Let $ T \in \textsl{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})$, let $ G$ be a nonsingular $ n \times n$ matrix with integer elements, and put $ S\equal{}G^{\minus{}1}TG$. Prove that there is a natural number $ k$ such that $ S^k \in \textsl{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})$. [i]Gy. Szekeres[/i]

Prove that these two statements are equivalent for an $n$ dimensional vector space $V$: [b]$\cdot$[/b] For the linear transformation $T:V\longrightarrow V$ there exists a base for $V$ such that the representation of $T$ in that base is an upper triangular matrix. [b]$\cdot$[/b] There exist subspaces $\{0\}\subsetneq V_1 \subsetneq ...\subsetneq V_{n-1}\subsetneq V$ such that for all $i$, $T(V_i)\subseteq V_i$.

Let $ A,B\in\mathcal{M} \left( \mathbb{R} \right) $ that satisfy $ AB=O_3. $ Prove that: [b]a)[/b] The function $ f:\mathbb{C}\longrightarrow\mathbb{C} $ defined as $ f(x)=\det \left( A^2+B^2+xBA \right) $ is a polynomial one, of degree at most $ 2. $ [b]b)[/b] $ \det\left( A^2+B^2 \right)\ge 0. $

The matrix \[A=\begin{pmatrix} a_{11} & \ldots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ldots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \ldots & a_{nn} \end{pmatrix}\] satisfies the inequality $\sum_{j=1}^n |a_{j1}x_1 + \cdots+ a_{jn}x_n| \leq M$ for each choice of numbers $x_i$ equal to $\pm 1$. Show that \[|a_{11} + a_{22} + \cdots+ a_{nn}| \leq M.\]

a) Let $x_1,x_2,x_3,y_1,y_2,y_3\in \mathbb{R}$ and $a_{ij}=\sin(x_i-y_j),\ i,j=\overline{1,3}$ and $A=(a_{ij})\in \mathcal{M}_3$ Prove that $\det A=0$. b) Let $z_1,z_2,\ldots,z_{2n}\in \mathbb{C}^*,\ n\ge 3$ such that $|z_1|=|z_2|=\ldots=|z_{n+3}|$ and $\arg z_1\ge \arg z_2\ge \ldots\ge \arg(z_{n+3})$. If $b_{ij}=|z_i-z_{j+n}|,\ i,j=\overline{1,n}$ and $B=(b_{ij})\in \mathcal{M}_n$, prove that $\det B=0$.

Let be two matrices $ A,B\in M_2\left(\mathbb{R}\right) $ and two natural numbers $ m,n. $ Prove that: $$ \det\left( (AB)^m-(BA)^m\right)\cdot\det\left( (AB)^n-(BA)^n\right)\ge 0. $$

Let $n$ be a positive integer, and $a,b$ be two complex numbers such that $a \neq 1$ and $b^k \neq 1$, for any $k \in \{1,2,\dots ,n\}$. The matrices $A,B \in \mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ satisfy the relation $BA=a I_n + bAB$. Prove that $A$ and $B$ are invertible.

Consider the matrices $A\in \mathcal{M}_{m,n}(\mathbb{C})$ and $B\in \mathcal{M}_{n,m}(\mathbb{C})$ with $n\le m$. It is given that $\text{rank}(AB)=n$ and $(AB)^2=AB$. a)Prove that $(BA)^3=(BA)^2$. b)Find $BA$.

Let $ n\ge 2$ be an integer. What is the minimal and maximal possible rank of an $ n\times n$ matrix whose $ n^{2}$ entries are precisely the numbers $ 1, 2, \ldots, n^{2}$?

Let $n$ be a positive integer that is not a perfect cube. Define real numbers $a,b,c$ by \[a=\root3\of n\kern1.5pt,\qquad b={1\over a-[a]}\kern1pt,\qquad c={1\over b-[b]}\kern1.5pt,\] where $[x]$ denotes the integer part of $x$. Prove that there are infinitely many such integers $n$ with the property that there exist integers $r,s,t$, not all zero, such that $ra+sb+tc=0$.

Let $k$ and $n$ be positive integers. A sequence $\left( A_1, \dots , A_k \right)$ of $n\times n$ real matrices is [i]preferred[/i] by Ivan the Confessor if $A_i^2\neq 0$ for $1\le i\le k$, but $A_iA_j=0$ for $1\le i$, $j\le k$ with $i\neq j$. Show that $k\le n$ in all preferred sequences, and give an example of a preferred sequence with $k=n$ for each $n$. (Proposed by Fedor Petrov, St. Petersburg State University)

The difference between the cubes of two consecutive positive integers is equal to $n^2$ for a positive integer $n$. Show that $n$ is the sum of two squares.

