Found problems: 638
1967 IMO Longlists, 33
In what case does the system of equations
$\begin{matrix} x + y + mz = a \\ x + my + z = b \\ mx + y + z = c \end{matrix}$
have a solution? Find conditions under which the unique solution of the above system is an arithmetic progression.
2011 SEEMOUS, Problem 2
Let $A=(a_{ij})$ be a real $n\times n$ matrix such that $A^n\ne0$ and $a_{ij}a_{ji}\le0$ for all $i,j$. Prove that there exist two nonreal numbers among eigenvalues of $A$.
2012 Bogdan Stan, 4
Prove that the elements of any natural power of a $ 2\times 2 $ special linear integer matrix are pairwise coprime, with the possible exception of the pairs that form the diagonals.
[i]Vasile Pop[/i]
1997 Romania National Olympiad, 1
Let $m \ge 2$ and $n \ge 1$ be integers and $A=(a_{ij})$ a square matrix of order $n$ with integer entries. Prove that for any permutation $\sigma \in S_n$ there is a function $\varepsilon : \{1,2,\ldots,n\} \to \{0,1\}$ such that replacing the entries $a_{\sigma(1)1},$ $a_{\sigma(2)2}, $ $\ldots,$ $a_{\sigma(n)n}$ of $A$ respectively by $$a_{\sigma(1)1}+\varepsilon(1), ~a_{\sigma(2)2}+\varepsilon(2), ~\ldots, ~a_{\sigma(n)n}+\varepsilon(n),$$ the determinant of the matrix $A_{\varepsilon}$ thus obtained is not divisible by $m.$
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]
2023 CIIM, 3
Given a $3 \times 3$ symmetric real matrix $A$, we define $f(A)$ as a $3 \times 3$ matrix with the same eigenvectors of $A$ such that if $A$ has eigenvalues $a$, $b$, $c$, then $f(A)$ has eigenvalues $b+c$, $c+a$, $a+b$ (in that order). We define a sequence of symmetric real $3\times3$ matrices $A_0, A_1, A_2, \ldots$ such that $A_{n+1} = f(A_n)$ for $n \geq 0$. If the matrix $A_0$ has no zero entries, determine the maximum number of indices $j \geq 0$ for which the matrix $A_j$ has any null entries.
2023 District Olympiad, P4
Let $A{}$ and $B{}$ be $3\times 3{}$ matrices with complex entries, satisfying $A^2=B^2=O_3$. Prove that if $A{}$ and $B{}$ commute, then $AB=O_3$. Is the converse true?
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 $v*w - w*v.$
2006 Romania National Olympiad, 2
We define a [i]pseudo-inverse[/i] $B\in \mathcal M_n(\mathbb C)$ of a matrix $A\in\mathcal M_n(\mathbb C)$ a matrix which fulfills the relations
\[ A = ABA \quad \text{ and } \quad B=BAB. \]
a) Prove that any square matrix has at least a pseudo-inverse.
b) For which matrix $A$ is the pseudo-inverse unique?
[i]Marius Cavachi[/i]
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 $\textsl{Good}$.
2019 Romania National Olympiad, 1
Let $n \geq 2$ and $A, B \in \mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ such that there exists an idempotent matrix $C \in \mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ for which $C^*=AB-BA.$ Prove that $(AB-BA)^2=0.$
Note: $X^*$ is the [url = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjugate_matrix]adjugate[/url] matrix of $X$ (not the conjugate transpose)
1997 Brazil Team Selection Test, Problem 3
Find all positive integers $x>1, y$ and primes $p,q$ such that $p^{x}=2^{y}+q^{x}$
2001 IMC, 1
Let $ n$ be a positive integer. Consider an $ n\times n$ matrix with entries $ 1,2,...,n^2$ written in order, starting at the top left and moving along each row in turn left-to-right. (e.g. for $ n \equal{} 3$ we get $ \left[\begin{array}{ccc}1 & 2 & 3 \\
4 & 5 & 6 \\
7 & 8 & 9\end{array}\right]$)
We choose $ n$ entries of the matrix such that exactly one entry is chosen in each row and each column. What are the possible values of the sum of the selected entries?
