For a positive integer $a$, define the sequence ($x_n$) by $x_1 = x_2 = 1$ and $x_{n+2 }= (a^4 +4a^2 +2)x_{n+1} -x_n -2a^2$ , for n $\ge 1$. Show that $x_n$ is a perfect square and that for $n > 2$ its square root equals the first entry in the matrix $\begin{pmatrix} a^2+1 & a \\ a & 1 \end{pmatrix}^{n-2}$

Solve the following system of equations in $\mathbb{R}$ where all square roots are non-negative: $ \begin{matrix} a - \sqrt{1-b^2} + \sqrt{1-c^2} = d \\ b - \sqrt{1-c^2} + \sqrt{1-d^2} = a \\ c - \sqrt{1-d^2} + \sqrt{1-a^2} = b \\ d - \sqrt{1-a^2} + \sqrt{1-b^2} = c \\ \end{matrix} $

The three row sums and the three column sums of the array \[\begin{bmatrix} 4 & 9 & 2 \\ 8 & 1 & 6 \\ 3 & 5 & 7 \end{bmatrix} \]are the same. What is the least number of entries that must be altered to make all six sums different from one another? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 1\qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 2\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 3\qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 4\qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 5$

For a matrix $(p_{ij})$ of the format $m\times n$ with real entries, set \[a_i =\displaystyle\sum_{j=1}^n p_{ij}\text{ for }i = 1,\cdots,m\text{ and }b_j =\displaystyle\sum_{i=1}^m p_{ij}\text{ for }j = 1, . . . , n\longrightarrow(1)\] By integering a real number, we mean replacing the number with the integer closest to it. Prove that integering the numbers $a_i, b_j, p_{ij}$ can be done in such a way that $(1)$ still holds.

In a group of people, every two people have exactly one friend in common. Prove that there is a person who is a friend of everyone else.

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).]

Let $A=(a_{ij})$ be an $m\times n$ real matrix with at least one non-zero element. For each $i\in\{1,\ldots,m\}$, let $R_i=\sum_{j=1}^na_{ij}$ be the sum of the $i$-th row of the matrix $A$, and for each $j\in\{1,\ldots,n\}$, let $C_j =\sum_{i=1}^ma_{ij}$ be the sum of the $j$-th column of the matrix $A$. Prove that there exist indices $k\in\{1,\ldots,m\}$ and $l\in\{1,\ldots,n\}$ such that $$a_{kl}>0,\qquad R_k\ge0,\qquad C_l\ge0,$$or $$a_{kl}<0,\qquad R_k\le0,\qquad C_l\le0.$$

Let $ A \equal{} (a_{ik})$ be an $ n\times n$ matrix with nonnegative elements such that $ \sum_{k \equal{} 1}^n a_{ik} \equal{} 1$ for $ i \equal{} 1,...,n$. Show that, for every eigenvalue $ \lambda$ of $ A$, either $ |\lambda| < 1$ or there exists a positive integer $ k$ such that $ \lambda^k \equal{} 1$

Prove that there exists an infinite set of points \[ \dots, \; P_{-3}, \; P_{-2},\; P_{-1},\; P_0,\; P_1,\; P_2,\; P_3,\; \dots \] in the plane with the following property: For any three distinct integers $a,b,$ and $c$, points $P_a$, $P_b$, and $P_c$ are collinear if and only if $a+b+c=2014$.

Let be a natural number $ n, $ a number $ t\in (0,1) $ and $ n+1 $ numbers $ a_0\ge a_1\ge a_2\ge\cdots\ge a_n\ge 0. $ Prove the following matrix inequality: $$ \begin{vmatrix}\frac{(1+t\sqrt{-1})^2}{1+t^2} & -1 & 0& 0 & \cdots & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & \frac{(1+t\sqrt{-1})^2}{1+t^2} & -1 & 0 & \cdots & 0 & 0 \\ \vdots & \vdots & \vdots & \vdots & \vdots & \vdots & \vdots \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & \cdots & \frac{(1+t\sqrt{-1})^2}{1+t^2} & -1 \\ a_0 & a_1 & a_2 & a_3 & \cdots & a_{n-1} & a_n \end{vmatrix}^2\le a_0^2\left( 1+\frac{1}{t^2} \right) $$

Solve the system of equations: $ \begin{matrix} |x+y| + |1-x| = 6 \\ |x+y+1| + |1-y| = 4. \end{matrix} $

Determine all real numbers $a$ such that the two polynomials $x^2+ax+1$ and $x^2+x+a$ have at least one root in common.

