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: 1782

2012 Putnam, 1

Tags: induction
Let $d_1,d_2,\dots,d_{12}$ be real numbers in the open interval $(1,12).$ Show that there exist distinct indices $i,j,k$ such that $d_i,d_j,d_k$ are the side lengths of an acute triangle.

PEN K Problems, 20

Find all functions $f: \mathbb{Q}\to \mathbb{Q}$ such that for all $x,y \in \mathbb{Q}$: \[f(x+y)+f(x-y)=2(f(x)+f(y)).\]

2010 Contests, 4

Let $S$ be a set of $n$ points in the coordinate plane. Say that a pair of points is [i]aligned[/i] if the two points have the same $x$-coordinate or $y$-coordinate. Prove that $S$ can be partitioned into disjoint subsets such that (a) each of these subsets is a collinear set of points, and (b) at most $n^{3/2}$ unordered pairs of distinct points in $S$ are aligned but not in the same subset.

2014 Singapore Senior Math Olympiad, 3

Tags: induction
Some blue and red circular disks of identical size are packed together to form a triangle. The top level has one disk and each level has 1 more disk than the level above it. Each disk not at the bottom level touches two disks below it and its colour is blue if these two disks are of the same colour. Otherwise its colour is red. Suppose the bottom level has 2048 disks of which 2014 are red. What is the colour of the disk at the top?

2005 Putnam, B4

For positive integers $ m$ and $ n$, let $ f\left(m,n\right)$ denote the number of $ n$-tuples $ \left(x_1,x_2,\dots,x_n\right)$ of integers such that $ \left|x_1\right| \plus{} \left|x_2\right| \plus{} \cdots \plus{} \left|x_n\right|\le m$. Show that $ f\left(m,n\right) \equal{} f\left(n,m\right)$.

1997 Austrian-Polish Competition, 6

Show that there is no integer-valued function on the integers such that $f(m+f(n))=f(m)-n$ for all $m,n$.

2006 Germany Team Selection Test, 3

Let $n$ be a positive integer, and let $b_{1}$, $b_{2}$, ..., $b_{n}$ be $n$ positive reals. Set $a_{1}=\frac{b_{1}}{b_{1}+b_{2}+...+b_{n}}$ and $a_{k}=\frac{b_{1}+b_{2}+...+b_{k}}{b_{1}+b_{2}+...+b_{k-1}}$ for every $k>1$. Prove the inequality $a_{1}+a_{2}+...+a_{n}\leq\frac{1}{a_{1}}+\frac{1}{a_{2}}+...+\frac{1}{a_{n}}$.

1980 IMO Shortlist, 16

Prove that $\sum \frac{1}{i_1i_2 \ldots i_k} = n$ is taken over all non-empty subsets $\left\{i_1,i_2, \ldots, i_k\right\}$ of $\left\{1,2,\ldots,n\right\}$. (The $k$ is not fixed, so we are summing over all the $2^n-1$ possible nonempty subsets.)

2013 USAMTS Problems, 5

For any positive integer $b\ge2$, we write the base-$b$ numbers as follows: \[(d_kd_{k-1}\dots d_0)_b=d_kb^k+d_{k-1}b^{k-1}+\dots+d_1b^1+d_0b^0,\]where each digit $d_i$ is a member of the set $S=\{0,1,2,\dots,b-1\}$ and either $d_k\not=0$ or $k=0$. There is a unique way to write any nonnegative integer in the above form. If we select the digits from a di fferent set $S$ instead, we may obtain new representations of all positive integers or, in some cases, all integers. For example, if $b=3$ and the digits are selected from $S=\{-1,0,1\}$, we obtain a way to uniquely represent all integers, known as a $\emph{balanced ternary}$ representation. As further examples, the balanced ternary representation of numbers $5$, $-3$, and $25$ are: \[5=(1\ {-1}\ {-1})_3,\qquad{-3}=({-1}\ 0)_3,\qquad25=(1\ 0\ {-1}\ 1)_3.\]However, not all digit sets can represent all integers. If $b=3$ and $S=\{-2,0,2\}$, then no odd number can be represented. Also, if $b=3$ and $S=\{0,1,2\}$ as in the usual base-$3$ representation, then no negative number can be represented. Given a set $S$ of four integers, one of which is $0$, call $S$ a $\emph{4-basis}$ if every integer $n$ has at least one representation in the form \[n=(d_kd_{k-1}\dots d_0)_4=d_k4^k+d_{k-1}4^{k-1}+\dots+d_14^1+d_04^0,\]where $d_k,d_{k-1},\dots,d_0$ are all elements of $S$ and either $d_k\not=0$ or $k=0$. [list=a] [*]Show that there are infinitely many integers $a$ such that $\{-1,0,1,4a+2\}$ is not a $4$-basis. [*]Show that there are infinitely many integers $a$ such that $\{-1,0,1,4a+2\}$ is a $4$-basis.[/list]

2014 Iran Team Selection Test, 1

Consider a tree with $n$ vertices, labeled with $1,\ldots,n$ in a way that no label is used twice. We change the labeling in the following way - each time we pick an edge that hasn't been picked before and swap the labels of its endpoints. After performing this action $n-1$ times, we get another tree with its labeling a permutation of the first graph's labeling. Prove that this permutation contains exactly one cycle.

1991 IMTS, 5

Two people, $A$ and $B$, play the following game with a deck of 32 cards. With $A$ starting, and thereafter the players alternating, each player takes either 1 card or a prime number of cards. Eventually all of the cards are chosen, and the person who has none to pick up is the loser. Who will win the game if they both follow optimal strategy?

