Let $A,B\in \mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ be two $n \times n$ matrices such that \[ A^2B+BA^2=2ABA \] Prove there exists $k\in \mathbb{N}$ such that \[ (AB-BA)^k=\mathbf{0}_n\] Here $\mathbf{0}_n$ is the null matrix of order $n$.

Let be three natural numbers $ n,p,q , $ a field $ \mathbb{F} , $ and two matrices $ A,B\in\mathcal{M}_n\left( \mathbb{F} \right) $ such that $$ A^pB=0=(A+I)^qB. $$ Prove that $ B=0. $ [i]D.M. Bătinețu[/i]

Let $A\in\mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ where $n\geq 2.$ Prove that if $m=|\{\text{rank}(A^k)-\text{rank}(A^{k+1})":k\in\mathbb{N}^*\}|$ then $n+1\geq m(m+1)/2.$

$M = (a_{i,j} ), \ i, j = 1, 2, 3, 4$, is a square matrix of order four. Given that: [list] [*] [b](i)[/b] for each $i = 1, 2, 3,4$ and for each $k = 5, 6, 7$, \[a_{i,k} = a_{i,k-4};\]\[P_i = a_{1,}i + a_{2,i+1} + a_{3,i+2} + a_{4,i+3};\]\[S_i = a_{4,i }+ a_{3,i+1} + a_{2,i+2} + a_{1,i+3};\]\[L_i = a_{i,1} + a_{i,2} + a_{i,3} + a_{i,4};\]\[C_i = a_{1,i} + a_{2,i} + a_{3,i} + a_{4,i},\] [*][b](ii)[/b] for each $i, j = 1, 2, 3, 4$, $P_i = P_j , S_i = S_j , L_i = L_j , C_i = C_j$, and [*][b](iii)[/b] $a_{1,1} = 0, a_{1,2} = 7, a_{2,1} = 11, a_{2,3} = 2$, and $a_{3,3} = 15$.[/list] find the matrix M.

Show that there exists a $2 \times 2$ matrix of order 6 with rational entries, such that the sum of its entries is 2018. Note: The order of a matrix (if it exists) is the smallest positive integer $n$ such that $A^n = I$, where $I$ is the identity matrix.

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? $(\text{a})\quad 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2005;$ $(\text{b})\quad 2002, 2003, 2004, 2001, 2006, 2005, 2008, 2007;$ $(\text{c})\quad 2004, 2002, 2003, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2007, 2006.$

A cake has the form of an $ n$ x $ n$ square composed of $ n^{2}$ unit squares. Strawberries lie on some of the unit squares so that each row or column contains exactly one strawberry; call this arrangement $\mathcal{A}$. Let $\mathcal{B}$ be another such arrangement. Suppose that every grid rectangle with one vertex at the top left corner of the cake contains no fewer strawberries of arrangement $\mathcal{B}$ than of arrangement $\mathcal{A}$. Prove that arrangement $\mathcal{B}$ can be obtained from $ \mathcal{A}$ by performing a number of switches, defined as follows: A switch consists in selecting a grid rectangle with only two strawberries, situated at its top right corner and bottom left corner, and moving these two strawberries to the other two corners of that rectangle.

Let $A\in \mathcal{M}_2(\mathbb{R})$ such that $\det(A)=d\neq 0$ and $\det(A+dA^*)=0$. Prove that $\det(A-dA^*)=4$. [i]Daniel Jinga[/i]

What is the biggest shadow that a cube of side length $1$ can have, with the sun at its peak? Note: "The biggest shadow of a figure with the sun at its peak" is understood to be the biggest possible area of the orthogonal projection of the figure on a plane.

Let $\mathbb{N}=\{1,2,\ldots\}$. Find all functions $f: \mathbb{N}\to\mathbb{N}$ such that for all $m,n\in \mathbb{N}$ the number $f^2(m)+f(n)$ is a divisor of $(m^2+n)^2$.

Consider a matrix of size $8 \times 8$, containing positive integers only. One may repeatedly transform the entries of the matrix according to the following rules: -Multiply all entries in some row by 2. -Subtract 1 from all entries in some column. Prove that one can transform the given matrix into the zero matrix.

