Olympiad problems

2008 ISI B.Math Entrance Exam, 1

Let $f:\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ be a continuous function . Suppose \[f(x)=\frac{1}{t} \int^t_0 (f(x+y)-f(y))\,dy\] $\forall x\in \mathbb{R}$ and all $t>0$ . Then show that there exists a constant $c$ such that $f(x)=cx\ \forall x$

2007 Singapore Junior Math Olympiad, 5

Tags: algebra , function

For any positive integer $n$, let $f(n)$ denote the $n$- th positive nonsquare integer, i.e., $f(1) = 2, f(2) = 3, f(3) = 5, f(4) = 6$, etc. Prove that $f(n)=n +\{\sqrt{n}\}$ where $\{x\}$ denotes the integer closest to $x$. (For example, $\{\sqrt{1}\} = 1, \{\sqrt{2}\} = 1, \{\sqrt{3}\} = 2, \{\sqrt{4}\} = 2$.)

1999 Miklós Schweitzer, 7

Tags: real analysis , function

let $f:R\to R$ be a continuous function tf(t)>0 for $t\neq 0$. Prove that there exists a non-zero differentiable function $y:[0,\infty)\to R$ such that $y'(t)=f(y(t-1))\,\forall t>1$ and the roots of y are bounded.

2010 Today's Calculation Of Integral, 602

Tags: calculus , integration , floor function , counting , derangement , function , logarithm

Prove the following inequality. \[\frac{e-1}{n+1}\leqq\int^e_1(\log x)^n dx\leqq\frac{(n+1)e+1}{(n+1)(n+2)}\ (n=1,2,\cdot\cdot\cdot) \] 1994 Kyoto University entrance exam/Science

2014 Iran Team Selection Test, 4

Tags: function , algebra , functional equation

Find all functions $f:\mathbb{R}^{+}\rightarrow \mathbb{R}^{+}$ such that $x,y\in \mathbb{R}^{+},$ \[ f\left(\frac{y}{f(x+1)}\right)+f\left(\frac{x+1}{xf(y)}\right)=f(y) \]

1999 Polish MO Finals, 2

Tags: integration , function , triangle inequality , inequalities

Prove that for any $ 2n$ real numbers $ a_{1}$, $ a_{2}$, ..., $ a_{n}$, $ b_{1}$, $ b_{2}$, ..., $ b_{n}$, we have $ \sum_{i < j}{\left|a_{i}\minus{}a_{j}\right|}\plus{}\sum_{i < j}{\left|b_{i}\minus{}b_{j}\right|}\leq\sum_{i,j\in\left[1,n\right]}{\left|a_{i}\minus{}b_{j}\right|}$.

1979 Kurschak Competition, 2

Tags: algebra , functional , functional inequality , function

$f$ is a real-valued function defined on the reals such that $f(x) \le x$ and $f(x + y) \le f(x) + f(y)$ for all $x, y$. Prove that $f(x) = x$ for all $x$.

2004 Nicolae Păun, 1

Tags: function , algebra , decomposition , injectivity

Prove that any function that maps the integers to themselves is a sum of any finite number of injective functions that map the integers to themselves. [i]Sorin Rădulescu[/i] and [i]Ion Savu[/i]

2008 Croatia Team Selection Test, 2

Tags: function , algebra

For which $ n\in \mathbb{N}$ do there exist rational numbers $ a,b$ which are not integers such that both $ a \plus{} b$ and $ a^n \plus{} b^n$ are integers?

2017 Korea Winter Program Practice Test, 1

Tags: function , inequalities

Let $f : \mathbb{Z} \to \mathbb{R}$ be a function satisfying $f(x) + f(y) + f(z) \ge 0$ for all integers $x, y, z$ with $x + y + z = 0$. Prove that \[ f(-2017) + f(-2016) + \cdots + f(2016) + f(2017) \ge 0. \]

1997 Romania National Olympiad, 3

Tags: polynomial , function , algebra

Suppose that $a,b,c,d\in\mathbb{R}$ and $f(x)=ax^3+bx^2+cx+d$ such that $f(2)+f(5)<7<f(3)+f(4)$. Prove that there exists $u,v\in\mathbb{R}$ such that $u+v=7 , f(u)+f(v)=7$

2006 Pre-Preparation Course Examination, 7

Tags: function , limit , combinatorics , logarithm

Suppose that for every $n$ the number $m(n)$ is chosen such that $m(n)\ln(m(n))=n-\frac 12$. Show that $b_n$ is asymptotic to the following expression where $b_n$ is the $n-$th Bell number, that is the number of ways to partition $\{1,2,\ldots,n\}$: \[ \frac{m(n)^ne^{m(n)-n-\frac 12}}{\sqrt{\ln n}}. \] Two functions $f(n)$ and $g(n)$ are asymptotic to each other if $\lim_{n\rightarrow \infty}\frac{f(n)}{g(n)}=1$.

