Olympiad problems

2021 Simon Marais Mathematical Competition, A3

Let $\mathcal{M}$ be the set of all $2021 \times 2021$ matrices with at most two entries in each row equal to $1$ and all other entries equal to $0$. Determine the size of the set $\{ \det A : A \in M \}$. [i]Here $\det A$ denotes the determinant of the matrix $A$.[/i]

2020 Taiwan TST Round 3, 1

Tags: algebra , product , determinant

Let $x_1, x_2, \dots, x_n$ be different real numbers. Prove that \[\sum_{1 \leqslant i \leqslant n} \prod_{j \neq i} \frac{1-x_{i} x_{j}}{x_{i}-x_{j}}=\left\{\begin{array}{ll} 0, & \text { if } n \text { is even; } \\ 1, & \text { if } n \text { is odd. } \end{array}\right.\]

2019 IMO Shortlist, A5

Tags: algebra , product , determinant

Let $x_1, x_2, \dots, x_n$ be different real numbers. Prove that \[\sum_{1 \leqslant i \leqslant n} \prod_{j \neq i} \frac{1-x_{i} x_{j}}{x_{i}-x_{j}}=\left\{\begin{array}{ll} 0, & \text { if } n \text { is even; } \\ 1, & \text { if } n \text { is odd. } \end{array}\right.\]

1987 Greece National Olympiad, 2

Tags: linear algebra , matrix , determinant

Let $A=(\alpha_{ij})$ be a $m\,x\,n$ matric and $B=(\beta_{kl})$ be a $n\,x\, m$ matric with $m>n$ . Prove that $D(A\cdot B)=0$.

2019 Jozsef Wildt International Math Competition, W. 13

Tags: determinant , polynomial , complex number , algebra

Let $a$, $b$ and $c$ be complex numbers such that $abc = 1$. Find the value of the cubic root of \begin{tabular}{|ccc|} $b + n^3c$ & $n(c - b)$ & $n^2(b - c)$\\ $n^2(c - a)$ & $c + n^3a$ & $n(a - c)$\\ $n(b - a)$ & $n^2(a - b)$ & $a + n^3b$ \end{tabular}

1992 Putnam, B5

Tags: determinant , bounded

Let $D_n$ denote the value of the $(n -1) \times (n - 1)$ determinant $$ \begin{pmatrix} 3 & 1 &1 & \ldots & 1\\ 1 & 4 &1 & \ldots & 1\\ 1 & 1 & 5 & \ldots & 1\\ \vdots & \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots\\ 1 & 1 & 1 & \ldots & n+1 \end{pmatrix}.$$ Is the set $\left\{ \frac{D_n }{n!} \, | \, n \geq 2\right\}$ bounded?

1996 Romania National Olympiad, 3

Tags: matrices , linear algebra , determinant

Let $A, B \in M_2(\mathbb{R})$ such as $det(AB+BA)\leq 0$. Prove that $$det(A^2+B^2)\geq 0$$

2000 Moldova National Olympiad, Problem 1

Tags: divisibility , determinant , number theory

Let $1=d_1<d_2<\ldots<d_{2m}=n$ be the divisors of a positive integer $n$, where $n$ is not a perfect square. Consider the determinant $$D=\begin{vmatrix}n+d_1&n&\ldots&n\\n&n+d_2&\ldots&n\\\ldots&\ldots&&\ldots\\n&n&\ldots&n+d_{2m}\end{vmatrix}.$$ (a) Prove that $n^m$ divides $D$. (b) Prove that $1+d_1+d_2+\ldots+d_{2m}$ divides $D$.

2016 Korea USCM, 6

Tags: matrix , linear algebra , trace , determinant , commutator , common eigenvector

$A$ and $B$ are $2\times 2$ real valued matrices satisfying $$\det A = \det B = 1,\quad \text{tr}(A)>2,\quad \text{tr}(B)>2,\quad \text{tr}(ABA^{-1}B^{-1}) = 2$$ Prove that $A$ and $B$ have a common eigenvector.

2023 SEEMOUS, P1

Tags: linear algebra , matrix , determinant

Prove that if $A{}$ and $B{}$ are $n\times n$ matrices with complex entries which satisfy \[A=AB-BA+A^2B-2ABA+BA^2+A^2BA-ABA^2,\]then $\det(A)=0$.

2024 CIIM, 2

Tags: linear algebra , matrix , determinant , symmetric matrix

Let $n$ be a positive integer, and let $M_n$ be the set of invertible matrices with integer entries and size $n \times n$. (a) Find the largest possible value of $n$ such that there exists a symmetric matrix $A \in M_n$ satisfying \[ \det(A^{20} + A^{24}) < 2024. \] (b) Prove that for every $n$, there exists a matrix $B \in M_n$ such that \[ \det(B^{20} + B^{24}) < 2024. \]