Let $\left ( a_{n} \right )_{n \geq 1}$ be an increasing sequence of positive integers such that $a_1=1$, and for all positive integers $n$, $a_{n+1}\leq 2n$. Prove that for every positive $n$; there exists positive integers $p$ and $q$ such that $n=a_{p}-a_{q}$.

Consider a checkered $3m\times 3m$ square, where $m$ is an integer greater than $1.$ A frog sits on the lower left corner cell $S$ and wants to get to the upper right corner cell $F.$ The frog can hop from any cell to either the next cell to the right or the next cell upwards. Some cells can be [i]sticky[/i], and the frog gets trapped once it hops on such a cell. A set $X$ of cells is called [i]blocking[/i] if the frog cannot reach $F$ from $S$ when all the cells of $X$ are sticky. A blocking set is [i] minimal[/i] if it does not contain a smaller blocking set.[list=a][*]Prove that there exists a minimal blocking set containing at least $3m^2-3m$ cells. [*]Prove that every minimal blocking set containing at most $3m^2$ cells.

Amy and Bob play the game. At the beginning, Amy writes down a positive integer on the board. Then the players take moves in turn, Bob moves first. On any move of his, Bob replaces the number $n$ on the blackboard with a number of the form $n-a^2$, where $a$ is a positive integer. On any move of hers, Amy replaces the number $n$ on the blackboard with a number of the form $n^k$, where $k$ is a positive integer. Bob wins if the number on the board becomes zero. Can Amy prevent Bob’s win? [i]Maxim Didin, Russia[/i]

Rectangle on a checked paper with length of a unit square side being $1$ Is divided into domino figures( two unit square sharing a common edge). Prove that you colour all corners of squares on the edge of rectangle and inside rectangle with $3$ colours such that for any two corners with distance $1$ the following conditions hold: they are coloured in different colour if the line connecting the two corners is on the border of two domino figures and coloured in same colour if the line connecting the two corners is inside a domino figure.

Let $n$ be a positive integer and $(x_1, x_2, ..., x_{2n})$, $x_i = 0$ or $1, i = 1, 2, ... , 2n$ be a sequence of $2n$ integers. Let $S_n$ be the sum $S_n = x_1x_2 + x_3x_4 + ... + x_{2n-1}x_{2n}$. If $O_n$ is the number of sequences such that $S_n$ is odd and $E_n$ is the number of sequences such that $S_n$ is even, prove that $$\frac{O_n}{E_n}=\frac{2^n - 1}{2^n + 1}$$

Fix a positive integer $n$ and a finite graph with at least one edge; the endpoints of each edge are distinct, and any two vertices are joined by at most one edge. Vertices and edges are assigned (not necessarily distinct) numbers in the range from $0$ to $n-1$, one number each. A vertex assignment and an edge assignment are [i]compatible[/i] if the following condition is satisfied at each vertex $v$: The number assigned to $v$ is congruent modulo $n$ to the sum of the numbers assigned to the edges incident to $v$. Fix a vertex assignment and let $N$ be the total number of compatible edge assignments; compatibility refers, of course, to the fixed vertex assignment. Prove that, if $N \neq 0$, then the prime divisors of $N$ are all at most $n$.

Joe and Penny play a game. Initially there are $5000$ stones in a pile, and the two players remove stones from the pile by making a sequence of moves. On the $k$-th move, any number of stones between $1$ and $k$ inclusive may be removed. Joe makes the odd-numbered moves and Penny makes the even-numbered moves. The player who removes the very last stone is the winner. Who wins if both players play perfectly?

Let $\mathbb{N}$ be the set of all positive integers. Find all functions $f : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{N}$ such that $$f^{f^{f(x)}(y)}(z)=x+y+z+1$$ for all $x,y,z \in \mathbb{N}$. [i]Proposed by William Wang.[/i]

Let $p,q\in \mathbb{R}[x]$ such that $p(z)q(\overline{z})$ is always a real number for every complex number $z$. Prove that $p(x)=kq(x)$ for some constant $k \in \mathbb{R}$ or $q(x)=0$. [i]Proposed by Mohammad Ahmadi[/i]

There are $2017$ lines in the plane such that no three of them go through the same point. Turbo the snail sits on a point on exactly one of the lines and starts sliding along the lines in the following fashion: she moves on a given line until she reaches an intersection of two lines. At the intersection, she follows her journey on the other line turning left or right, alternating her choice at each intersection point she reaches. She can only change direction at an intersection point. Can there exist a line segment through which she passes in both directions during her journey?