2012 Uzbekistan National Olympiad, 4
Given $a,b$ and $c$ positive real numbers with $ab+bc+ca=1$. Then prove that
$\frac{a^3}{1+9b^2ac}+\frac{b^3}{1+9c^2ab}+\frac{c^3}{1+9a^2bc} \geq \frac{(a+b+c)^3}{18}$
2007 All-Russian Olympiad, 8
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]
2006 District Olympiad, 1
Let $x>0$ be a real number and $A$ a square $2\times 2$ matrix with real entries such that $\det {(A^2+xI_2 )} = 0$.
Prove that $\det{ (A^2+A+xI_2) } = x$.
1969 Putnam, B6
Let $A$ and $B$ be matrices of size $3\times 2$ and $2\times 3$ respectively. Suppose that
$$AB =\begin{pmatrix}
8 & 2 & -2\\
2 & 5 &4 \\
-2 &4 &5
\end{pmatrix}.$$
Show that the product $BA$ is equal to $\begin{pmatrix} 9 &0\\
0 &9
\end{pmatrix}.$
1961 Miklós Schweitzer, 4
[b]4.[/b] Let $f(x)$ be a real- or complex-value integrable function on $(0,1)$ with $\mid f(x) \mid \leq 1 $. Set
$ c_k = \int_0^1 f(x) e^{-2 \pi i k x} dx $
and construct the following matrices of order $n$:
$ T= (t_{pq})_{p,q=0}^{n-1}, T^{*}= (t_{pq}^{*})_{p,q =0}^{n-1} $
where $t_{pq}= c_{q-p}, t^{*}= \overline {c_{p-q}}$ . Further, consider the following hyper-matrix of order $m$:
$
S= \begin{bmatrix}
E & T & T^2 & \dots & T^{m-2} & T^{m-1} \\
T^{*} & E & T & \dots & T^{m-3} & T^{m-2} \\
T^{*2} & T^{*} & E & \dots & T^{m-3} & T^{m-2} \\
\dots & \dots & \dots & \dots & \dots & \dots \\
T^{*m-1} & T^{*m-2} & T^{*m-3} & \dots & T^{*} & E
\end{bmatrix} $
($S$ is a matrix of order $mn$ in the ordinary sense; E denotes the unit matrix of order $n$).
Show that for any pair $(m , n) $ of positive integers, $S$ has only non-negative real eigenvalues. [b](R. 19)[/b]
2009 AIME Problems, 10
The Annual Interplanetary Mathematics Examination (AIME) is written by a committee of five Martians, five Venusians, and five Earthlings. At meetings, committee members sit at a round table with chairs numbered from $ 1$ to $ 15$ in clockwise order. Committee rules state that a Martian must occupy chair $ 1$ and an Earthling must occupy chair $ 15$. Furthermore, no Earthling can sit immediately to the left of a Martian, no Martian can sit immediately to the left of a Venusian, and no Venusian can sit immediately to the left of an Earthling. The number of possible seating arrangements for the committee is $ N\cdot (5!)^3$. Find $ N$.
2025 Romania National Olympiad, 4
Let $A,B \in \mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ be two matrices such that $A+B=AB+BA$. Prove that:
a) if $n$ is odd, then $\det(AB-BA)=0$;
b) if $\text{tr}(A)\neq \text{tr}(B)$, then $\det(AB-BA)=0$.
1991 Arnold's Trivium, 3
Find the critical values and critical points of the mapping $z\mapsto z^2+2\overline{z}$ (sketch the answer).
2006 IMC, 4
Let $v_{0}$ be the zero ector and let $v_{1},...,v_{n+1}\in\mathbb{R}^{n}$ such that the Euclidian norm $|v_{i}-v_{j}|$ is rational for all $0\le i,j\le n+1$. Prove that $v_{1},...,v_{n+1}$ are linearly dependent over the rationals.
1993 Greece National Olympiad, 4
How many ordered four-tuples of integers $(a,b,c,d)$ with $0 < a < b < c < d < 500$ satisfy $a + d = b + c$ and $bc - ad = 93$?
2010 IMO Shortlist, 3
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]
2018 Romania National Olympiad, 4
Let $n$ be an integer with $n \geq 2$ and let $A \in \mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ such that $\operatorname{rank} A \neq \operatorname{rank} A^2.$ Prove that there exists a nonzero matrix $B \in \mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{C})$ such that $$AB=BA=B^2=0$$
[i]Cornel Delasava[/i]