frac{x_0}{1+x_0}} \right)_{n\geqslant 0} $ is convergent. [b]b)[/b] Prove that $ \inf_{x_0\neq 0,1} \lim_{n\to\infty } x_n\cdot n^{-\frac{x_0}{1+x_0}} =1. $

1961 Putnam, B7

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.

2019 District Olympiad, 1

Let $(a_n)_{n \ge 1}$ be a sequence of positive real numbers such that the sequence $(a_{n+1}-a_n)_{n \ge 1}$ is convergent to a non-zero real number. Evaluate the limit $$ \lim_{n \to \infty} \left( \frac{a_{n+1}}{a_n} \right)^n.$$

2018 VTRMC, 7

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.

2006 VTRMC, Problem 5

Let $\{a_n\}$ be a monotonically decreasing sequence of positive real numbers with limit $0$. Let $\{b_n\}$ be a rearrangement of the sequence such that for every non-negative integer $m$, the terms $b_{3m+1}$, $b_{3m+2}$, $b_{3m+3}$ are a rearrangement of the terms $a_{3m+1}$, $a_{3m+2}$, $a_{3m+3}$. Prove or give a counterexample to the following statement: the series $\sum_{n=1}^\infty(-1)^nb_n$ is convergent.

ICMC 7, 4

Let $(t_n)_{n\geqslant 1}$ be the sequence defined by $t_1=1, t_{2k}=-t_k$ and $t_{2k+1}=t_{k+1}$ for all $k\geqslant 1.$ Consider the series \[\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac{t_n}{n^{1/2024}}.\]Prove that this series converges to a positive real number. [i]Proposed by Dylan Toh[/i]

2025 VJIMC, 3

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?

1942 Putnam, A3

Is the series $$\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} \frac{n!}{(n+1)^{n}}\cdot \left(\frac{19}{7}\right)^{n}$$ convergent or divergent?

2006 VJIMC, Problem 2

Tags: convergence , limit
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.

2010 VJIMC, Problem 1

a) Is it true that for every bijection $f:\mathbb N\to\mathbb N$ the series $$\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac1{nf(n)}$$is convergent? b) Prove that there exists a bijection $f:\mathbb N\to\mathbb N$ such that the series $$\sum_{n=1}^\infty\frac1{n+f(n)}$$is convergent. ($\mathbb N$ is the set of all positive integers.)