Let \(A\) be a square matrix with entries in the field \(\mathbb Z / p \mathbb Z\) such that \(A^n - I\) is invertible for every positive integer \(n\). Prove that there exists a positive integer \(m\) such that \(A^m = 0\). [i](A matrix having entries in the field \(\mathbb Z / p \mathbb Z\) means that two matrices are considered the same if each pair of corresponding entries differ by a multiple of \(p\).)[/i] [i]Proposed by Tony Wang[/i]

Let $A$ be an $n$x$n$ matrix with integer entries and $b_{1},b_{2},...,b_{k}$ be integers satisfying $detA=b_{1}\cdot b_{2}\cdot ...\cdot b_{k}$. Prove that there exist $n$x$n$-matrices $B_{1},B_{2},...,B_{k}$ with integers entries such that $A=B_{1}\cdot B_{2}\cdot ...\cdot B_{k}$ and $detB_{i}=b_{i}$ for all $i=1,...,k$.

Let $A$ be a $n\times n$ matrix such that $A_{ij} = i+j$. Find the rank of $A$. [hide="Remark"]Not asked in the contest: $A$ is diagonalisable since real symetric matrix it is not difficult to find its eigenvalues.[/hide]

Let $A, B \in M_6 (\mathbb{Z} )$ such that $A \equiv I \equiv B \text{ mod }3$ and $A^3 B^3 A^3 = B^3$. Prove that $A = I$. Here $M_6 (\mathbb{Z} )$ indicates the $6$ by $6$ matrices with integer entries, $I$ is the identity matrix, and $X \equiv Y \text{ mod }3$ means all entries of $X-Y$ are divisible by $3$.

Let be a natural number $ n\ge 2 $ and three $ n\times n $ complex matrices that have the properties that they commute pairwise, their sum is thrice the identity matrix, and their squares are the identity matrix. Prove that these three matrices are equal. [i]Marius Cavachi[/i]

Let $p$ be a prime number. Prove that the determinant of the matrix \[ \begin{bmatrix}x & y & z\\ x^p & y^p & z^p \\ x^{p^2} & y^{p^2} & z^{p^2} \end{bmatrix} \] is congruent modulo $p$ to a product of polynomials of the form $ax+by+cz$, where $a$, $b$, and $c$ are integers. (We say two integer polynomials are congruent modulo $p$ if corresponding coefficients are congruent modulo $p$.)

Does there exist such a configuration of 22 circles and 22 point, that any circle contains at leats 7 points and any point belongs at least to 7 circles?

[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]

Let A be a symmetric matrix such that the sum of elements of any row is zero. Show that all elements in the main diagonal of cofator matrix of A are equal.

Which of the following are true? $\textbf{(A)}~\exists A\in M_3(\mathbb R)\text{ such that }A^2=-I_3$ $\textbf{(B)}~\exists A,B\in M_3(\mathbb R)\text{ such that }AB-BA=I_3$ $\textbf{(C)}~\forall A\in M_4,\det\left(I_4+A^2\right)\ge0$ $\textbf{(D)}~\text{None of the above}$

Let $A, B, X$ be real $n\times n$ matrices for which $AXB + A + B = 0$ holds. Prove that $AXB = BXA$.

Determine the number of possible values for the determinant of $A$, given that $A$ is a $n\times n$ matrix with real entries such that $A^3 - A^2 - 3A + 2I = 0$, where $I$ is the identity and $0$ is the all-zero matrix.

Let $n\ge1$. Assume that $A$ is a real $n\times n$ matrix which satisfies the equality $$A^7+A^5+A^3+A-I=0.$$ Show that $\det(A)>0$.

Let $ U$ be an $ n \times n$ orthogonal matrix. Prove that for any $ n \times n$ matrix $ A$, the matrices \[ A_m=\frac{1}{m+1} \sum_{j=0}^m U^{-j}AU^j\] converge entrywise as $ m \rightarrow \infty.$ [i]L. Kovacs[/i]