2008 Hungary-Israel Binational, 2

Tags: induction , algebra
The sequence $ a_n$ is defined as follows: $ a_0\equal{}1, a_1\equal{}1, a_{n\plus{}1}\equal{}\frac{1\plus{}a_{n}^2}{a_{n\minus{}1}}$. Prove that all the terms of the sequence are integers.

1993 IMO Shortlist, 4

Show that for any finite set $S$ of distinct positive integers, we can find a set $T \supseteq S$ such that every member of $T$ divides the sum of all the members of $T$. [b]Original Statement:[/b] A finite set of (distinct) positive integers is called a [b]DS-set[/b] if each of the integers divides the sum of them all. Prove that every finite set of positive integers is a subset of some [b]DS-set[/b].

2012 NIMO Summer Contest, 13

Tags: induction
For the NEMO, Kevin needs to compute the product \[ 9 \times 99 \times 999 \times \cdots \times 999999999. \] Kevin takes exactly $ab$ seconds to multiply an $a$-digit integer by a $b$-digit integer. Compute the minimum number of seconds necessary for Kevin to evaluate the expression together by performing eight such multiplications. [i]Proposed by Evan Chen[/i]

2006 Moldova MO 11-12, 8

Given an alfabet of $n$ letters. A sequence of letters such that between any 2 identical letters there are no 2 identical letters is called a [i]word[/i]. a) Find the maximal possible length of a [i]word[/i]. b) Find the number of the [i]words[/i] of maximal length.

1995 USAMO, 4

Suppose $\, q_{0}, \, q_{1}, \, q_{2}, \ldots \; \,$ is an infinite sequence of integers satisfying the following two conditions: (i) $\, m-n \,$ divides $\, q_{m}-q_{n}\,$ for $\, m > n \geq 0,$ (ii) there is a polynomial $\, P \,$ such that $\, |q_{n}| < P(n) \,$ for all $\, n$ Prove that there is a polynomial $\, Q \,$ such that $\, q_{n}= Q(n) \,$ for all $\, n$.

2010 Contests, 1

Let $P$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients such that $P(0)=0$ and \[\gcd(P(0), P(1), P(2), \ldots ) = 1.\] Show there are infinitely many $n$ such that \[\gcd(P(n)- P(0), P(n+1)-P(1), P(n+2)-P(2), \ldots) = n.\]

1993 All-Russian Olympiad, 4

If $ \{a_k\}$ is a sequence of real numbers, call the sequence $ \{a'_k\}$ defined by $ a_k' \equal{} \frac {a_k \plus{} a_{k \plus{} 1}}2$ the [i]average sequence[/i] of $ \{a_k\}$. Consider the sequences $ \{a_k\}$; $ \{a_k'\}$ - [i]average sequence[/i] of $ \{a_k\}$; $ \{a_k''\}$ - average sequence of $ \{a_k'\}$ and so on. If all these sequences consist only of integers, then $ \{a_k\}$ is called [i]Good[/i]. Prove that if $ \{x_k\}$ is a [i]good[/i] sequence, then $ \{x_k^2\}$ is also [i]good[/i].

1989 APMO, 5

Determine all functions $f$ from the reals to the reals for which (1) $f(x)$ is strictly increasing and (2) $f(x) + g(x) = 2x$ for all real $x$, where $g(x)$ is the composition inverse function to $f(x)$. (Note: $f$ and $g$ are said to be composition inverses if $f(g(x)) = x$ and $g(f(x)) = x$ for all real $x$.)

PEN M Problems, 7

Prove that the sequence $ \{y_{n}\}_{n \ge 1}$ defined by \[ y_{0}=1, \; y_{n+1}= \frac{1}{2}\left( 3y_{n}+\sqrt{5y_{n}^{2}-4}\right) \] consists only of integers.

1995 Hungary-Israel Binational, 1

Let the sum of the first $ n$ primes be denoted by $ S_n$. Prove that for any positive integer $ n$, there exists a perfect square between $ S_n$ and $ S_{n\plus{}1}$.

2010 Postal Coaching, 2

Tags: induction , algebra
Let $a_1, a_2, \ldots, a_n$ be real numbers lying in $[-1, 1]$ such that $a_1 + a_2 + \cdots + a_n = 0$. Prove that there is a $k \in \{1, 2, \ldots, n\}$ such that $|a_1 + 2a_2 + 3a_3 + \cdots + k a_k | \le \frac{2k+1}4$ .

2014 Spain Mathematical Olympiad, 1

Is it possible to place the numbers $0,1,2,\dots,9$ on a circle so that the sum of any three consecutive numbers is a) 13, b) 14, c) 15?

2009 District Olympiad, 3

Let $(x_n)_{n\ge 1}$ a sequence defined by $x_1=2,\ x_{n+1}=\sqrt{x_n+\frac{1}{n}},\ (\forall)n\in \mathbb{N}^*$. Prove that $\lim_{n\to \infty} x_n=1$ and evaluate $\lim_{n\to \infty} x_n^n$.

2002 District Olympiad, 1

a) Evaluate \[\lim_{n\to \infty} \underbrace{\sqrt{a+\sqrt{a+\ldots+\sqrt{a+\sqrt{b}}}}}_{n\ \text{square roots}}\] with $a,b>0$. b)Let $(a_n)_{n\ge 1}$ and $(x_n)_{n\ge 1}$ such that $a_n>0$ and \[x_n=\sqrt{a_n+\sqrt{a_{n-1}+\ldots+\sqrt{a_2+\sqrt{a_1}}}},\ \forall n\in \mathbb{N}^*\] Prove that: 1) $(x_n)_{n\ge 1}$ is bounded if and only if $(a_n)_{n\ge 1}$ is bounded. 2) $(x_n)_{n\ge 1}$ is convergent if and only if $(a_n)_{n\ge 1}$ is convergent. [i]Valentin Matrosenco[/i]