This website contains problems from math contests. Problems and corresponding tags were obtained from the Art of Problem Solving website.

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Found problems: 259

Players $A$ and $B$ play a game with $N \geq 2012$ coins and $2012$ boxes arranged around a circle. Initially $A$ distributes the coins among the boxes so that there is at least $1$ coin in each box. Then the two of them make moves in the order $B,A,B,A,\ldots $ by the following rules: [b](a)[/b] On every move of his $B$ passes $1$ coin from every box to an adjacent box. [b](b)[/b] On every move of hers $A$ chooses several coins that were [i]not[/i] involved in $B$'s previous move and are in different boxes. She passes every coin to an adjacent box. Player $A$'s goal is to ensure at least $1$ coin in each box after every move of hers, regardless of how $B$ plays and how many moves are made. Find the least $N$ that enables her to succeed.
Let $n$ be an integer greater than 2. A positive integer is said to be [i]attainable [/i]if it is 1 or can be obtained from 1 by a sequence of operations with the following properties: 1.) The first operation is either addition or multiplication. 2.) Thereafter, additions and multiplications are used alternately. 3.) In each addition, one can choose independently whether to add 2 or $n$ 4.) In each multiplication, one can choose independently whether to multiply by 2 or by $n$. A positive integer which cannot be so obtained is said to be [i]unattainable[/i]. [b]a.)[/b] Prove that if $n\geq 9$, there are infinitely many unattainable positive integers. [b]b.)[/b] Prove that if $n=3$, all positive integers except 7 are attainable.
The integers $ 1,2,\dots,20$ are written on the blackboard. Consider the following operation as one step: [i]choose two integers $ a$ and $ b$ such that $ a\minus{}b \ge 2$ and replace them with $ a\minus{}1$ and $ b\plus{}1$[/i]. Please, determine the maximum number of steps that can be done. [i]Yudi Satria, Jakarta[/i]
Players $A$ and $B$ play a game with $N \geq 2012$ coins and $2012$ boxes arranged around a circle. Initially $A$ distributes the coins among the boxes so that there is at least $1$ coin in each box. Then the two of them make moves in the order $B,A,B,A,\ldots $ by the following rules: [b](a)[/b] On every move of his $B$ passes $1$ coin from every box to an adjacent box. [b](b)[/b] On every move of hers $A$ chooses several coins that were [i]not[/i] involved in $B$'s previous move and are in different boxes. She passes every coin to an adjacent box. Player $A$'s goal is to ensure at least $1$ coin in each box after every move of hers, regardless of how $B$ plays and how many moves are made. Find the least $N$ that enables her to succeed.
Two circles $\omega_1$ and $\omega_2$ with radii $r_1$ and $r_2$, $r_2>r_1$, are externally tangent. The line $t_1$ is tangent to the circles $\omega_1$ and $\omega_2$ at points $A$ and $D$ respectively. The parallel line $t_2$ to the line $t_1$ is tangent to the circle $\omega_1$ and intersects the circle $\omega_2$ at points $E$ and $F$. The line $t_3$ passing through $D$ intersects the line $t_2$ and the circle $\omega_2$ in $B$ and $C$ respectively, both different of $E$ and $F$ respectively. Prove that the circumcircle of the triangle $ABC$ is tangent to the line $t_1$. [i]Dinu Serbanescu[/i]
For two real numbers $ a$, $ b$, with $ ab\neq 1$, define the $ \ast$ operation by \[ a\ast b=\frac{a+b-2ab}{1-ab}.\] Start with a list of $ n\geq 2$ real numbers whose entries $ x$ all satisfy $ 0<x<1$. Select any two numbers $ a$ and $ b$ in the list; remove them and put the number $ a\ast b$ at the end of the list, thereby reducing its length by one. Repeat this procedure until a single number remains. $ a.$ Prove that this single number is the same regardless of the choice of pair at each stage. $ b.$ Suppose that the condition on the numbers $ x$ is weakened to $ 0<x\leq 1$. What happens if the list contains exactly one $ 1$?
