Found problems: 638
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}
$
2000 District Olympiad (Hunedoara), 2
Calculate the determinant of the $ n\times n $ complex matrix $ \left(a_j^i\right)_{1\le j\le n}^{1\le i\le n} $ defined by
$$ a_j^i=\left\{\begin{matrix} 1+x^2,\quad i=j\\x,\quad |i-j|=1\\0,\quad |i-j|\ge 2\end{matrix}\right. , $$
where $ n $ is a natural number greater than $ 2. $
1997 IMO, 4
An $ n \times n$ matrix whose entries come from the set $ S \equal{} \{1, 2, \ldots , 2n \minus{} 1\}$ is called a [i]silver matrix[/i] if, for each $ i \equal{} 1, 2, \ldots , n$, the $ i$-th row and the $ i$-th column together contain all elements of $ S$. Show that:
(a) there is no silver matrix for $ n \equal{} 1997$;
(b) silver matrices exist for infinitely many values of $ n$.
2006 Mathematics for Its Sake, 2
Let be a natural number $ n. $ Solve in the set of $ 2\times 2 $ complex matrices the equation
$$ \begin{pmatrix} -2& 2007\\ 0&-2 \end{pmatrix} =X^{3n}-3X^n. $$
[i]Petru Vlad[/i]
2017 Simon Marais Mathematical Competition, A3
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 $1$.)
2010 IMO Shortlist, 6
The rows and columns of a $2^n \times 2^n$ table are numbered from $0$ to $2^{n}-1.$ The cells of the table have been coloured with the following property being satisfied: for each $0 \leq i,j \leq 2^n - 1,$ the $j$-th cell in the $i$-th row and the $(i+j)$-th cell in the $j$-th row have the same colour. (The indices of the cells in a row are considered modulo $2^n$.) Prove that the maximal possible number of colours is $2^n$.
[i]Proposed by Hossein Dabirian, Sepehr Ghazi-nezami, Iran[/i]
1997 Federal Competition For Advanced Students, P2, 1
Let $ a$ be a fixed integer. Find all integer solutions $ x,y,z$ of the system:
$ 5x\plus{}(a\plus{}2)y\plus{}(a\plus{}2)z\equal{}a,$
$ (2a\plus{}4)x\plus{}(a^2\plus{}3)y\plus{}(2a\plus{}2)z\equal{}3a\minus{}1,$
$ (2a\plus{}4)x\plus{}(2a\plus{}2)y\plus{}(a^2\plus{}3)z\equal{}a\plus{}1.$
1991 Arnold's Trivium, 18
Calculate
\[\int\cdots\int \exp\left(-\sum_{1\le i\le j\le n}x_ix_j\right)dx_1\cdots dx_n\]
2000 IMC, 3
Let $A,B\in\mathbb{C}^{n\times n}$ with $\rho(AB - BA) = 1$. Show that $(AB - BA)^2 = 0$.
2006 Cezar Ivănescu, 2
[b]a)[/b] Let $ a,b,c $ be three complex numbers. Prove that the element $ \begin{pmatrix} a & a-b & a-b \\ 0 & b & b-c \\ 0 & 0 & c \end{pmatrix} $ has finite order in the multiplicative group of $ 3\times 3 $ complex matrices if and only if $ a,b,c $ have finite orders in the multiplicative group of complex numbers.
[b]b)[/b] Prove that a $ 3\times 3 $ real matrix $ M $ has positive determinant if there exists a real number $ \lambda\in\left( 0,\sqrt[3]{4} \right) $ such that $ A^3=\lambda A+I. $
[i]Cristinel Mortici[/i]
2006 Moldova MO 11-12, 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 $\lim_{n\rightarrow\infty}\frac{x_n}{y_n}$.
2004 Nicolae Coculescu, 4
Let be a matrix $ A\in\mathcal{M}_2(\mathbb{R}) $ having the property that the numbers $ \det (A+X) ,\det (A^2+X^2) ,\det (A^3+X^3) $ are (in this order) in geometric progression, for any matrix $ X\in\mathcal{M}_2(\mathbb{R}) . $
Prove that $ A=0. $
[i]Marius Ghergu[/i]
2008 IMC, 5
Let $ n$ be a positive integer, and consider the matrix $ A \equal{} (a_{ij})_{1\leq i,j\leq n}$ where $ a_{ij} \equal{} 1$ if $ i\plus{}j$ is prime and $ a_{ij} \equal{} 0$ otherwise.