Let $ A$ be a $ n\times n$ matrix with complex elements. Prove that $ A^{\minus{}1} \equal{} \overline{A}$ if and only if there exists an invertible matrix $ B$ with complex elements such that $ A\equal{} B^{\minus{}1} \cdot \overline{B}$.

the code system of a new 'MO lock' is a regular $n$-gon,each vertex labelled a number $0$ or $1$ and coloured red or blue.it is known that for any two adjacent vertices,either their numbers or colours coincide. find the number of all possible codes(in terms of $n$).

A $3\times 3$ matrix has determinant $0$ and the cofactor of any element is equal to the square of that element. Show that every element in the matrix is $0.$

Let $ A \equal{} (a_{ij})$, where $ i,j \equal{} 1,2,\ldots,n$, be a square matrix with all $ a_{ij}$ non-negative integers. For each $ i,j$ such that $ a_{ij} \equal{} 0$, the sum of the elements in the $ i$th row and the $ j$th column is at least $ n$. Prove that the sum of all the elements in the matrix is at least $ \frac {n^2}{2}$.

Let $X_1,X_2,\ldots,X_m$ a numbering of the $m=2^n-1$ non-empty subsets of the set $\{1,2,\ldots,n\}$, $n\geq 2$. We consider the matrix $(a_{ij})_{1\leq i,j\leq m}$, where $a_{ij}=0$, if $X_i \cap X_j = \emptyset$, and $a_{ij}=1$ otherwise. Prove that the determinant $d$ of this matrix does not depend on the way the numbering was done and compute $d$.

Solve the system of equations: $ \begin{matrix} |x+y| + |1-x| = 6 \\ |x+y+1| + |1-y| = 4. \end{matrix} $

Let $n\in\mathbb{Z}$, $n\geq 3$. A matrix $A\in\mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ is said to have property $(\mathcal{P})$ if $\det(A+X_{ij})=\det(A+X_{ji})$, for all $i,j\in\{1,2,\dots ,n\}$, where $X_{ij}\in\mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ is the matrix with $1$ on position $(i,j)$ and $0$ otherwise. [list=a] [*] Show that if $A\in\mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ has property $(\mathcal{P})$ and $\det(A)\neq 0$, then $A=A^T$. [*] Give an example of a matrix $A\in\mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ with property $(\mathcal{P})$ such that $A\neq A^T$.

Set $T$ consists of $66$ points in plane, and $P$ consists of $16$ lines in plane. Pair $(A,l)$ is [i]good[/i] if $A \in T$, $l \in P$ and $A \in l$. Prove that maximum number of good pairs is no greater than $159$, and prove that there exits configuration with exactly $159$ good pairs.

A $3$ by $3$ determinant has three entries equal to $2$, three entries equal to $5$, and three entries equal to $8$. Find the maximum possible value of the determinant.

Let $f(x)=\frac{ax+b}{cx+d}$ $F_n(x)=f(f(f...f(x)...))$ (with $n\ f's$) Suppose that $f(0) \not =0$, $f(f(0)) \not = 0$, and for some $n$ we have $F_n(0)=0$, show that $F_n(x)=x$ (for any valid x).

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 $BA$.

Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ matrix with strictly positive elements and two vectors $u,v\in\mathbb{R}^n$, also with strictly positive elements, such that $$Au=v\text{ and }Av=u.$$ Prove that $u=v$.

Nonnegative real numbers $p_{1},\ldots,p_{n}$ and $q_{1},\ldots,q_{n}$ are such that $p_{1}+\cdots+p_{n}=q_{1}+\cdots+q_{n}$ Among all the matrices with nonnegative entries having $p_i$ as sum of the $i$-th row's entries and $q_j$ as sum of the $j$-th column's entries, find the maximum sum of the entries on the main diagonal.