Suppose that $X$ is a compact metric space and $T: X\rightarrow X$ is a continous function. Prove that $T$ has a returning point. It means there is a strictly increasing sequence $n_i$ such that $\lim_{k\rightarrow \infty} T^{n_k}(x_0)=x_0$ for some $x_0$.
Starting with the triple $(1007\sqrt{2},2014\sqrt{2},1007\sqrt{14})$, define a sequence of triples $(x_{n},y_{n},z_{n})$ by $x_{n+1}=\sqrt{x_{n}(y_{n}+z_{n}-x_{n})}$ $y_{n+1}=\sqrt{y_{n}(z_{n}+x_{n}-y_{n})}$ $ z_{n+1}=\sqrt{z_{n}(x_{n}+y_{n}-z_{n})}$ for $n\geq 0$.Show that each of the sequences $\langle x_n\rangle _{n\geq 0},\langle y_n\rangle_{n\geq 0},\langle z_n\rangle_{n\geq 0}$ converges to a limit and find these limits.
We have \( n \) chips that are initially placed on the number line at position 0. On each move, we select a position \( x \in \mathbb{Z} \) where there are at least two chips; we take two of these chips, then place one at \( x-1 \) and the other at \( x+1 \). a) Prove that after a finite number of moves, regardless of how the moves are chosen, we will reach a final position where no two chips occupy the same number on the number line. b) For every possible final position, let \( \Delta \) represent the difference between the numbers where the rightmost and the leftmost chips are located. Find all possible values of \( \Delta \) in terms of \( n \).
The points $(1,1),(2,3),(4,5)$ and $(999,111)$ are marked in the coordinate system. We continue to mark points in the following way : [list] [*]If points $(a,b)$ are marked then $(b,a)$ and $(a-b,a+b)$ can be marked [*]If points $(a,b)$ and $(c,d)$ are marked then so can be $(ad+bc, 4ac-4bd)$. [/list] Can we, after some finite number of these steps, mark a point belonging to the line $y=2x$.
Around a circular table an even number of persons have a discussion. After a break they sit again around the circular table in a different order. Prove that there are at least two people such that the number of participants sitting between them before and after a break is the same.
$101$ numbers are written on a blackboard: $1^2, 2^2, 3^2, \cdots, 101^2$. Alex choses any two numbers and replaces them by their positive difference. He repeats this operation until one number is left on the blackboard. Determine the smallest possible value of this number.
Numbers $1$ through $2014$ are written on a board. A valid operation is to erase two numbers $a$ and $b$ on the board and replace them with the greatest common divisor and the least common multiple of $a$ and $b$. Prove that, no matter how many operations are made, the sum of all the numbers that remain on the board is always larger than $2014$ $\times$ $\sqrt[2014]{2014!}$
Four integers are marked on a circle. On each step we simultaneously replace each number by the difference between this number and next number on the circle, moving in a clockwise direction; that is, the numbers $ a,b,c,d$ are replaced by $ a\minus{}b,b\minus{}c,c\minus{}d,d\minus{}a.$ Is it possible after 1996 such to have numbers $ a,b,c,d$ such the numbers $ |bc\minus{}ad|, |ac \minus{} bd|, |ab \minus{} cd|$ are primes?
Suppose that $V$ is a finite dimensional vector space over the real numbers equipped with an inner product and $S:V\times V \longrightarrow \mathbb R$ is a skew symmetric function that is linear for each variable when others are kept fixed. Prove there exists a linear transformation $T:V \longrightarrow V$ such that $\forall u,v \in V: S(u,v)=<u,T(v)>$. We know that there always exists $v\in V$ such that $W=<v,T(v)>$ is invariant under $T$. (it means $T(W)\subseteq W$). Prove that if $W$ is invariant under $T$ then the following subspace is also invariant under $T$: $W^{\perp}=\{v\in V:\forall u\in W <v,u>=0\}$. Prove that if dimension of $V$ is more than $3$, then there exist a two dimensional subspace $W$ of $V$ such that the volume defined on it by function $S$ is zero!!!! (This is the way that we can define a two dimensional volume for each subspace $V$. This can be done for volumes of higher dimensions.)
