Let $f(x) = x-\tfrac1{x}$, and define $f^1(x) = f(x)$ and $f^n(x) = f(f^{n-1}(x))$ for $n\ge2$. For each $n$, there is a minimal degree $d_n$ such that there exist polynomials $p$ and $q$ with $f^n(x) = \tfrac{p(x)}{q(x)}$ and the degree of $q$ is equal to $d_n$. Find $d_n$.

Given an integer $n\ge 2$. Prove that there only exist a finite number of n-tuples of positive integers $(a_1,a_2,\ldots,a_n)$ which simultaneously satisfy the following three conditions: [list] [*] $a_1>a_2>\ldots>a_n$; [*] $\gcd (a_1,a_2,\ldots,a_n)=1$; [*] $a_1=\sum_{i=1}^{n}\gcd (a_i,a_{i+1})$,where $a_{n+1}=a_1$.[/list]

Find all polynomials $W$ with real coefficients possessing the following property: if $x+y$ is a rational number, then $W(x)+W(y)$ is rational.

A strip of width $w$ is the set of all points which lie on, or between, two parallel lines distance $w$ apart. Let $S$ be a set of $n$ ($n \ge 3$) points on the plane such that any three different points of $S$ can be covered by a strip of width $1$. Prove that $S$ can be covered by a strip of width $2$.

Find all functions $ f: \mathbb{Q}^{\plus{}} \mapsto \mathbb{Q}^{\plus{}}$ such that: \[ f(x) \plus{} f(y) \plus{} 2xy f(xy) \equal{} \frac {f(xy)}{f(x\plus{}y)}.\]

Consider a directed graph $G$ with $n$ vertices, where $1$-cycles and $2$-cycles are permitted. For any set $S$ of vertices, let $N^{+}(S)$ denote the out-neighborhood of $S$ (i.e. set of successors of $S$), and define $(N^{+})^k(S)=N^{+}((N^{+})^{k-1}(S))$ for $k\ge2$. For fixed $n$, let $f(n)$ denote the maximum possible number of distinct sets of vertices in $\{(N^{+})^k(X)\}_{k=1}^{\infty}$, where $X$ is some subset of $V(G)$. Show that there exists $n>2012$ such that $f(n)<1.0001^n$. [i]Linus Hamilton.[/i]

The exact quantity of gas needed for a car to complete a single loop around a track is distributed among $n$ containers placed along the track. Prove that there exists a position starting at which the car, beginning with an empty tank of gas, can complete a loop around the track without running out of gas. The tank of gas is assumed to be large enough.

Can one find 4004 positive integers such that the sum of any 2003 of them is not divisible by 2003?

On each day of their tour of the West Indies, Sourav and Srinath have either an apple or an orange for breakfast. Sourav has oranges for the first $m$ days, apples for the next $m$ days, followed by oranges for the next $m$ days, and so on. Srinath has oranges for the first $n$ days, apples for the next $n$ days, followed by oranges for the next $n$ days, and so on. If $\gcd(m,n)=1$, and if the tour lasted for $mn$ days, on how many days did they eat the same kind of fruit?

Suppose there are 18 lighthouses on the Persian Gulf. Each of the lighthouses lightens an angle with size 20 degrees. Prove that we can choose the directions of the lighthouses such that whole of the blue Persian (always Persian) Gulf is lightened.

Determine all injective functions defined on the set of positive integers into itself satisfying the following condition: If $S$ is a finite set of positive integers such that $\sum\limits_{s\in S}\frac{1}{s}$ is an integer, then $\sum\limits_{s\in S}\frac{1}{f\left( s\right) }$ is also an integer.

For $n\ge 1$ let $d_n$ be the $\gcd$ of the entries of $A^n-\mathcal{I}_2$ where \[ A=\begin{pmatrix} 3&2\\ 4&3\end{pmatrix}\quad \text{ and }\quad \mathcal{I}_2=\begin{pmatrix}1&0\\ 0&1\\\end{pmatrix}\] Show that $\lim_{n\to \infty}d_n=\infty$.

