Let $(G,\cdot)$ be a finite group with the identity element, $e$. The smallest positive integer $n$ with the property that $x^{n}= e$, for all $x \in G$, is called the [i]exponent[/i] of $G$. (a) For all primes $p \geq 3$, prove that the multiplicative group $\mathcal G_{p}$ of the matrices of the form $\begin{pmatrix}\hat 1 & \hat a & \hat b \\ \hat 0 & \hat 1 & \hat c \\ \hat 0 & \hat 0 & \hat 1 \end{pmatrix}$, with $\hat a, \hat b, \hat c \in \mathbb Z \slash p \mathbb Z$, is not commutative and has [i]exponent[/i] $p$. (b) Prove that if $\left( G, \circ \right)$ and $\left( H, \bullet \right)$ are finite groups of [i]exponents[/i] $m$ and $n$, respectively, then the group $\left( G \times H, \odot \right)$ with the operation given by $(g,h) \odot \left( g^\prime, h^\prime \right) = \left( g \circ g^\prime, h \bullet h^\prime \right)$, for all $\left( g,h \right), \, \left( g^\prime, h^\prime \right) \in G \times H$, has the [i]exponent[/i] equal to $\textrm{lcm}(m,n)$. (c) Prove that any $n \geq 3$ is the [i]exponent[/i] of a finite, non-commutative group. [i]Ion Savu[/i]

Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ complex matrix such that $A \ne \lambda I_{n}$ for all $\lambda \in \mathbb{C}$. Prove that $A$ is similar to a matrix having at most one non-zero entry on the maindiagonal.

Let $ G$ be a finite non-commutative group of order $ t \equal{} 2^nm$, where $ n, m$ are positive and $ m$ is odd. Prove, that if the group contains an element of order $ 2^n$, then (i) $ G$ is not simple; (ii) $ G$ contains a normal subgroup of order $ m$.

Determine all positive integers $n$ for which there exist $n\times n$ real invertible matrices $A$ and $B$ that satisfy $AB-BA=B^2A$. [i]Proposed by Karen Keryan, Yerevan State University & American University of Armenia, Yerevan[/i]

For each positive integer $n$, let $M(n)$ be the $n\times n$ matrix whose $(i,j)$ entry is equal to $1$ if $i+1$ is divisible by $j$, and equal to $0$ otherwise. Prove that $M(n)$ is invertible if and only if $n+1$ is square-free. (An integer is [i]square-free[/i] if it is not divisible by a square of an integer larger than $1$.)

Let $S$ denote the set of $2$ by $2$ matrices with integer entries and determinant $1$, and let $T$ denote those matrices of $S$ which are congruent to the identity matrix $I\pmod3$ (so $\begin{pmatrix}a&b\\c&d\end{pmatrix}\in T$ means that $a,b,c,d\in\mathbb Z,ad-bc=1,$ and $3$ divides $b,c,a-1,d-1$). (a) Let $f:T\to\mathbb R$ be a function such that for every $X,Y\in T$ with $Y\ne I$, either $f(XY)>f(X)$ or $f(XY^{-1})>f(X)$. Show that given two finite nonempty subsets $A,B$ of $T$, there are matrices $a\in A$ and $b\in B$ such that if $a'\in A$, $b'\in B$ and $a'b'=ab$, then $a'=a$ and $b'=b$. (b) Show that there is no $f:S\to\mathbb R$ such that for every $X,Y\in S$ with $Y\ne\pm I$, either $f(XY)>f(X)$ or $f(XY^{-1})>f(X)$.

Cards numbered from 1 to $2^n$ are distributed among $k$ children, $1\leq k\leq 2^n$, so that each child gets at least one card. Prove that the number of ways to do that is divisible by $2^{k-1}$ but not by $2^k$. [i] M. Ivanov [/i]

Given vectors $\overline a,\overline b,\overline c\in\mathbb R^n$, show that $$(\lVert\overline a\rVert\langle\overline b,\overline c\rangle)^2+(\lVert\overline b\rVert\langle\overline a,\overline c\rangle)^2\le\lVert\overline a\rVert\lVert\overline b\rVert(\lVert\overline a\rVert\lVert\overline b\rVert+|\langle\overline a,\overline b\rangle|)\lVert\overline c\rVert^2$$where $\langle\overline x,\overline y\rangle$ denotes the scalar (inner) product of the vectors $\overline x$ and $\overline y$ and $\lVert\overline x\rVert^2=\langle\overline x,\overline x\rangle$.

Let $ABC$ be a triangle and $P$ an exterior point in the plane of the triangle. Suppose the lines $AP$, $BP$, $CP$ meet the sides $BC$, $CA$, $AB$ (or extensions thereof) in $D$, $E$, $F$, respectively. Suppose further that the areas of triangles $PBD$, $PCE$, $PAF$ are all equal. Prove that each of these areas is equal to the area of triangle $ABC$ itself.

Let $A$ be a $n\times n$ matrix with complex elements and let $A^\star$ be the classical adjoint of $A$. Prove that if there exists a positive integer $m$ such that $(A^\star)^m = 0_n$ then $(A^\star)^2 = 0_n$. [i]Marian Ionescu, Pitesti[/i]

The following figure shows a [i]walk[/i] of length 6: [asy] unitsize(20); for (int x = -5; x <= 5; ++x) for (int y = 0; y <= 5; ++y) dot((x, y)); label("$O$", (0, 0), S); draw((0, 0) -- (1, 0) -- (1, 1) -- (0, 1) -- (-1, 1) -- (-1, 2) -- (-1, 3)); [/asy] This walk has three interesting properties: [list] [*] It starts at the origin, labelled $O$. [*] Each step is 1 unit north, east, or west. There are no south steps. [*] The walk never comes back to a point it has been to.[/list] Let's call a walk with these three properties a [i]northern walk[/i]. There are 3 northern walks of length 1 and 7 northern walks of length 2. How many northern walks of length 6 are there?

