Found problems: 823
2023 SEEMOUS, P3
Prove that if $A{}$ is an $n\times n$ matrix with complex entries such that $A+A^*=A^2A^*$ then $A=A^*$. (Here, we denote by $M^*$ the conjugate transpose $\overline{M}^t$ of the matrix $M{}$).
1967 IMO Longlists, 5
Solve the system of equations:
$
\begin{matrix}
x^2 + x - 1 = y \\
y^2 + y - 1 = z \\
z^2 + z - 1 = x.
\end{matrix}
$
2024 Mexican University Math Olympiad, 4
Given \( b > 0 \), consider the following matrix:
\[
B = \begin{pmatrix} b & b^2 \\ b^2 & b^3 \end{pmatrix}
\]
Denote by \( e_i \) the top left entry of \( B^i \). Prove that the following limit exists and calculate its value:
\[
\lim_{i \to \infty} \sqrt[i]{e_i}.
\]
2006 Moldova National Olympiad, 11.6
Sequences $(x_n)_{n\ge1}$, $(y_n)_{n\ge1}$ satisfy the relations $x_n=4x_{n-1}+3y_{n-1}$ and $y_n=2x_{n-1}+3y_{n-1}$ for $n\ge1$. If $x_1=y_1=5$ find $x_n$ and $y_n$.
Calculate $\lim_{n\rightarrow\infty}\frac{x_n}{y_n}$.
2013 Singapore Senior Math Olympiad, 4
In the following $6\times 6$ matrix, one can choose any $k\times k$ submatrix, with $1<k\leq6 $ and add $1$ to all its entries. Is it possible to perform the operation a finite number of times so that all the entries in the $6\times 6$ matrix are multiples of $3$?
$ \begin{pmatrix}
2 & 0 & 1 & 0 & 2 & 0 \\
0 & 2 & 0 & 1 & 2 & 0 \\
1 & 0 & 2 & 0 & 2 & 0 \\
0 & 1 & 0 & 2 & 2 & 0 \\
1 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 2 & 0 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0
\end{pmatrix} $
Note: A $p\times q$ submatrix of a $m\times n$ matrix (with $p\leq m$, $q\leq n$) is a $p\times q$ matrix formed by taking a block of the entries of this size from the original matrix.
2013 Tuymaada Olympiad, 5
Prove that every polynomial of fourth degree can be represented in the form $P(Q(x))+R(S(x))$, where $P,Q,R,S$ are quadratic trinomials.
[i]A. Golovanov[/i]
[b]EDIT.[/b] It is confirmed that assuming the coefficients to be [b]real[/b], while solving the problem, earned a maximum score.
2022 Brazil Undergrad MO, 2
Let $G$ be the set of $2\times 2$ matrices that such
$$
G =
\left\{
\begin{pmatrix} a & b \\ c & d
\end{pmatrix}
\mid\, a,b,c,d \in \mathbb{Z}, ad-bc = 1, c \text{ is a multiple of } 3
\right\}
$$
and two matrices in $G$:
$$
A =
\begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1 \\ 0 & 1
\end{pmatrix}\;\;\;
B =
\begin{pmatrix} -1 & 1 \\ -3 & 2
\end{pmatrix}
$$
Show that any matrix in $G$ can be written as a product $M_1M_2\cdots M_r$ such that $M_i \in \{A, A^{-1}, B, B^{-1}\}, \forall i \leq r$
2024 IMC, 7
Let $n$ be a positive integer. Suppose that $A$ and $B$ are invertible $n \times n$ matrices with complex entries such that $A+B=I$ (where $I$ is the identity matrix) and
\[(A^2+B^2)(A^4+B^4)=A^5+B^5.\]
Find all possible values of $\det(AB)$ for the given $n$.
2001 SNSB Admission, 6
There are $ n\ge 1 $ ordered bulbs controlled by $ n $ ordered switches such that the $ k\text{-th} $ switch controls the $ k\text{-th} $ bulb and also the $ j\text{-th} $ bulb if and only if the $ j\text{-th} $ switch controls the $ k\text{-th} $ bulb, for any $ 1\le k,j\le n. $ If all bulbs are off, show that it can be chosen some switches such that, if pushed simmultaneously, the bulbs turn all on.
2024 VJIMC, 2
Here is a problem we (me and my colleagues) suggested and was given at the competition this year. The problem statement is very natural and short. However, we have not seen such a problem before.
A real $2024 \times 2024$ matrix $A$ is called nice if $(Av, v) = 1$ for every vector $v\in \mathbb{R}^{2024}$ with unit norm.
a) Prove that the only nice matrix such that all of its eigenvalues are real is the identity matrix.
b) Find an example of a nice non-identity matrix
1997 Belarusian National Olympiad, 4
A set $M$ consists of $n$ elements. Find the greatest $k$ for which there is a collection of $k$ subsets of $M$ such that for any subsets $A_{1},...,A_{j}$ from the collection, there is an element belonging to an odd number of them
2011 Morocco National Olympiad, 1
Solve the following equation in $\mathbb{R}^+$ :
\[\left\{\begin{matrix}
\frac{1}{x}+\frac{1}{y}+\frac{1}{z}=2010\\
x+y+z=\frac{3}{670}
\end{matrix}\right.\]
1941 Putnam, A7
Do either (1) or (2):
(1) Prove that the determinant of the matrix
$$\begin{pmatrix}
1+a^2 -b^2 -c^2 & 2(ab+c) & 2(ac-b)\\
2(ab-c) & 1-a^2 +b^2 -c^2 & 2(bc+a)\\
2(ac+b)& 2(bc-a) & 1-a^2 -b^2 +c^2
\end{pmatrix}$$
is given by $(1+a^2 +b^2 +c^2)^{3}$.