Suppose $p$ is an odd prime number. We call the polynomial $f(x)=\sum_{j=0}^n a_jx^j$ with integer coefficients $i$-remainder if $ \sum_{p-1|j,j>0}a_{j}\equiv i\pmod{p}$. Prove that the set $\{f(0),f(1),...,f(p-1)\}$ is a complete residue system modulo $p$ if and only if polynomials $f(x), (f(x))^2,...,(f(x))^{p-2}$ are $0$-remainder and the polynomial $(f(x))^{p-1}$ is $1$-remainder. [i]Proposed by Yahya Motevassel[/i]

For any $h = 2^{r}$ ($r$ is a non-negative integer), find all $k \in \mathbb{N}$ which satisfy the following condition: There exists an odd natural number $m > 1$ and $n \in \mathbb{N}$, such that $k \mid m^{h} - 1, m \mid n^{\frac{m^{h}-1}{k}} + 1$.

Let $ S$ be the set of all positive integers whose all digits are $ 1$ or $ 2$. Denote $ T_{n}$ as the set of all integers which is divisible by $ n$, then find all positive integers $ n$ such that $ S\cap T_{n}$ is an infinite set.

Denote by $ S$ the set of all positive integers. Find all functions $ f: S \rightarrow S$ such that \[ f (f^2(m) \plus{} 2f^2(n)) \equal{} m^2 \plus{} 2 n^2\] for all $ m,n \in S$. [i]Bulgaria[/i]

Let $x_1, x_2, \ldots ,x_n(n\ge 2)$ be real numbers greater than $1$. Suppose that $|x_i-x_{i+1}|<1$ for $i=1, 2,\ldots ,n-1$. Prove that \[\frac{x_1}{x_2}+\frac{x_2}{x_3}+\ldots +\frac{x_{n-1}}{x_n}+\frac{x_n}{x_1}<2n-1\]

Let $ S$ be a set with $ n$ elements, and $ F$ be a family of subsets of $ S$ with $ 2^{n\minus{}1}$ elements, such that for each $ A,B,C\in F$, $ A\cap B\cap C$ is not empty. Prove that the intersection of all of the elements of $ F$ is not empty.

Let $P(x)$ be a polynomial of degree $n$ with real coefficients and let $a\geq 3$. Prove that \[\max_{0\leq j \leq n+1}\left | a^j-P(j) \right |\geq 1\]

The numbers $x_1,...x_{100}$ are written on a board so that $ x_1=\frac{1}{2}$ and for every $n$ from $1$ to $99$, $x_{n+1}=1-x_1x_2x_3*...*x_{100}$. Prove that $x_{100}>0.99$.

Is there an infinite sequence of prime numbers $p_1$, $p_2$, $\ldots$, $p_n$, $p_{n+1}$, $\ldots$ such that $|p_{n+1}-2p_n|=1$ for each $n \in \mathbb{N}$?

The game of circulate is played with a deck of $kn$ cards each with a number in $1,2,\ldots,n$ such that there are $k$ cards with each number. First, $n$ piles numbered $1,2,\ldots,n$ of $k$ cards each are dealt out face down. The player then flips over a card from pile $1$, places that card face up at the bottom of the pile, then next flips over a card from the pile whose number matches the number on the card just flipped. The player repeats this until he reaches a pile in which every card has already been flipped and wins if at that point every card has been flipped. Hamster has grown tired of losing every time, so he decides to cheat. He looks at the piles beforehand and rearranges the $k$ cards in each pile as he pleases. When can Hamster perform this procedure such that he will win the game? [i]Brian Hamrick.[/i]

Let $p$ be a prime, $n$ be a positive integer, and let $\mathbb{Z}_{p^n}$ denote the set of congruence classes modulo $p^n.$ Determine the number of functions $f: \mathbb{Z}_{p^n} \to \mathbb{Z}_{p^n}$ satisfying the condition \[ f(a)+f(b) \equiv f(a+b+pab) \pmod{p^n} \] for all $a,b \in \mathbb{Z}_{p^n}.$

Let $P$ be the set of prime numbers. Consider a subset $M$ of $P$ with at least three elements. We assume that, for each non empty and finite subset $A$ of $M$, with $A \neq M$, the prime divisors of the integer $( \prod_{p \in A} ) - 1$ belong to $M$. Prove that $M = P$.

Do there exist $2011$ positive integers $a_1 < a_2 < \ldots < a_{2011}$ such that $\gcd(a_i,a_j) = a_j - a_i$ for any $i$, $j$ such that $1 \le i < j \le 2011$?