Determine all real values of parameter $p$ such that the equation \[|x-2|+|y-3|+y=p\] is an equation of a ray in the plane $xy.$

Let $a_{i}$ and $b_{i}$ ($i=1,2, \cdots, n$) be rational numbers such that for any real number $x$ there is: \[x^{2}+x+4=\sum_{i=1}^{n}(a_{i}x+b)^{2}\] Find the least possible value of $n$.

Let be two $ 3\times 3 $ real matrices that have the property that $$ AX=\begin{pmatrix}0\\0\\0\end{pmatrix}\implies BX=\begin{pmatrix}0\\0\\0\end{pmatrix} , $$ for any three-dimensional vectors $ X. $ Prove that there exists a $ 3\times 3 $ real matrix $ C $ such that $ B=CA. $

Define a sequence $\{u_n\}_{n=0}^{\infty}$ by $u_0=u_1=u_2=1,$ and thereafter by the condition that $\det\begin{vmatrix} u_n & u_{n+1} \\ u_{n+2} & u_{n+3} \end{vmatrix}=n!$ for all $n\ge 0.$ Show that $u_n$ is an integer for all $n.$ (By convention, $0!=1$.)

We consider the following system with $q=2p$: \[\begin{matrix} a_{11}x_{1}+\ldots+a_{1q}x_{q}=0,\\ a_{21}x_{1}+\ldots+a_{2q}x_{q}=0,\\ \ldots ,\\ a_{p1}x_{1}+\ldots+a_{pq}x_{q}=0,\\ \end{matrix}\] in which every coefficient is an element from the set $\{-1,0,1\}$$.$ Prove that there exists a solution $x_{1}, \ldots,x_{q}$ for the system with the properties: [b]a.)[/b] all $x_{j}, j=1,\ldots,q$ are integers$;$ [b]b.)[/b] there exists at least one j for which $x_{j} \neq 0;$ [b]c.)[/b] $|x_{j}| \leq q$ for any $j=1, \ldots ,q.$

In triangle $ABC$, the medians and bisectors corresponding to sides $BC$, $CA$, $AB$ are $m_a$, $m_b$, $m_c$ and $w_a$, $w_b$, $w_c$ respectively. $P=w_a \cap m_b$, $Q=w_b \cap m_c$, $R=w_c \cap m_a$. Denote the areas of triangle $ABC$ and $PQR$ by $F_1$ and $F_2$ respectively. Find the least positive constant $m$ such that $\frac{F_1}{F_2}<m$ holds for any $\triangle{ABC}$.

Given real numbers $x_i,y_i (i=1,2,\ldots ,n)$, let $A$ be the $n\times n$ matrix given by $a_{ij}=1$ if $x_i\ge y_j$ and $a_{ij}=0$ otherwise. Suppose $B$ is a $n\times n$ matrix whose entries are $0$ and $1$ such that the sum of entries in any row or column of $B$ equals the sum of entries in the corresponding row or column of $A$. Prove that $B=A$.

Given a prime number $p$ congruent to $1$ modulo $5$ such that $2p+1$ is also prime, show that there exists a matrix of $0$s and $1$s containing exactly $4p$ (respectively, $4p+2$) $1$s no sub-matrix of which contains exactly $2p$ (respectively, $2p+1$) $1$s.

Let $ d_n$ be the determinant of the $ n\times n$ matrix whose entries, from left to right and then from top to bottom, are $ \cos 1,\cos 2,\dots,\cos n^2.$ (For example, $ d_3 \equal{} \begin{vmatrix}\cos 1 & \cos2 & \cos3 \\ \cos4 & \cos5 & \cos 6 \\ \cos7 & \cos8 & \cos 9\end{vmatrix}.$ The argument of $ \cos$ is always in radians, not degrees.) Evaluate $ \lim_{n\to\infty}d_n.$

For an integer $n\geq 3$, let $\theta=2\pi/n$. Evaluate the determinant of the $n\times n$ matrix $I+A$, where $I$ is the $n\times n$ identity matrix and $A=(a_{jk})$ has entries $a_{jk}=\cos(j\theta+k\theta)$ for all $j,k$.

Suppose $A,B\in M_3(\mathbb C)$, $B\ne0$, and $AB=0$. Prove that there exists $D\in M_3(\mathbb C)$ with $D\ne0$ such that $AD=DA=0$.

Let $A$ and $B$ be two $n\times n$ matrices with integer entries such that all of the matrices $$A,\enspace A+B,\enspace A+2B,\enspace A+3B,\enspace\ldots,\enspace A+(2n)B$$are invertible and their inverses have integer entries, too. Show that $A+(2n+1)B$ is also invertible and that its inverse has integer entries.

For a $n\times n$ complex valued matrix $A$, show that the following two conditions are equivalent. (i) There exists a $n\times n$ complex valued matrix $B$ such that $AB-BA=A$. (ii) There exists a positive integer $k$ such that $A^k = O$. ($O$ is the zero matrix.)

[list=a] [*]Give an example of matrices $A$ and $B$ from $\mathcal{M}_{2}(\mathbb{R})$, such that $ A^{2}+B^{2}=\left( \begin{array} [c]{cc} 2 & 3\\ 3 & 2 \end{array} \right) . $ [*]Let $A$ and $B$ be matrices from $\mathcal{M}_{2}(\mathbb{R})$, such that $\displaystyle A^{2}+B^{2}=\left( \begin{array} [c]{cc} 2 & 3\\ 3 & 2 \end{array} \right) $. Prove that $AB\neq BA$.[/list]