Found problems: 233
2014 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 6
Given $w$ and $z$ are complex numbers such that $|w+z|=1$ and $|w^2+z^2|=14$, find the smallest possible value of $|w^3+z^3|$. Here $| \cdot |$ denotes the absolute value of a complex number, given by $|a+bi|=\sqrt{a^2+b^2}$ whenever $a$ and $b$ are real numbers.
2013 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 34
For how many unordered sets $\{a,b,c,d\}$ of positive integers, none of which exceed $168$, do there exist integers $w,x,y,z$ such that $(-1)^wa+(-1)^xb+(-1)^yc+(-1)^zd=168$? If your answer is $A$ and the correct answer is $C$, then your score on this problem will be $\left\lfloor25e^{-3\frac{|C-A|}C}\right\rfloor$.
2013 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 32
For an even positive integer $n$ Kevin has a tape of length $4n$ with marks at $-2n,-2n+1,\ldots,2n-1,2n$. He then randomly picks $n$ points in the set $-n,-n+1,-n+2,\ldots,n-1,n$ and places a stone on each of these points. We call a stone 'stuck' if it is on $2n$ or $-2n$, or either all the points to the right, or all the points to the left, all contain stones. Then, every minute, Kevin shifts the unstruck stones in the following manner:
[list]
[*]He picks an unstuck stone uniformly at random and then flips a fair coin.
[*]If the coin came up heads, he then moves that stone and every stone in the largest contiguous set containing that stone one point to the left. If the coin came up tails, he moves every stone in that set one point right instead.
[*]He repeats until all the stones are stuck.[/list]
Let $p_n$ be the probability that at the end of the process there are exactly $k$ stones in the right half. Evaluate \[\dfrac{p_{n-1}-p_{n-2}+p_{n-3}+\ldots+p_3-p_2+p_1}{p_{n-1}+p_{n-2}+p_{n-3}+\ldots+p_3+p_2+p_1}\] in terms of $n$.
2013 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 17
The lines $y=x$, $y=2x$, and $y=3x$ are the three medians of a triangle with perimeter $1$. Find the length of the longest side of the triangle.
2011 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 3
Evaluate $\displaystyle \int_1^\infty \left(\frac{\ln x}{x}\right)^{2011} dx$.
2013 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 25
The sequence $(z_n)$ of complex numbers satisfies the following properties:
[list]
[*]$z_1$ and $z_2$ are not real.
[*]$z_{n+2}=z_{n+1}^2z_n$ for all integers $n\geq 1$.
[*]$\dfrac{z_{n+3}}{z_n^2}$ is real for all integers $n\geq 1$.
[*]$\left|\dfrac{z_3}{z_4}\right|=\left|\dfrac{z_4}{z_5}\right|=2$. [/list]
Find the product of all possible values of $z_1$.
2020 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 6
Alice writes $1001$ letters on a blackboard, each one chosen independently and uniformly at random from the set $S=\{a, b, c\}$. A move consists of erasing two distinct letters from the board and replacing them with the third letter in $S$. What is the probability that Alice can perform a sequence of moves which results in one letter remaining on the blackboard?
[i]Proposed by Daniel Zhu.[/i]
1999 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 7
Carl and Bob can demolish a building in 6 days, Anne and Bob can do it in $3$, Anne and Carl in $5$. How many days does it take all of them working together if Carl gets injured at the end of the first day and can't come back?
2018 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 6
Call a polygon [i]normal[/i] if it can be inscribed in a unit circle. How many non-congruent normal polygons are there such that the square of each side length is a positive integer?
2016 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 9
The vertices of a regular nonagon are colored such that $1)$ adjacent vertices are different colors and $2)$ if $3$ vertices form an equilateral triangle, they are all different colors. Let $m$ be the minimum number of colors needed for a valid coloring, and n be the total number of colorings using $m$ colors. Determine $mn$. (Assume each vertex is distinguishable.)
2013 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 12
For how many integers $1\leq k\leq 2013$ does the decimal representation of $k^k$ end with a $1$?
2023 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 10
Triangle $ABC$ has incenter $I$. Let $D$ be the foot of the perpendicular from $A$ to side $BC$. Let $X$ be a point such that segment $AX$ is a diameter of the circumcircle of triangle $ABC$. Given that $ID = 2$, $IA = 3$, and $IX = 4$, compute the inradius of triangle $ABC$.
2016 HMNT, 3
Let $V$ be a rectangular prism with integer side lengths. The largest face has area $240$ and the smallest face has area $48$. A third face has area $x$, where $x$ is not equal to $48$ or $240$. What is the sum of all possible values of $x$?
2012 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 6
Let $a_0=-2,b_0=1$, and for $n\geq 0$, let
\begin{align*}a_{n+1}&=a_n+b_n+\sqrt{a_n^2+b_n^2},\\b_{n+1}&=a_n+b_n-\sqrt{a_n^2+b_n^2}.\end{align*} Find $a_{2012}$.
