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: 83

2020 Serbian Mathematical Olympiad, Problem 6

We are given a natural number $k$. Let us consider the following game on an infinite onedimensional board. At the start of the game, we distrubute $n$ coins on the fields of the given board (one field can have multiple coins on itself). After that, we have two choices for the following moves: $(i)$ We choose two nonempty fields next to each other, and we transfer all the coins from one of the fields to the other. $(ii)$ We choose a field with at least $2$ coins on it, and we transfer one coin from the chosen field to the $k-\mathrm{th}$ field on the left , and one coin from the chosen field to the $k-\mathrm{th}$ field on the right. $\mathbf{(a)}$ If $n\leq k+1$, prove that we can play only finitely many moves. $\mathbf{(b)}$ For which values of $k$ we can choose a natural number $n$ and distribute $n$ coins on the given board such that we can play infinitely many moves.

2020 Serbia National Math Olympiad, 6

We are given a natural number $k$. Let us consider the following game on an infinite onedimensional board. At the start of the game, we distrubute $n$ coins on the fields of the given board (one field can have multiple coins on itself). After that, we have two choices for the following moves: $(i)$ We choose two nonempty fields next to each other, and we transfer all the coins from one of the fields to the other. $(ii)$ We choose a field with at least $2$ coins on it, and we transfer one coin from the chosen field to the $k-\mathrm{th}$ field on the left , and one coin from the chosen field to the $k-\mathrm{th}$ field on the right. $\mathbf{(a)}$ If $n\leq k+1$, prove that we can play only finitely many moves. $\mathbf{(b)}$ For which values of $k$ we can choose a natural number $n$ and distribute $n$ coins on the given board such that we can play infinitely many moves.

2017 CentroAmerican, 1

Tags: game theory
The figure below shows a hexagonal net formed by many congruent equilateral triangles. Taking turns, Gabriel and Arnaldo play a game as follows. On his turn, the player colors in a segment, including the endpoints, following these three rules: i) The endpoints must coincide with vertices of the marked equilateral triangles. ii) The segment must be made up of one or more of the sides of the triangles. iii) The segment cannot contain any point (endpoints included) of a previously colored segment. Gabriel plays first, and the player that cannot make a legal move loses. Find a winning strategy and describe it.

2025 China Team Selection Test, 10

Given an odd integer $n \geq 3$. Let $V$ be the set of vertices of a regular $n$-gon, and $P$ be the set of all regular polygons formed by points in $V$. For instance, when $n=15$, $P$ consists of $1$ regular $15$-gon, $3$ regular pentagons, and $5$ regular triangles. Initially, all points in $V$ are uncolored. Two players, $A$ and $B$, play a game where they take turns coloring an uncolored point, with player $A$ starting and coloring points red, and player $B$ coloring points blue. The game ends when all points are colored. A regular polygon in $P$ is called $\textit{good}$ if it has more red points than blue points. Find the largest positive integer $k$ such that no matter how player $B$ plays, player $A$ can ensure that there are at least $k$ $\textit{good}$ polygons.

2022 Iran Team Selection Test, 6

Let $m,n$ and $a_1,a_2,\dots,a_m$ be arbitrary positive integers. Ali and Mohammad Play the following game. At each step, Ali chooses $b_1,b_2,\dots,b_m \in \mathbb{N}$ and then Mohammad chosses a positive integers $s$ and obtains a new sequence $\{c_i=a_i+b_{i+s}\}_{i=1}^m$, where $$b_{m+1}=b_1,\ b_{m+2}=b_2, \dots,\ b_{m+s}=b_s$$ The goal of Ali is to make all the numbers divisible by $n$ in a finite number of steps. FInd all positive integers $m$ and $n$ such that Ali has a winning strategy, no matter how the initial values $a_1, a_2,\dots,a_m$ are. [hide=clarification] after we create the $c_i$ s, this sequence becomes the sequence that we continue playing on, as in it is our 'new' $a_i$[/hide] Proposed by Shayan Gholami

2020 Latvia Baltic Way TST, 8

A magician has $300$ cards with numbers from $1$ to $300$ written on them, each number on exactly one card. The magician then lays these cards on a $3 \times 100$ rectangle in the following way - one card in each unit square so that the number cannot be seen and cards with consecutive numbers are in neighbouring squares. Afterwards, the magician turns over $k$ cards of his choice. What is the smallest value of $k$ for which it can happen that the opened cards definitely determine the exact positions of all other cards?

2022 Iran MO (3rd Round), 5

Ali has $100$ cards with numbers $1,2,\ldots,100$. Ali and Amin play a game together. In each step, first Ali chooses a card from the remaining cards and Amin decides to pick that card for himself or throw it away. In the case that he picks the card, he can't pick the next card chosen by Amin, and he has to throw it away. This action repeats until when there is no remaining card for Ali. Amin wants to pick cards in a way that the sum of the number of his cards is maximized and Ali wants to choose cards in a way that the sum of the number of Amin's cards is minimized. Find the most value of $k$ such that Amin can play in a way that is sure the sum of the number of his cards will be at least equal to $k$.

2016 Tournament Of Towns, 6

Petya and Vasya play the following game. Petya conceives a polynomial $P(x)$ having integer coefficients. On each move, Vasya pays him a ruble, and calls an integer $a$ of his choice, which has not yet been called by him. Petya has to reply with the number of distinct integer solutions of the equation $P(x)=a$. The game continues until Petya is forced to repeat an answer. What minimal amount of rubles must Vasya pay in order to win? [i](Anant Mudgal)[/i] (Translated from [url=http://sasja.shap.homedns.org/Turniry/TG/index.html]here.[/url])