Found problems: 638
2005 Romania National Olympiad, 1
Let $n\geq 2$ a fixed integer. We shall call a $n\times n$ matrix $A$ with rational elements a [i]radical[/i] matrix if there exist an infinity of positive integers $k$, such that the equation $X^k=A$ has solutions in the set of $n\times n$ matrices with rational elements.
a) Prove that if $A$ is a radical matrix then $\det A \in \{-1,0,1\}$ and there exists an infinity of radical matrices with determinant 1;
b) Prove that there exist an infinity of matrices that are not radical and have determinant 0, and also an infinity of matrices that are not radical and have determinant 1.
[i]After an idea of Harazi[/i]
1999 Dutch Mathematical Olympiad, 4
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.
PEN A Problems, 11
Let $a, b, c, d$ be integers. Show that the product \[(a-b)(a-c)(a-d)(b-c)(b-d)(c-d)\] is divisible by $12$.
1950 AMC 12/AHSME, 38
If the expression $ \begin{pmatrix}a & c \\
d & b \end{pmatrix}$ has the value $ ab\minus{}cd$ for all values of $a, b, c$ and $d$, then the equation $ \begin{pmatrix}2x & 1 \\
x & x \end{pmatrix} = 3$:
$\textbf{(A)}\ \text{Is satisfied for only 1 value of }x \qquad\\
\textbf{(B)}\ \text{Is satisified for only 2 values of }x \qquad\\
\textbf{(C)}\ \text{Is satisified for no values of }x \qquad\\
\textbf{(D)}\ \text{Is satisfied for an infinite number of values of }x \qquad\\
\textbf{(E)}\ \text{None of these.}$
1969 Miklós Schweitzer, 12
Let $ A$ and $ B$ be nonsingular matrices of order $ p$, and let $ \xi$ and $ \eta$ be independent random vectors of dimension $ p$. Show that if $ \xi,\eta$ and $ \xi A\plus{} \eta B$ have the same distribution, if their first and second moments exist, and if their covariance matrix is the identity matrix, then these random vectors are normally distributed.
[i]B. Gyires[/i]
2020 SEEMOUS, Problem 1
Consider $A\in \mathcal{M}_{2020}(\mathbb{C})$ such that
$$
(1)\begin{cases}
A+A^{\times} =I_{2020},\\
A\cdot A^{\times} =I_{2020},\\
\end{cases}
$$
where $A^{\times}$ is the adjugate matrix of $A$, i.e., the matrix whose elements are $a_{ij}=(-1)^{i+j}d_{ji}$, where $d_{ji}$ is the determinant obtained from $A$, eliminating the line $j$ and the column $i$.
Find the maximum number of matrices verifying $(1)$ such that any two of them are not similar.
2004 Unirea, 2
Let be two matrices $ A,N\in\mathcal{M}_2(\mathbb{R}) $ that commute and such that $ N $ is nilpotent. Show that:
[b]a)[/b] $ \det (A+N)=\det (A) $
[b]b)[/b] if $ A $ is general linear, then the matrix $ A+N $ is invertible and $ (A+N)^{-1}=(A-N)A^{-2} . $
2006 Putnam, A3
Let $1,2,3,\dots,2005,2006,2007,2009,2012,2016,\dots$ be a sequence defined by $x_{k}=k$ for $k=1,2\dots,2006$ and $x_{k+1}=x_{k}+x_{k-2005}$ for $k\ge 2006.$ Show that the sequence has 2005 consecutive terms each divisible by 2006.
2025 VJIMC, 2
Let $A,B$ be two $n\times n$ complex matrices of the same rank, and let $k$ be a positive integer. Prove that $A^{k+1}B^k = A$ if and only if $B^{k+1}A^k = B$.
1999 IMO, 3
Let $n$ be an even positive integer. We say that two different cells of a $n \times n$ board are [b]neighboring[/b] if they have a common side. Find the minimal number of cells on the $n \times n$ board that must be marked so that any cell (marked or not marked) has a marked neighboring cell.
2010 Serbia National Math Olympiad, 2
An $n\times n$ table whose cells are numerated with numbers $1, 2,\cdots, n^2$ in some order is called [i]Naissus[/i] if all products of $n$ numbers written in $n$ [i]scattered[/i] cells give the same residue when divided by $n^2+1$. Does there exist a Naissus table for
$(a) n = 8;$
$(b) n = 10?$
($n$ cells are [i]scattered[/i] if no two are in the same row or column.)
[i]Proposed by Marko Djikic[/i]
2000 Italy TST, 2
Let $ ABC$ be an isosceles right triangle and $M$ be the midpoint of its hypotenuse $AB$. Points $D$ and $E$ are taken on the legs $AC$ and $BC$ respectively such that $AD=2DC$ and $BE=2EC$. Lines $AE$ and $DM$ intersect at $F$. Show that $FC$ bisects the $\angle DFE$.
2004 IMC, 6
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$.
2006 Poland - Second Round, 3
Given is a prime number $p$ and natural $n$ such that $p \geq n \geq 3$. Set $A$ is made of sequences of lenght $n$ with elements from the set $\{0,1,2,...,p-1\}$ and have the following property:
For arbitrary two sequence $(x_1,...,x_n)$ and $(y_1,...,y_n)$ from the set $A$ there exist three different numbers $k,l,m$ such that:
$x_k \not = y_k$, $x_l \not = y_l$, $x_m \not = y_m$.
Find the largest possible cardinality of $A$.
