Let $a_1, a_2, a_3, \ldots$ be a sequence of positive real numbers, and $s$ be a positive integer, such that \[a_n = \max \{ a_k + a_{n-k} \mid 1 \leq k \leq n-1 \} \ \textrm{ for all } \ n > s.\] Prove there exist positive integers $\ell \leq s$ and $N$, such that \[a_n = a_{\ell} + a_{n - \ell} \ \textrm{ for all } \ n \geq N.\] [i]Proposed by Morteza Saghafiyan, Iran[/i]

Let $n$ be a positive integer and let $a_1, \ldots, a_{n-1} $ be arbitrary real numbers. Define the sequences $u_0, \ldots, u_n $ and $v_0, \ldots, v_n $ inductively by $u_0 = u_1 = v_0 = v_1 = 1$, and $u_{k+1} = u_k + a_k u_{k-1}$, $v_{k+1} = v_k + a_{n-k} v_{k-1}$ for $k=1, \ldots, n-1.$ Prove that $u_n = v_n.$

Given an integer $ k > 1.$ We call a $ k \minus{}$digits decimal integer $ a_{1}a_{2}\cdots a_{k}$ is $ p \minus{}$monotonic, if for each of integers $ i$ satisfying $ 1\le i\le k \minus{} 1,$ when $ a_{i}$ is an odd number, $ a_{i} > a_{i \plus{} 1};$ when $ a_{i}$ is an even number, $ a_{i}<a_{i \plus{} 1}.$ Find the number of $ p \minus{}$monotonic $ k \minus{}$digits integers.

Mr. Ambulando is at the intersection of $5^{\text{th}}$ and $\text{A St}$, and needs to walk to the intersection of $1^{\text{st}}$ and $\text{F St}$. There's an accident at the intersection of $4^{\text{th}}$ and $\text{B St}$, which he'd like to avoid. [center]<see attached>[/center] Given that Mr. Ambulando wants to walk the shortest distance possible, how many different routes through downtown can he take?

A table of the type $~$ $ (n_1, n_2, ... , n_m) ,\ n_1 \ge n_2 \ge ... \ge n_m $ $~$ is defined in the following way: $~$ $n_1$ $~$ squares are ordered horizontally one next to another, then $~$ $n_2$ $~$ squares are ordered horizontally beneath the already ordered $~$ $n_1$ $~$ squares. The procedure continues until a net composed of $~$ $n_1$ $~$ squares in the first row, $~$ $n_2$ $~$ in the second, $~$ $n_i$ $~$ in the $~$ $i$-th row is obtained, such that there are totally $~$ $n=n_1+n_2+...+n_m$ $~$ squares in the net. The ordered rows form a straight line on the left, as shown in the example. The obtained table is filled with the numbers from $~$ $1$ $~$ till $~$ $n$ $~$ in a way that the numbers in each row and column become greater from left to right and from top to bottom, respectively. An example of a table of the type $~$ $(5,4,2,1)$ $~$ and one possible way of filling it is attached to the post. Find the number of ways the table of type $~$ $(4,3,2)$ $~$ can be filled.

Let $\mathbb{N}^2$ denote the set of ordered pairs of positive integers. A finite subset $S$ of $\mathbb{N}^2$ is [i]stable[/i] if whenever $(x,y)$ is in $S$, then so are all points $(x',y')$ of $\mathbb{N}^2$ with both $x'\leq x$ and $y'\leq y$. Prove that if $S$ is a stable set, then among all stable subsets of $S$ (including the empty set and $S$ itself), at least half of them have an even number of elements. [i]Ashwin Sah and Mehtaab Sawhney[/i]

A game board consists of $64$ squares that alternate in color between black and white. The figure below shows square $P$ in the bottom and square $Q$ in the top row. A marker is placed at $P$. A [i]step[/i] consists of moving the marker onto one of the adjoining white squares in the row above. How many $7$-step paths are there from $P$ to $Q$? (The figure shows a sample path.) [asy]//diagram by SirCalcsALot size(200); int[] x = {6, 5, 4, 5, 6, 5, 6}; int[] y = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}; int N = 7; for (int i = 0; i < 8; ++i) { for (int j = 0; j < 8; ++j) { draw((i,j)--(i+1,j)--(i+1,j+1)--(i,j+1)--(i,j)); if ((i+j) % 2 == 0) { filldraw((i,j)--(i+1,j)--(i+1,j+1)--(i,j+1)--(i,j)--cycle,black); } } } for (int i = 0; i < N; ++i) { draw(circle((x[i],y[i])+(0.5,0.5),0.35)); } label("$P$", (5.5, 0.5)); label("$Q$", (6.5, 7.5)); [/asy] $\textbf{(A)}\ 28 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 30 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 32 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 33 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 35$

Compute the number of monic polynomials $q(x)$ with integer coefficients of degree $12$ such that there exists an integer polynomial $p(x)$ satisfying $q(x)p(x) = q(x^2).$ [i]Proposed by Yang Liu[/i]

Let $SP_1P_2P_3EP_4P_5$ be a heptagon. A frog starts jumping at vertex $S$. From any vertex of the heptagon except $E$, the frog may jump to either of the two adjacent vertices. When it reaches vertex $E$, the frog stops and stays there. Find the number of distinct sequences of jumps of no more than $12$ jumps that end at $E$.

Let $a_1, a_2, a_3, \ldots$ be a sequence of positive real numbers, and $s$ be a positive integer, such that \[a_n = \max \{ a_k + a_{n-k} \mid 1 \leq k \leq n-1 \} \ \textrm{ for all } \ n > s.\] Prove there exist positive integers $\ell \leq s$ and $N$, such that \[a_n = a_{\ell} + a_{n - \ell} \ \textrm{ for all } \ n \geq N.\] [i]Proposed by Morteza Saghafiyan, Iran[/i]

Ten chairs are arranged in a circle. Find the number of subsets of this set of chairs that contain at least three adjacent chairs.

Given an integer $ k > 1.$ We call a $ k \minus{}$digits decimal integer $ a_{1}a_{2}\cdots a_{k}$ is $ p \minus{}$monotonic, if for each of integers $ i$ satisfying $ 1\le i\le k \minus{} 1,$ when $ a_{i}$ is an odd number, $ a_{i} > a_{i \plus{} 1};$ when $ a_{i}$ is an even number, $ a_{i}<a_{i \plus{} 1}.$ Find the number of $ p \minus{}$monotonic $ k \minus{}$digits integers.

A calculator treats angles as radians. It initially displays 1. What is the largest value that can be achieved by pressing the buttons cos or sin a total of 2001 times? (So you might press cos five times, then sin six times and so on with a total of 2001 presses.)

Alice has three daughters, each of whom has two daughters, each of Alice's six grand-daughters has one daughter. How many sets of women from the family of $16$ can be chosen such that no woman and her daughter are both in the set? (Include the empty set as a possible set.)

Let $n$ be a positive integer. A [i]Nordic[/i] square is an $n \times n$ board containing all the integers from $1$ to $n^2$ so that each cell contains exactly one number. Two different cells are considered adjacent if they share a common side. Every cell that is adjacent only to cells containing larger numbers is called a [i]valley[/i]. An [i]uphill path[/i] is a sequence of one or more cells such that: (i) the first cell in the sequence is a valley, (ii) each subsequent cell in the sequence is adjacent to the previous cell, and (iii) the numbers written in the cells in the sequence are in increasing order. Find, as a function of $n$, the smallest possible total number of uphill paths in a Nordic square. Author: Nikola Petrović