(2) A solid is formed by rotating the first quadrant of the ellipse $\frac{x^{2}}{a^{2}}+\frac{y^{2}}{b^{2}}=1$ around the $x$-axis. Prove that this solid can rest in stable equilibrium on its vertex if and only if $\frac{a}{b}\leq \sqrt{\frac{8}{5}}$.
1988 IMO Shortlist, 14
For what values of $ n$ does there exist an $ n \times n$ array of entries -1, 0 or 1 such that the $ 2 \cdot n$ sums obtained by summing the elements of the rows and the columns are all different?
2010 Iran MO (3rd Round), 5
suppose that $p$ is a prime number. find that smallest $n$ such that there exists a non-abelian group $G$ with $|G|=p^n$.
SL is an acronym for Special Lesson. this year our special lesson was Groups and Symmetries.
the exam time was 5 hours.
2003 Romania National Olympiad, 4
Let be a $ 3\times 3 $ real matrix $ A. $ Prove the following statements.
[b]a)[/b] $ f(A)\neq O_3, $ for any polynomials $ f\in\mathbb{R} [X] $ whose roots are not real.
[b]b)[/b] $ \exists n\in\mathbb{N}\quad \left( A+\text{adj} (A) \right)^{2n} =\left( A \right)^{2n} +\left( \text{adj} (A) \right)^{2n}\iff \text{det} (A)=0 $
[i]Laurențiu Panaitopol[/i]
2006 Romania Team Selection Test, 3
Let $n>1$ be an integer. A set $S \subset \{ 0,1,2, \ldots, 4n-1\}$ is called [i]rare[/i] if, for any $k\in\{0,1,\ldots,n-1\}$, the following two conditions take place at the same time
(1) the set $S\cap \{4k-2,4k-1,4k, 4k+1, 4k+2 \}$ has at most two elements;
(2) the set $S\cap \{4k+1,4k+2,4k+3\}$ has at most one element.
Prove that the set $\{0,1,2,\ldots,4n-1\}$ has exactly $8 \cdot 7^{n-1}$ rare subsets.
2023 District Olympiad, P2
Let $A{}$ and $B$ be invertible $n\times n$ matrices with real entries. Suppose that the inverse of $A+B^{-1}$ is $A^{-1}+B$. Prove that $\det(AB)=1$. Does this property hold for $2\times 2$ matrices with complex entries?
2004 Purple Comet Problems, 24
The determinant \[\begin{vmatrix}3&-2&5\\ 7&1&-4\\ 5&2&3\end{vmatrix}\] has the same value as the determinant \[\begin{vmatrix}x&1+x&2+x\\ 3&0&1\\ 1&1&0\end{vmatrix}\] Find $x$.
2003 Miklós Schweitzer, 2
Let $p$ be a prime and let $M$ be an $n\times m$ matrix with integer entries such that $Mv\not\equiv 0\pmod{p}$ for any column vector $v\neq 0$ whose entries are $0$ are $1$. Show that there exists a row vector $x$ with integer entries such that no entry of $xM$ is $0\pmod{p}$.
(translated by L. Erdős)
2000 IMC, 3
Let $A,B\in\mathbb{C}^{n\times n}$ with $\rho(AB - BA) = 1$. Show that $(AB - BA)^2 = 0$.
2005 Polish MO Finals, 3
In a matrix $2n \times 2n$, $n \in N$, are $4n^2$ real numbers with a sum equal zero. The absolute value of each of these numbers is not greater than $1$. Prove that the absolute value of a sum of all the numbers from one column or a row doesn't exceed $n$.
2010 IMC, 4
Let $A$ be a symmetric $m\times m$ matrix over the two-element field all of whose diagonal entries are zero. Prove that for every positive integer $n$ each column of the matrix $A^n$ has a zero entry.
2004 Korea National Olympiad, 4
Let $k$ and $N$ be positive real numbers which satisfy $k\leq N$. For $1\leq i \leq k$, there are subsets $A_i$ of $\{1,2,3,\ldots,N\}$ that satisfy the following property.
For arbitrary subset of $\{ i_1, i_2, \ldots , i_s \} \subset \{ 1, 2, 3, \ldots, k \} $, $A_{i_1} \triangle A_{i_2} \triangle ... \triangle A_{i_s}$ is not an empty set.
Show that a subset $\{ j_1, j_2, .. ,j_t \} \subset \{ 1, 2, ... ,k \} $ exist that satisfies $n(A_{j_1} \triangle A_{j_2} \triangle \cdots \triangle A_{j_t}) \geq k$. ($A \triangle B=A \cup B-A \cap B$)
2006 IMC, 6
The scores of this problem were:
one time 17/20 (by the runner-up)
one time 4/20 (by Andrei Negut)
one time 1/20 (by the winner)
the rest had zero... just to give an idea of the difficulty.
Let $A_{i},B_{i},S_{i}$ ($i=1,2,3$) be invertible real $2\times 2$ matrices such that [list][*]not all $A_{i}$ have a common real eigenvector, [*]$A_{i}=S_{i}^{-1}B_{i}S_{i}$ for $i=1,2,3$, [*]$A_{1}A_{2}A_{3}=B_{1}B_{2}B_{3}=I$.[/list] Prove that there is an invertible $2\times 2$ matrix $S$ such that $A_{i}=S^{-1}B_{i}S$ for all $i=1,2,3$.