Given such positive real numbers $a, b$ and $c$, that the system of equations: $ \{\begin{matrix}a^2x+b^2y+c^2z=1&&\\xy+yz+zx=1&&\end{matrix} $ has exactly one solution of real numbers $(x, y, z)$. Prove, that there is a triangle, which borders lengths are equal to $a, b$ and $c$.

Find all triplets $(\lambda_1,\lambda_2,\lambda_3) \in \mathbb{R}^3$ such that there exists a matrix $A_{3 \times 3}$ with all entries being non-negative reals whose eigenvalues are $\lambda_1,\lambda_2,\lambda_3$.

Consider the matrix $ A,B\in \mathcal l{M}_3(\mathbb{C})$ with $ A=-^tA$ and $ B=^tB$. Prove that if the polinomial function defined by \[ f(x)=\det(A+xB)\] has a multiple root, then $ \det(A+B)=\det B$.

The linear operator $A$ on a finite-dimensional vector space $V$ is called an involution if $A^{2}=I$, where $I$ is the identity operator. Let $\dim V=n$. i) Prove that for every involution $A$ on $V$, there exists a basis of $V$ consisting of eigenvectors of $A$. ii) Find the maximal number of distinct pairwise commuting involutions on $V$.

A $ 4\times 4$ table is divided into $ 16$ white unit square cells. Two cells are called neighbors if they share a common side. A [i]move[/i] consists in choosing a cell and the colors of neighbors from white to black or from black to white. After exactly $ n$ moves all the $ 16$ cells were black. Find all possible values of $ n$.

[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]

There are $ 16$ pupils in a class. Every month, the teacher divides the pupils into two groups. Find the smallest number of months after which it will be possible that every two pupils were in two different groups during at least one month.

Given a connected graph with $n$ edges, where there are no parallel edges. For any two cycles $C,C'$ in the graph, define its [i]outer cycle[/i] to be \[C*C'=\{x|x\in (C-C')\cup (C'-C)\}.\] (1) Let $r$ be the largest postive integer so that we can choose $r$ cycles $C_1,C_2,\ldots,C_r$ and for all $1\leq k\leq r$ and $1\leq i$, $j_1,j_2,\ldots,j_k\leq r$, we have \[C_i\neq C_{j_1}*C_{j_2}*\cdots*C_{j_k}.\] (Remark: There should have been an extra condition that either $j_1\neq i$ or $k\neq 1$) (2) Let $s$ be the largest positive integer so that we can choose $s$ edges that do not form a cycle. (Remark: A more precise way of saying this is that any nonempty subset of these $s$ edges does not form a cycle) Show that $r+s=n$. Note: A cycle is a set of edges of the form $\{A_iA_{i+1},1\leq i\leq n\}$ where $n\geq 3$, $A_1,A_2,\ldots,A_n$ are distinct vertices, and $A_{n+1}=A_1$.

Ivan writes the matrix $\begin{pmatrix} 2 & 3\\ 2 & 4\end{pmatrix}$ on the board. Then he performs the following operation on the matrix several times: [b]1.[/b] he chooses a row or column of the matrix, and [b]2.[/b] he multiplies or divides the chosen row or column entry-wise by the other row or column, respectively. Can Ivan end up with the matrix $\begin{pmatrix} 2 & 4\\ 2 & 3\end{pmatrix}$ after finitely many steps?

In a finite sequence of real numbers the sum of any seven successive terms is negative and the sum of any eleven successive terms is positive. Determine the maximum number of terms in the sequence.

For $ n\geq 0$ define the matrices $ A_n$ and $ B_n$ as follows: $ A_0 \equal{} B_0 \equal{} (1)$, and for every $ n>0$ let \[ A_n \equal{} \left( \begin{array}{cc} A_{n \minus{} 1} & A_{n \minus{} 1} \\ A_{n \minus{} 1} & B_{n \minus{} 1} \\ \end{array} \right) \ \textrm{and} \ B_n \equal{} \left( \begin{array}{cc} A_{n \minus{} 1} & A_{n \minus{} 1} \\ A_{n \minus{} 1} & 0 \\ \end{array} \right). \] Denote by $ S(M)$ the sum of all the elements of a matrix $ M$. Prove that $ S(A_n^{k \minus{} 1}) \equal{} S(A_k^{n \minus{} 1})$, for all $ n,k\geq 2$.

Find the lengths of the principal axes of the ellipsoid \[\sum_{i\le j}x_i x_j=1\]

For a positive integer $a$, define the sequence ($x_n$) by $x_1 = x_2 = 1$ and $x_{n+2 }= (a^4 +4a^2 +2)x_{n+1} -x_n -2a^2$ , for n $\ge 1$. Show that $x_n$ is a perfect square and that for $n > 2$ its square root equals the first entry in the matrix $\begin{pmatrix} a^2+1 & a \\ a & 1 \end{pmatrix}^{n-2}$