Prove that $ |\det A| \equal{} k^2$ for some integer $ k$.
1995 Putnam, 3
To each number with $n^2$ digits, we associate the $n\times n$ determinant of the matrix obtained by writing the digits of the number in order along the rows. For example : $8617\mapsto \det \left(\begin{matrix}{\;8}& 6\;\\ \;1 &{ 7\;}\end{matrix}\right)=50$.
Find, as a function of $n$, the sum of all the determinants associated with $n^2$-digit integers. (Leading digits are assumed to be nonzero; for example, for $n = 2$, there are $9000$ determinants.)
2012 Romania National Olympiad, 2
[color=darkred]Let $n$ and $k$ be two natural numbers such that $n\ge 2$ and $1\le k\le n-1$ . Prove that if the matrix $A\in\mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ has exactly $k$ minors of order $n-1$ equal to $0$ , then $\det (A)\ne 0$ .[/color]
2009 Math Prize For Girls Problems, 17
Let $ a$, $ b$, $ c$, $ x$, $ y$, and $ z$ be real numbers that satisfy the three equations
\begin{align*}
13x + by + cz &= 0 \\
ax + 23y + cz &= 0 \\
ax + by + 42z &= 0.
\end{align*}Suppose that $ a \ne 13$ and $ x \ne 0$. What is the value of
\[ \frac{13}{a - 13} + \frac{23}{b - 23} + \frac{42}{c - 42} \, ?\]
2004 Italy TST, 1
At the vertices $A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H$ of a cube, $2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2007$ and $2006$ stones respectively are placed. It is allowed to move a stone from a vertex to each of its three neighbours, or to move a stone to a vertex from each of its three neighbours. Which of the following arrangements of stones at $A, B, \ldots , H$ can be obtained?
$(\text{a})\quad 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2005;$
$(\text{b})\quad 2002, 2003, 2004, 2001, 2006, 2005, 2008, 2007;$
$(\text{c})\quad 2004, 2002, 2003, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2007, 2006.$
2007 Nicolae Păun, 2
For a given natural number, $ n\ge 2, $ consider two matrices $ A,B\in\mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C}) $ that commute and such that $ A $ is invertible and that the function $ M:\mathbb{C}\longrightarrow\mathbb{C} ,M(x)=\det (A+xB) $ is bounded above or below.
Prove that $ B^n=0. $
[i]Sorin Rădulescu[/i] and [i]Ion Savu[/i]
2010 CIIM, Problem 1
Given two vectors $v = (v_1,\dots,v_n)$ and $w = (w_1\dots,w_n)$ in $\mathbb{R}^n$, lets define $v*w$ as the matrix in which the element of row $i$ and column $j$ is $v_iw_j$. Supose that $v$ and $w$ are linearly independent. Find the rank of the matrix $v*w - w*v.$
1988 IMO Longlists, 31
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?
1967 IMO Longlists, 6
Solve the system of equations:
$
\begin{matrix}
|x+y| + |1-x| = 6 \\ |x+y+1| + |1-y| = 4.
\end{matrix}
$
2023 Romania National Olympiad, 2
Let $A,B \in M_{n}(\mathbb{R}).$ Show that $rank(A) = rank(B)$ if and only if there exist nonsingular matrices $X,Y,Z \in M_{n}(\mathbb{R})$ such that
\[
AX + YB = AZB.
\]
2003 VJIMC, Problem 4
Let $A$ and $B$ be complex Hermitian $2\times2$ matrices having the pairs of eigenvalues $(\alpha_1,\alpha_2)$ and $(\beta_1,\beta_2)$, respectively. Determine all possible pairs of eigenvalues $(\gamma_1,\gamma_2)$ of the matrix $C=A+B$. (We recall that a matrix $A=(a_{ij})$ is Hermitian if and only if $a_{ij}=\overline{a_{ji}}$ for all $i$ and $j$.)
1967 IMO Shortlist, 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}
$
2025 VJIMC, 4
Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ real matrix with minimal polynomial $x^n + x - 1$. Prove that the trace of $(nA^{n-1} + I)^{-1}A^{n-2}$ is zero.