Let $x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_n$ be arbitrary real numbers. Prove the inequality \[ \frac{x_1}{1+x_1^2} + \frac{x_2}{1+x_1^2 + x_2^2} + \cdots + \frac{x_n}{1 + x_1^2 + \cdots + x_n^2} < \sqrt{n}. \]

Sequence of real numbers $a_0,a_1,\dots,a_{1389}$ are called concave if for each $0<i<1389$, $a_i\geq\frac{a_{i-1}+a_{i+1}}2$. Find the largest $c$ such that for every concave sequence of non-negative real numbers: \[\sum_{i=0}^{1389}ia_i^2\geq c\sum_{i=0}^{1389}a_i^2\]

An infinite increasing sequence $a_1 < a_2 < a_3 < \cdots$ of positive integers is called [i]central[/i] if for every positive integer $n$ , the arithmetic mean of the first $a_n$ terms of the sequence is equal to $a_n$. \\Show that there exists an infinite sequence $b_1, b_2, b_3, \dots$ of positive integers such that for every central sequence $a_1, a_2, a_3, \dots, $ there are infinitely many positive integers $n$ with $a_n = b_n$.

Suppose that $G$ is a finite group generated by the two elements $g$ and $h,$ where the order of $g$ is odd. Show that every element of $G$ can be written in the form \[g^{m_1}h^{n_1}g^{m_2}h^{n_2}\cdots g^{m_r}h^{n_r}\] with $1\le r\le |G|$ and $m_n,n_1,m_2,n_2,\dots,m_r,n_r\in\{1,-1\}.$ (Here $|G|$ is the number of elements of $G.$)

[u]Round 4[/u] [b]p13.[/b] What is the units digit of the number $(2^1 + 1)(2^2 - 1)(2^3 + 1)(2^4 - 1)...(2^{2010} - 1)$? [b]p14.[/b] Mr. Fat noted that on January $2$, $2010$, the display of the day is $01/02/2010$, and the sequence $01022010$ is a palindrome (a number that reads the same forwards and backwards). How many days does Mr. Fat need to wait between this palindrome day and the last palindrome day of this decade? [b]p15.[/b] Farmer Tim has a $30$-meter by $30$-meter by $30\sqrt2$-meter triangular barn. He ties his goat to the corner where the two shorter sides meet with a 60-meter rope. What is the area, in square meters, of the land where the goat can graze, given that it cannot get inside the barn? [b]p16.[/b] In triangle $ABC$, $AB = 3$, $BC = 4$, and $CA = 5$. Point $P$ lies inside the triangle and the distances from $P$ to two of the sides of the triangle are $ 1$ and $2$. What is the maximum distance from $P$ to the third side of the triangle? [u]Round 5[/u] [b]p17.[/b] Let $Z$ be the answer to the third question on this guts quadruplet. If $x^2 - 2x = Z - 1$, find the positive value of $x$. [b]p18.[/b] Let $X$ be the answer to the first question on this guts quadruplet. To make a FATRON2012, a cubical steel body as large as possible is cut out from a solid sphere of diameter $X$. A TAFTRON2013 is created by cutting a FATRON2012 into $27$ identical cubes, with no material wasted. What is the length of one edge of a TAFTRON2013? [b]p19.[/b] Let $Y$ be the smallest integer greater than the answer to the second question on this guts quadruplet. Fred posts two distinguishable sheets on the wall. Then, $Y$ people walk into the room. Each of the Y people signs up on $0, 1$, or $2$ of the sheets. Given that there are at least two people in the room other than Fred, how many possible pairs of lists can Fred have? [b]p20.[/b] Let $A, B, C$, be the respective answers to the first, second, and third questions on this guts quadruplet. At the Robot Design Convention and Showcase, a series of robots are programmed such that each robot shakes hands exactly once with every other robot of the same height. If the heights of the $16$ robots are $4$, $4$, $4$, $5$, $5$, $7$, $17$, $17$, $17$, $34$, $34$, $42$, $100$, $A$, $B$, and $C$ feet, how many handshakes will take place? [u]Round 6[/u] [b]p21.[/b] Determine the number of ordered triples $(p, q, r)$ of primes with $1 < p < q < r < 100$ such that $q - p = r - q$. [b]p22.[/b] For numbers $a, b, c, d$ such that $0 \le a, b, c, d \le 10$, find the minimum value of $ab + bc + cd + da - 5a - 5b - 5c - 5d$. [b]p23.[/b] Daniel has a task to measure $1$ gram, $2$ grams, $3$ grams, $4$ grams , ... , all the way up to $n$ grams. He goes into a store and buys a scale and six weights of his choosing (so that he knows the value for each weight that he buys). If he can place the weights on either side of the scale, what is the maximum value of $n$? [b]p24.[/b] Given a Rubik’s cube, what is the probability that at least one face will remain unchanged after a random sequence of three moves? (A Rubik’s cube is a $3$ by $3$ by $3$ cube with each face starting as a different color. The faces ($3$ by $3$) can be freely turned. A move is defined in this problem as a $90$ degree rotation of one face either clockwise or counter-clockwise. The center square on each face–six in total–is fixed.) PS. You should use hide for answers. First rounds have been posted [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c4h2766534p24230616]here[/url]. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].