In a $999 \times 999$ square table some cells are white and the remaining ones are red. Let $T$ be the number of triples $(C_1,C_2,C_3)$ of cells, the first two in the same row and the last two in the same column, with $C_1,C_3$ white and $C_2$ red. Find the maximum value $T$ can attain. [i]Proposed by Merlijn Staps, The Netherlands[/i]

[color=darkred]Let $ m$ and $ n$ be two nonzero natural numbers. In every cell $ 1 \times 1$ of the rectangular table $ 2m \times 2n$ are put signs $ \plus{}$ or $ \minus{}$. We call [i]cross[/i] an union of all cells which are situated in a line and in a column of the table. Cell, which is situated at the intersection of these line and column is called [i]center of the cross[/i]. A transformation is defined in the following way: firstly we mark all points with the sign $ \minus{}$. Then consecutively, for every marked cell we change the signs in the cross, whose center is the choosen cell. We call a table [i]accesible[/i] if it can be obtained from another table after one transformation. Find the number of all [i]accesible[/i] tables.[/color]

Let $p$ be a prime number. Prove that from a $p^2\times p^2$ array of squares, we can select $p^3$ of the squares such that the centers of any four of the selected squares are not the vertices of a rectangle with sides parallel to the edges of the array.

Let $p$ be a positive integer, $p>1.$ Find the number of $m\times n$ matrices with entries in the set $\left\{ 1,2,\dots,p\right\} $ and such that the sum of elements on each row and each column is not divisible by $p.$

Let $H$ be an $n\times n$ matrix all of whose entries are $\pm1$ and whose rows are mutually orthogonal. Suppose $H$ has an $a\times b$ submatrix whose entries are all $1.$ Show that $ab\le n.$

Let be a natural number $ n, $ and two matrices $ A,B\in\mathcal{M}_n\left(\mathbb{C}\right) $ with the property that $$ AB^2=A-B. $$ [b]a)[/b] Show that the matrix $ I_n+B $ is inversable. [b]b)[/b] Show that $ AB=BA. $

Let the matrix $S$ be orthogonal and the matrix $I-S$ be invertible, where I is the identity matrix of the same size as $S$. Find $x^T(I-S)^{-1}x$ Where $x$ is a real unit vector.

We know $\mathbb Z_{210} \cong \mathbb Z_2 \times \mathbb Z_3 \times \mathbb Z_5 \times \mathbb Z_7$. Moreover,\begin{align*} 53 & \equiv 1 \pmod{2} \\ 53 & \equiv 2 \pmod{3} \\ 53 & \equiv 3 \pmod{5} \\ 53 & \equiv 4 \pmod{7}. \end{align*} Let \[ M = \left( \begin{array}{ccc} 53 & 158 & 53 \\ 23 & 93 & 53 \\ 50 & 170 & 53 \end{array} \right). \] Based on the above, find $\overline{(M \mod{2})(M \mod{3})(M \mod{5})(M \mod{7})}$.

Let $\{x\}$ be a sequence of positive reals $x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n$, defined by: $x_1 = 1, x_2 = 9, x_3=9, x_4=1$. And for $n \geq 1$ we have: \[x_{n+4} = \sqrt[4]{x_{n} \cdot x_{n+1} \cdot x_{n+2} \cdot x_{n+3}}.\] Show that this sequence has a finite limit. Determine this limit.

$SU_2(\mathbb{C})=\left\{\begin{pmatrix} z & w \\ -\bar{w} & \bar{z} \end{pmatrix} : z,w\in\mathbb{C} , z\bar{z}+w\bar{w}=1\right\}$ A and B are 2 elements of the above matrix group and have eigenvalues $e^{i\theta_1}$ , $e^{-i\theta_1}$ and $e^{i\theta_2}$ , $e^{-i\theta_2}$respectively, where $0\leq\theta_i\leq\pi$ . Prove that if AB has eigenvalue $e^{i\theta_3}$ , then $\theta_3$ satisfies the inequality $|\theta_1-\theta_2|\leq\theta_3\leq \min\{\theta_1+\theta_2 , 2\pi-(\theta_1+\theta_2)\}$

The scores of this problem were: one time 17/20 (by the runner-up) one time 4/20 (by Andrei Negut) one time 1/20 (by the winner) the rest had zero... just to give an idea of the difficulty. Let $A_{i},B_{i},S_{i}$ ($i=1,2,3$) be invertible real $2\times 2$ matrices such that [list][*]not all $A_{i}$ have a common real eigenvector, [*]$A_{i}=S_{i}^{-1}B_{i}S_{i}$ for $i=1,2,3$, [*]$A_{1}A_{2}A_{3}=B_{1}B_{2}B_{3}=I$.[/list] Prove that there is an invertible $2\times 2$ matrix $S$ such that $A_{i}=S^{-1}B_{i}S$ for all $i=1,2,3$.

Let $A$ be a $3\times 3$ real matrix such that the vectors $Au$ and $u$ are orthogonal for every column vector $u\in \mathbb{R}^{3}$. Prove that: a) $A^{T}=-A$. b) there exists a vector $v \in \mathbb{R}^{3}$ such that $Au=v\times u$ for every $u\in \mathbb{R}^{3}$, where $v \times u$ denotes the vector product in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$.