2021 JHMT HS, 3

Tags: function , calculus

There is a unique ordered triple of real numbers $(a, b, c)$ that makes the piecewise function \begin{align*} f(x) = \begin{cases} (x - a)^2 + b & \text{if } x \geq c \\ x^3 - x & \text{if } x < c \end{cases} \end{align*} twice continuously differentiable for all real $x.$ The value of $a + b + c$ can be expressed as a common fraction $p/q.$ Compute $p + q.$

2018 International Zhautykov Olympiad, 5

Tags: inequalities , algebra , function , floor function

Find all real numbers $a$ such that there exist $f:\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ with $$f(x-f(y))=f(x)+a[y]$$ for all $x,y\in \mathbb{R}$

1978 IMO Longlists, 33

Tags: function , inequalities , algebra , logarithm

A sequence $(a_n)^{\infty}_0$ of real numbers is called [i]convex[/i] if $2a_n\le a_{n-1}+a_{n+1}$ for all positive integers $n$. Let $(b_n)^{\infty}_0$ be a sequence of positive numbers and assume that the sequence $(\alpha^nb_n)^{\infty}_0$ is convex for any choice of $\alpha > 0$. Prove that the sequence $(\log b_n)^{\infty}_0$ is convex.

2016 Taiwan TST Round 2, 2

Tags: function , algebra , functional equation

Find all function $f:\mathbb{Z}\rightarrow\mathbb{Z}$ such that $f(f(x)+f(y))+f(x)f(y)=f(x+y)f(x-y)$ for all integer $x,y$

1962 Vietnam National Olympiad, 2

Tags: calculus , derivative , function , calculus computations

Let $ f(x) \equal{} (1 \plus{} x)\cdot\sqrt{(2 \plus{} x^2)}\cdot\sqrt[3]{(3 \plus{} x^3)}$. Determine $ f'(1)$.

2012 ELMO Shortlist, 9

Tags: algebra , polynomial , function , induction , inequalities

Let $a,b,c$ be distinct positive real numbers, and let $k$ be a positive integer greater than $3$. Show that \[\left\lvert\frac{a^{k+1}(b-c)+b^{k+1}(c-a)+c^{k+1}(a-b)}{a^k(b-c)+b^k(c-a)+c^k(a-b)}\right\rvert\ge \frac{k+1}{3(k-1)}(a+b+c)\] and \[\left\lvert\frac{a^{k+2}(b-c)+b^{k+2}(c-a)+c^{k+2}(a-b)}{a^k(b-c)+b^k(c-a)+c^k(a-b)}\right\rvert\ge \frac{(k+1)(k+2)}{3k(k-1)}(a^2+b^2+c^2).\] [i]Calvin Deng.[/i]

2015 IMAR Test, 4

Tags: function , interval , polynomial , analysis , real analysis , algebra , conic

(a) Show that, if $I \subset R$ is a closed bounded interval, and $f : I \to R$ is a non-constant monic polynomial function such that $max_{x\in I}|f(x)|< 2$, then there exists a non-constant monic polynomial function $g : I \to R$ such that $max_{x\in I} |g(x)| < 1$. (b) Show that there exists a closed bounded interval $I \subset R$ such that $max_{x\in I}|f(x)| \ge 2$ for every non-constant monic polynomial function $f : I \to R$.

2004 AMC 12/AHSME, 13

Tags: function , algebra , difference of squares , special factorizations

If $ f(x) \equal{} ax \plus{} b$ and $ f^{ \minus{} 1}(x) \equal{} bx \plus{} a$ with $ a$ and $ b$ real, what is the value of $ a \plus{} b$? $ \textbf{(A)} \minus{} \!2 \qquad \textbf{(B)} \minus{} \!1 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 0 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 1 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 2$

2010 Contests, 2

Tags: function , algebra , polynomial , number theory

Positive rational number $a$ and $b$ satisfy the equality \[a^3 + 4a^2b = 4a^2 + b^4.\] Prove that the number $\sqrt{a}-1$ is a square of a rational number.

2018 Olympic Revenge, 5

Tags: function , number theory , algebra

Let $p$ a positive prime number and $\mathbb{F}_{p}$ the set of integers $mod \ p$. For $x\in \mathbb{F}_{p}$, define $|x|$ as the cyclic distance of $x$ to $0$, that is, if we represent $x$ as an integer between $0$ and $p-1$, $|x|=x$ if $x<\frac{p}{2}$, and $|x|=p-x$ if $x>\frac{p}{2}$ . Let $f: \mathbb{F}_{p} \rightarrow \mathbb{F}_{p}$ a function such that for every $x,y \in \mathbb{F}_{p}$ \[ |f(x+y)-f(x)-f(y)|<100 \] Prove that exist $m \in \mathbb{F}_{p}$ such that for every $x \in \mathbb{F}_{p}$ \[ |f(x)-mx|<1000 \]

2014 Romania National Olympiad, 1

Tags: function , algebra

Find all continuous functions $ f:\mathbb{R}\longrightarrow\mathbb{R} $ that satisfy: $ \text{(i)}\text{id}+f $ is nondecreasing $ \text{(ii)} $ There is a natural number $ m $ such that $ \text{id}+f+f^2\cdots +f^m $ is nonincreasing. Here, $ \text{id} $ represents the identity function, and ^ denotes functional power.

2025 All-Russian Olympiad, 11.8

Tags: continuous function , function , algebra

Let $ f: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} $ be a continuous function. A chord is defined as a segment of integer length, parallel to the x-axis, whose endpoints lie on the graph of $ f $. It is known that the graph of $ f $ contains exactly $ N $ chords, one of which has length 2025. Find the minimum possible value of $ N $.

1946 Putnam, A4

Tags: function , calculus , derivative

Let $g(x)$ be a function that has a continuous first derivative $g'(x)$. Suppose that $g(0)=0$ and $|g'(x)| \leq |g(x)|$ for all values of $x.$ Prove that $g(x)$ vanishes identically.