The integers $ 1,2,\dots,20$ are written on the blackboard. Consider the following operation as one step: [i]choose two integers $ a$ and $ b$ such that $ a\minus{}b \ge 2$ and replace them with $ a\minus{}1$ and $ b\plus{}1$[/i]. Please, determine the maximum number of steps that can be done. [i]Yudi Satria, Jakarta[/i]
Let $G$ be a finite group, and let $H_1, H_2 \subset G$ be two subgroups. Suppose that for any representation of $G$ on a finite-dimensional complex vector space $V$, one has that \[\text{dim} V^{H_1}=\text{dim} V^{H_2},\] where $V^{H_i}$ is the subspace of $H_i$-invariant vectors in $V$ ($i=1,2$). Prove that \[Z(G) \cap H_1=Z(G) \cap H_2.\] Here $Z(G)$ denotes the center of $G$.
Consider a $2^k$-tuple of numbers $(a_1,a_2,\dots,a_{2^k})$ all equal to $1$ or $-1$. In one step, we transform it to $(a_1a_2,a_2a_3,\dots,a_{2^k}a_1)$. Prove that eventually, we will obtain a $2^k$-tuple consisting only of $1$'s.
When counting from $3$ to $201$, $53$ is the $51^{\text{st}}$ number counted. When counting backwards from $201$ to $3$, $53$ is the $n^{\text{th}}$ number counted. What is $n$? $\textbf{(A) }146\qquad \textbf{(B) } 147\qquad\textbf{(C) } 148\qquad\textbf{(D) }149\qquad\textbf{(E) }150$
Let $m$ boxes be given, with some balls in each box. Let $n < m$ be a given integer. The following operation is performed: choose $n$ of the boxes and put $1$ ball in each of them. Prove: [i](a) [/i]If $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime, then it is possible, by performing the operation a finite number of times, to arrive at the situation that all the boxes contain an equal number of balls. [i](b)[/i] If $m$ and $n$ are not relatively prime, there exist initial distributions of balls in the boxes such that an equal distribution is not possible to achieve.
Players $A$ and $B$ play a "paintful" game on the real line. Player $A$ has a pot of paint with four units of black ink. A quantity $p$ of this ink suffices to blacken a (closed) real interval of length $p$. In every round, player $A$ picks some positive integer $m$ and provides $1/2^m $ units of ink from the pot. Player $B$ then picks an integer $k$ and blackens the interval from $k/2^m$ to $(k+1)/2^m$ (some parts of this interval may have been blackened before). The goal of player $A$ is to reach a situation where the pot is empty and the interval $[0,1]$ is not completely blackened. Decide whether there exists a strategy for player $A$ to win in a finite number of moves.
On a blackboard, several polynomials of degree $37$ are written, each of them has the leading coefficient equal to $1$. Initially all coefficients of each polynomial are non-negative. By one move it is allowed to erase any pair of polynomials $f, g$ and replace it by another pair of polynomials $f_1, g_1$ of degree $37$ with the leading coefficients equal to $1$ such that either $f_1+g_1 = f+g$ or $f_1g_1 = fg$. Prove that it is impossible that after some move each polynomial on the blackboard has $37$ distinct positive roots. [i](8 points)[/i] [i]Alexandr Kuznetsov[/i]
Peter has three accounts in a bank, each with an integral number of dollars. He is only allowed to transfer money from one account to another so that the amount of money in the latter is doubled. Prove that Peter can always transfer all his money into two accounts. Can Peter always transfer all his money into one account?
Initially, on a board there a positive integer. If board contains the number $x,$ then we may additionally write the numbers $2x+1$ and $\frac{x}{x+2}.$ At some point 2008 is written on the board. Prove, that this number was there from the beginning.
If $a,b,c,d \in \mathbb{R}_{+}$ and $a+b +c +d =1$, show that \[ ab +bc +cd \leq \dfrac{1}{4}. \]