1998 IMO Shortlist, 7
A solitaire game is played on an $m\times n$ rectangular board, using $mn$ markers which are white on one side and black on the other. Initially, each square of the board contains a marker with its white side up, except for one corner square, which contains a marker with its black side up. In each move, one may take away one marker with its black side up, but must then turn over all markers which are in squares having an edge in common with the square of the removed marker. Determine all pairs $(m,n)$ of positive integers such that all markers can be removed from the board.
2005 China Team Selection Test, 3
We call a matrix $\textsl{binary matrix}$ if all its entries equal to $0$ or $1$. A binary matrix is $\textsl{Good}$ if it simultaneously satisfies the following two conditions:
(1) All the entries above the main diagonal (from left to right), not including the main diagonal, are equal.
(2) All the entries below the main diagonal (from left to right), not including the main diagonal, are equal.
Given positive integer $m$, prove that there exists a positive integer $M$, such that for any positive integer $n>M$ and a given $n \times n$ binary matrix $A_n$, we can select integers $1 \leq i_1 <i_2< \cdots < i_{n-m} \leq n$ and delete the $i_i$-th, $i_2$-th,$\cdots$, $i_{n-m}$-th rows and $i_i$-th, $i_2$-th,$\cdots$, $i_{n-m}$-th columns of $A_n$, then the resulting binary matrix $B_m$ is $\textsl{Good}$.
2001 IMO Shortlist, 8
Twenty-one girls and twenty-one boys took part in a mathematical competition. It turned out that each contestant solved at most six problems, and for each pair of a girl and a boy, there was at least one problem that was solved by both the girl and the boy. Show that there is a problem that was solved by at least three girls and at least three boys.
2004 IMC, 1
Let $A$ be a real $4\times 2$ matrix and $B$ be a real $2\times 4$ matrix such that
\[ AB = \left(%
\begin{array}{cccc}
1 & 0 & -1 & 0 \\
0 & 1 & 0 & -1 \\
-1 & 0 & 1 & 0 \\
0 & -1 & 0 & 1 \\
\end{array}%
\right). \]
Find $BA$.
2011 Ukraine Team Selection Test, 2
2500 chess kings have to be placed on a $100 \times 100$ chessboard so that
[b](i)[/b] no king can capture any other one (i.e. no two kings are placed in two squares sharing a common vertex);
[b](ii)[/b] each row and each column contains exactly 25 kings.
Find the number of such arrangements. (Two arrangements differing by rotation or symmetry are supposed to be different.)
[i]Proposed by Sergei Berlov, Russia[/i]
2012 IMC, 4
Let $n \ge 2$ be an integer. Find all real numbers $a$ such that there exist real numbers $x_1,x_2,\dots,x_n$ satisfying
\[x_1(1-x_2)=x_2(1-x_3)=\dots=x_n(1-x_1)=a.\]
[i]Proposed by Walther Janous and Gerhard Kirchner, Innsbruck.[/i]
2004 Germany Team Selection Test, 3
We consider graphs with vertices colored black or white. "Switching" a vertex means: coloring it black if it was formerly white, and coloring it white if it was formerly black.
Consider a finite graph with all vertices colored white. Now, we can do the following operation: Switch a vertex and simultaneously switch all of its neighbours (i. e. all vertices connected to this vertex by an edge). Can we, just by performing this operation several times, obtain a graph with all vertices colored black?
[It is assumed that our graph has no loops (a [i]loop[/i] means an edge connecting one vertex with itself) and no multiple edges (a [i]multiple edge[/i] means a pair of vertices connected by more than one edge).]
2003 District Olympiad, 1
Let $(G,\cdot)$ be a finite group with the identity element, $e$. The smallest positive integer $n$ with the property that $x^{n}= e$, for all $x \in G$, is called the [i]exponent[/i] of $G$.
(a) For all primes $p \geq 3$, prove that the multiplicative group $\mathcal G_{p}$ of the matrices of the form $\begin{pmatrix}\hat 1 & \hat a & \hat b \\ \hat 0 & \hat 1 & \hat c \\ \hat 0 & \hat 0 & \hat 1 \end{pmatrix}$, with $\hat a, \hat b, \hat c \in \mathbb Z \slash p \mathbb Z$, is not commutative and has [i]exponent[/i] $p$.
(b) Prove that if $\left( G, \circ \right)$ and $\left( H, \bullet \right)$ are finite groups of [i]exponents[/i] $m$ and $n$, respectively, then the group $\left( G \times H, \odot \right)$ with the operation given by $(g,h) \odot \left( g^\prime, h^\prime \right) = \left( g \circ g^\prime, h \bullet h^\prime \right)$, for all $\left( g,h \right), \, \left( g^\prime, h^\prime \right) \in G \times H$, has the [i]exponent[/i] equal to $\textrm{lcm}(m,n)$.
(c) Prove that any $n \geq 3$ is the [i]exponent[/i] of a finite, non-commutative group.
[i]Ion Savu[/i]
2005 Romania Team Selection Test, 3
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 $(m^2+n)^2$.
2010 SEEMOUS, Problem 4
Suppose that $A$ and $B$ are $n\times n$ matrices with integer entries, and $\det B\ne0$. Prove that there exists $m\in\mathbb N$ such that the product $AB^{-1}$ can be represented as
$$AB^{-1}=\sum_{k=1}^mN_k^{-1},$$where $N_k$ are $n\times n$ matrices with integer entries for all $k=1,\ldots,m$, and $N_i\ne N_j$ for $i\ne j$.
2012 China Second Round Olympiad, 8
There are $4$ distinct codes used in an intelligence station, one of them applied in each week. No two codes used in two adjacent weeks are the same code. Knowing that code $A$ is used in the first week, find the probability that code $A$ is used in the seventh week.