Let $a, b$, and $c$ be positive integers such that $gcd(a, b) = 1$. Sequence $\{u_k\}$, is given such that $u_0 = 0$, $u_1 = 1$, and u$_{k+2} = au_{k+1} + bu_k$ for all $k \ge 0$. Let $m$ be the least positive integer such that $c | u_m$ and $n$ be an arbitrary positive integer such that $c | u_n$. Show that $m | n$. [hide=PS.] There was a typo in the last line, as it didn't define what n does. Wording comes from [b]tst-2011-1.pdf[/b] from [url=https://sites.google.com/site/imoidn/idntst/2011tst]here[/url]. Correction was made according to #2[/hide]

Sir Alex plays the following game on a row of 9 cells. Initially, all cells are empty. In each move, Sir Alex is allowed to perform exactly one of the following two operations: [list=1] [*] Choose any number of the form $2^j$, where $j$ is a non-negative integer, and put it into an empty cell. [*] Choose two (not necessarily adjacent) cells with the same number in them; denote that number by $2^j$. Replace the number in one of the cells with $2^{j+1}$ and erase the number in the other cell. [/list] At the end of the game, one cell contains $2^n$, where $n$ is a given positive integer, while the other cells are empty. Determine the maximum number of moves that Sir Alex could have made, in terms of $n$. [i]Proposed by Warut Suksompong, Thailand[/i]

Let $S$ be a set of integers with the following properties: [list] [*] $\{ 1, 2, \dots, 2025 \} \subseteq S$. [*] If $a, b \in S$ and $\gcd(a, b) = 1$, then $ab \in S$. [*] If for some $s \in S$, $s + 1$ is composite, then all positive divisors of $s + 1$ are in $S$. [/list] Prove that $S$ contains all positive integers.

Let $\ell$ be a positive integer. We say that a positive integer $k$ is [i]nice [/i] if $k!+\ell$ is a square of an integer. Prove that for every positive integer $n \geqslant \ell$, the set $\{1, 2, \ldots,n^2\}$ contains at most $n^2-n +\ell$ nice integers. \\ \\ (Théo Lenoir)

Find all pairs $(m,n)$ of nonnegative integers for which \[m^2 + 2 \cdot 3^n = m\left(2^{n+1} - 1\right).\] [i]Proposed by Angelo Di Pasquale, Australia[/i]

Let $P_1$, $P_2$, $\dots$, $P_{2n}$ be $2n$ distinct points on the unit circle $x^2+y^2=1$, other than $(1,0)$. Each point is colored either red or blue, with exactly $n$ red points and $n$ blue points. Let $R_1$, $R_2$, $\dots$, $R_n$ be any ordering of the red points. Let $B_1$ be the nearest blue point to $R_1$ traveling counterclockwise around the circle starting from $R_1$. Then let $B_2$ be the nearest of the remaining blue points to $R_2$ travelling counterclockwise around the circle from $R_2$, and so on, until we have labeled all of the blue points $B_1, \dots, B_n$. Show that the number of counterclockwise arcs of the form $R_i \to B_i$ that contain the point $(1,0)$ is independent of the way we chose the ordering $R_1, \dots, R_n$ of the red points.

A $(3n + 1) \times (3n + 1)$ table $(n \in \mathbb{N})$ is given. Prove that deleting any one of its squares yields a shape cuttable into pieces of the following form and its rotations: ''L" shape formed by cutting one square from a $2 \times 2$ squares.

Let $\mathbb{Q}$ be the set of rational numbers. A function $f: \mathbb{Q} \to \mathbb{Q}$ is called aquaesulian if the following property holds: for every $x,y \in \mathbb{Q}$, \[ f(x+f(y)) = f(x) + y \quad \text{or} \quad f(f(x)+y) = x + f(y). \] Show that there exists an integer $c$ such that for any aquaesulian function $f$ there are at most $c$ different rational numbers of the form $f(r) + f(-r)$ for some rational number $r$, and find the smallest possible value of $c$.

This ISL 2005 problem has not been used in any TST I know. A pity, since it is a nice problem, but in its shortlist formulation, it is absolutely incomprehensible. Here is a mathematical restatement of the problem: Let $k$ be a nonnegative integer. A forest consists of rooted (i. e. oriented) trees. Each vertex of the forest is either a leaf or has two successors. A vertex $v$ is called an [i]extended successor[/i] of a vertex $u$ if there is a chain of vertices $u_{0}=u$, $u_{1}$, $u_{2}$, ..., $u_{t-1}$, $u_{t}=v$ with $t>0$ such that the vertex $u_{i+1}$ is a successor of the vertex $u_{i}$ for every integer $i$ with $0\leq i\leq t-1$. A vertex is called [i]dynastic[/i] if it has two successors and each of these successors has at least $k$ extended successors. Prove that if the forest has $n$ vertices, then there are at most $\frac{n}{k+2}$ dynastic vertices.

Suppose that $P(x)=a_1x+a_2x^2+\ldots+a_nx^n$ is a polynomial with integer coefficients, with $a_1$ odd. Suppose that $e^{P(x)}=b_0+b_1x+b_2x^2+\ldots$ for all $x.$ Prove that $b_k$ is nonzero for all $k \geq 0.$

Let $x_1 \le x_2 \le \dots < x_n$ (with $n \ge 2$) and let $S$ be the set of all the $x_i$. Let $T$ be a randomly chosen subset of $S$. What is the expected value of the indexed alternating sum of $T$ ? Express your answer in terms of the $x_i$. Note: We define the indexed alternating sum of $T$ as \[ \sum_{i=1}^{|T|} (-1)^{i+1}(i) T[i], \] where $T[i]$ is the ith element of $T$ when listed in increasing order. For example, if $T = \{1, 3, 5\}$ then the indexed alternating sum of $T$ is \[ 1 \cdot 1 - 2 \cdot 3 + 3 \cdot 5 = 10. \] Alternating sums of empty sets are defined to be $0$.

Find all functions $f : \mathbb{Q}[\sqrt{2}] \to \mathbb{Q}[\sqrt{2}]$ such that for all $x, y \in \mathbb{Q}[\sqrt{2}]$, $$ f(xy) = f(x)f(y) \quad \text{and} \quad f(x + y) = f(x) + f(y), $$ where $\mathbb{Q}[\sqrt{2}] = \{ a + b\sqrt{2} \mid a, b \in \mathbb{Q} \}$. [I]Proposed by Stijn Cambie, Belgium[/i]

We call a $5$-tuple of integers [i]arrangeable[/i] if its elements can be labeled $a, b, c, d, e$ in some order so that $a-b+c-d+e=29$. Determine all $2017$-tuples of integers $n_1, n_2, . . . , n_{2017}$ such that if we place them in a circle in clockwise order, then any $5$-tuple of numbers in consecutive positions on the circle is arrangeable. [i]Warut Suksompong, Thailand[/i]

Let $n \in \mathbb N$ and $A_n$ set of all permutations $(a_1, \ldots, a_n)$ of the set $\{1, 2, \ldots , n\}$ for which \[k|2(a_1 + \cdots+ a_k), \text{ for all } 1 \leq k \leq n.\] Find the number of elements of the set $A_n$. [i]Proposed by Vidan Govedarica, Serbia[/i]