Let $A\in\mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ such that $A^*A^2 = AA^*$. Prove that $A^2=A$. (Here we denote by $A^*$ the conjugate transpose of $A$.)

[b]a)[/b] Find all $ 2\times 2 $ complex matrices $ A $ which have the property that there are two complex numbers $ \alpha ,\gamma $ with $ \alpha \neq \text{tr} (A) $ or $ \gamma\neq \det (A) $ such that $ A^2-\alpha A+\gamma I=0. $ [b]b)[/b] Consider $ B\not\in\{ 0,I\} $ as a matrix having the property mentioned at [b]a).[/b] Solve in the complex numbers the system $ xB-yI-B^2=xB^2-yI-B^4=0. $ [i]Adrian Troie[/i]

Let the matrices of order 2 with the real elements $A$ and $B$ so that $AB={{A}^{2}}{{B}^{2}}-{{\left( AB \right)}^{2}}$ and $\det \left( B \right)=2$. a) Prove that the matrix $A$ is not invertible. b) Calculate $\det \left( A+2B \right)-\det \left( B+2A \right)$.

Show that $ \det \left( I_n+A \right)\ge 1, $ for any $ n\times n $ antisymmetric real matrix $ A. $

If $ n$ is a real number, then the simultaneous system $ nx \plus{} y \equal{} 1$ $ ny \plus{} z \equal{} 1$ $ x \plus{} nz \equal{} 1$ has no solution if and only if $ n$ is equal to $ \textbf{(A)}\ \minus{}1 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 0 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 1 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 0 \text{ or } 1 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ \frac12$

Let $ d_n$ be the determinant of the $ n\times n$ matrix whose entries, from left to right and then from top to bottom, are $ \cos 1,\cos 2,\dots,\cos n^2.$ (For example, $ d_3 \equal{} \begin{vmatrix}\cos 1 & \cos2 & \cos3 \\ \cos4 & \cos5 & \cos 6 \\ \cos7 & \cos8 & \cos 9\end{vmatrix}.$ The argument of $ \cos$ is always in radians, not degrees.) Evaluate $ \lim_{n\to\infty}d_n.$

$A$ and $B$ are $2\times 2$ real valued matrices satisfying $$\det A = \det B = 1,\quad \text{tr}(A)>2,\quad \text{tr}(B)>2,\quad \text{tr}(ABA^{-1}B^{-1}) = 2$$ Prove that $A$ and $B$ have a common eigenvector.

A square matrix is sum-magic if the sum of all elements in each row, column and major diagonal is constant. Similarly, a square matrix is product-magic if the product of all elements in each row, column and major diagonal is constant. Determine if there exist $3\times 3$ matrices of real numbers which are both sum-magic and product-magic.

The sequence $a_0$, $a_1$, $a_2$, $\ldots\,$ satisfies the recurrence equation \[ a_n = 2 a_{n-1} - 2 a_{n - 2} + a_{n - 3} \] for every integer $n \ge 3$. If $a_{20} = 1$, $a_{25} = 10$, and $a_{30} = 100$, what is the value of $a_{1331}$?

Given A, non-inverted matrices of order n with real elements, $n\ge 2$ and given ${{A}^{*}}$adjoin matrix A. Prove that $tr({{A}^{*}})\ne -1$ if and only if the matrix ${{I}_{n}}+{{A}^{*}}$ is invertible.

An $n\times n$ matrix $A$ with integer entries is called [i]representative[/i] if, for any integer vector $\mathbf{v}$, there is a finite sequence $0=\mathbf{v}_0,\mathbf{v}_1,\dots,\mathbf{v}_{\ell}=\mathbf{v}$ of integer vectors such that for each $0\leq i <\ell$, either $\mathbf{v}_{i+1}=A\mathbf{v}_{i}$ or $\mathbf{v}_{i+1}-\mathbf{v}_i$ is an element of the standard basis (i.e. one of its entries is $1$, the rest are all equal to $0$). Show that $A$ is not representative if and only if $A^T$ has a real eigenvector with all non-negative entries and non-negative eigenvalue.

In triangle $ABC$, the medians and bisectors corresponding to sides $BC$, $CA$, $AB$ are $m_a$, $m_b$, $m_c$ and $w_a$, $w_b$, $w_c$ respectively. $P=w_a \cap m_b$, $Q=w_b \cap m_c$, $R=w_c \cap m_a$. Denote the areas of triangle $ABC$ and $PQR$ by $F_1$ and $F_2$ respectively. Find the least positive constant $m$ such that $\frac{F_1}{F_2}<m$ holds for any $\triangle{ABC}$.

Given a matrix $\{a_{ij}\}_{i,j=0}^{9}$, $a_{ij}=10i+j+1$. Andrei is going to cover its entries by $50$ rectangles $1\times 2$ (each such rectangle contains two adjacent entries) so that the sum of $50$ products in these rectangles is minimal possible. Help him. [i]A. Badzyan[/i]