2008 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 7
Let $ C_1$ and $ C_2$ be externally tangent circles with radius 2 and 3, respectively. Let $ C_3$ be a circle internally tangent to both $ C_1$ and $ C_2$ at points $ A$ and $ B$, respectively. The tangents to $ C_3$ at $ A$ and $ B$ meet at $ T$, and $ TA \equal{} 4$. Determine the radius of $ C_3$.
2016 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 4
A rectangular pool table has vertices at $(0, 0) (12, 0) (0, 10),$ and $(12, 10)$. There are pockets only in the four corners. A ball is hit from $(0, 0)$ along the line $y = x$ and bounces off several walls before eventually entering a pocket. Find the number of walls that the ball bounces off of before entering a pocket.
2016 HMNT, 10
We have $10$ points on a line $A_1,A_2\ldots A_{10}$ in that order. Initially there are $n$ chips on point $A_1$. Now we are allowed to perform two types of moves. Take two chips on $A_i$, remove them and place one chip on $A_{i+1}$, or take two chips on $A_{i+1}$, remove them, and place a chip on $A_{i+2}$ and $A_i$ . Find the minimum possible value of $n$ such that it is possible to get a chip on $A_{10}$ through a sequence of moves.
2013 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 35
Let $P$ be the number of ways to partition $2013$ into an ordered tuple of prime numbers. What is $\log_2 (P)$? If your answer is $A$ and the correct answer is $C$, then your score on this problem will be $\left\lfloor\frac{125}2\left(\min\left(\frac CA,\frac AC\right)-\frac35\right)\right\rfloor$ or zero, whichever is larger.
2011 HMNT, 10
Let $r_1, r_2, \cdots, r_7$ be the distinct complex roots of the polynomial $P(x) = x^7 - 7$ Let
\[K = \prod_{1 \leq i < j \leq 7} (r_i + r_j)\]
that is, the product of all the numbers of the form $r_i + r_j$, where $i$ and $j$ are integers for which $1 \leq i < j \leq 7$. Determine the value of $K^2$.
2019 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 8
Can the set of lattice points $\{(x, y) \mid x, y \in \mathbb{Z}, 1 \le x, y \le 252, x \neq y\}$ be colored using 10 distinct colors such that for all $a \neq b$, $b \neq c$, the colors of $(a, b)$ and $(b, c)$ are distinct?
2016 HMIC, 5
Let $S = \{a_1, \ldots, a_n \}$ be a finite set of positive integers of size $n \ge 1$, and let $T$ be the set of all positive integers that can be expressed as sums of perfect powers (including $1$) of distinct numbers in $S$, meaning
\[ T = \left\{ \sum_{i=1}^n a_i^{e_i} \mid e_1, e_2, \dots, e_n \ge 0 \right\}. \]
Show that there is a positive integer $N$ (only depending on $n$) such that $T$ contains no arithmetic progression of length $N$.
[i]Yang Liu[/i]
2019 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 6
A point $P$ lies at the center of square $ABCD$. A sequence of points $\{P_n\}$ is determined by $P_0 = P$, and given point $P_i$, point $P_{i+1}$ is obtained by reflecting $P_i$ over one of the four lines $AB$, $BC$, $CD$, $DA$, chosen uniformly at random and independently for each $i$. What is the probability that $P_8 = P$?
2019 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 10
In triangle $ABC$, $AB = 13$, $BC = 14$, $CA = 15$. Squares $ABB_1A_2$, $BCC_1B_2$, $CAA_1B_2$ are constructed outside the triangle. Squares $A_1A_2A_3A_4$, $B_1B_2B_3B_4$ are constructed outside the hexagon $A_1A_2B_1B_2C_1C_2$. Squares $A_3B_4B_5A_6$, $B_3C_4C_5B_6$, $C_3A_4A_5C_6$ are constructed outside the hexagon $A_4A_3B_4B_3C_4C_3$. Find the area of the hexagon $A_5A_6B_5B_6C_5C_6$.
2011 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 4
For all real numbers $x$, let \[ f(x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt[2011]{1-x^{2011}}}. \] Evaluate $(f(f(\ldots(f(2011))\ldots)))^{2011}$, where $f$ is applied $2010$ times.
2016 HMNT, 19-21
19. Let $S$ be the set of all positive integers whose prime factorizations only contain powers of the primes $2$ and $2017$ ($1$, powers of $2$, and powers of $2017$ are thus contained in $S$). Compute $\sum_{s\in S}\frac1s$.
20. Let $\mathcal{V}$ be the volume enclosed by the graph
$$x^ {2016} + y^{2016} + z^2 = 2016$$
Find $\mathcal{V}$ rounded to the nearest multiple of ten.
21. Zlatan has $2017$ socks of various colours. He wants to proudly display one sock of each of the
colours, and he counts that there are $N$ ways to select socks from his collection for display. Given this
information, what is the maximum value of $N$?