Start with a finite sequence $ a_1,a_2,\dots,a_n$ of positive integers. If possible, choose two indices $ j < k$ such that $ a_j$ does not divide $ a_k$ and replace $ a_j$ and $ a_k$ by $ \gcd(a_j,a_k)$ and $ \text{lcm}\,(a_j,a_k),$ respectively. Prove that if this process is repeated, it must eventually stop and the final sequence does not depend on the choices made. (Note: $ \gcd$ means greatest common divisor and lcm means least common multiple.)

Let $n$ be a positive integer. Find the smallest positive integer $k$ with the property that for any colouring nof the squares of a $2n$ by $k$ chessboard with $n$ colours, there are $2$ columns and $2$ rows such that the $4$ squares in their intersections have the same colour.

Alan and Barbara play a game in which they take turns filling entries of an initially empty $ 2008\times 2008$ array. Alan plays first. At each turn, a player chooses a real number and places it in a vacant entry. The game ends when all entries are filled. Alan wins if the determinant of the resulting matrix is nonzero; Barbara wins if it is zero. Which player has a winning strategy?

Given an integer $n\ge 2$, compute $\sum_{\sigma} \textrm{sgn}(\sigma) n^{\ell(\sigma)}$, where all $n$-element permutations are considered, and where $\ell(\sigma)$ is the number of disjoint cycles in the standard decomposition of $\sigma$.

Let $n$ be a positive integer divisible by $4$. Find the number of permutations $\sigma$ of $(1,2,3,\cdots,n)$ which satisfy the condition $\sigma(j)+\sigma^{-1}(j)=n+1$ for all $j \in \{1,2,3,\cdots,n\}$.

Find the number of ordered triplets $(a,b,c)$ of positive integers such that $abc=2008$ (the product of $a$, $b$, and $c$ is $2008$).

Let $A$ be a $5\times10$ matrix with real entries, and let $A^{\text T}$ denote its transpose. Suppose every $5\times1$ matrix with real entries can be written in the form $A\mathbf u$ where $\mathbf u$ is a $10\times1$ matrix with real entries. Prove that every $5\times1$ matrix with real entries can be written in the form $AA^{\text T}\mathbf v$ where $\mathbf v$ is a $5\times1$ matrix with real entries.

Do either (1) or (2): (1) Prove that the determinant of the matrix $$\begin{pmatrix} 1+a^2 -b^2 -c^2 & 2(ab+c) & 2(ac-b)\\ 2(ab-c) & 1-a^2 +b^2 -c^2 & 2(bc+a)\\ 2(ac+b)& 2(bc-a) & 1-a^2 -b^2 +c^2 \end{pmatrix}$$ is given by $(1+a^2 +b^2 +c^2)^{3}$. (2) A solid is formed by rotating the first quadrant of the ellipse $\frac{x^{2}}{a^{2}}+\frac{y^{2}}{b^{2}}=1$ around the $x$-axis. Prove that this solid can rest in stable equilibrium on its vertex if and only if $\frac{a}{b}\leq \sqrt{\frac{8}{5}}$.

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 $\begin{pmatrix} a^2+1 & a \\ a & 1 \end{pmatrix}^{n-2}$

Let $n\geq 2$ and $1 \leq r \leq n$. Consider the set $S_r=(A \in M_n(\mathbb{Z}_2), rankA=r)$. Compute the sum $\sum_{X \in S_r}X$

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 $ A,B,S $ be three $ 3\times 3 $ complex matrices with $ B=S^{-1}AS , $ and $ S $ nonsingular. Show: $$ \text{tr} \left( B^2\right) +2\text{tr}(C(B)) = \left(\text{tr} (A)\right)^2 , $$ where $ C(B) $ is the cofactor of $ B. $ [i]Mihai Haivas[/i]

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 $\begin{pmatrix} 9 &0\\ 0 &9 \end{pmatrix}.$

Find the maximum number of pairwise disjoint sets of the form $S_{a,b} = \{n^{2}+an+b | n \in \mathbb{Z}\}$, $a, b \in \mathbb{Z}$.

Let $n \geq 1$. Find a set of distincts real numbers $\left(x_j\right)_{1\leq j\leq n}$ such that for any bijections $f : \{1, 2,\cdots ,n\}^2 \to \{1, 2,\cdots ,n\}^2$ the matrix $\left(x_{f(i,j)}\right)_{1\leq i,j\leq n}$ is invertible.

Let be a real $ 4\times 4 $ real matrix with $ \text{det} \left( A^2-I\right) <0. $ Prove that there is a number $ \alpha\in (-1,1) $ so that $ A+\alpha I $ is singular. [i]Mihai Haivas[/i]

Consider a matrix of size $n\times n$ whose entries are real numbers of absolute value not exceeding $1$. The sum of all entries of the matrix is $0$. Let $n$ be an even positive integer. Determine the least number $C$ such that every such matrix necessarily has a row or a column with the sum of its entries not exceeding $C$ in absolute value. [i]Proposed by Marcin Kuczma, Poland[/i]

Alice and Bob play the following game: Initially, there is a $2016\times2016$ "empty" matrix. Taking turns, with Alice playing first, each player chooses a real number and fill it into an empty entry. If the determinant of the last matrix is non-zero, then Alice wins. Otherwise, Bob wins. Who has the winning strategy?

Find the Jordan normal form of the operator $e^{d/dt}$ in the space of quasi-polynomials $\{e^{\lambda t}p(t)\}$ where the degree of the polynomial $p$ is less than $5$, and of the operator $\text{ad}_A$, $B\mapsto [A, B]$, in the space of $n\times n$ matrices $B$, where $A$ is a diagonal matrix.

Compute the determinant of the $n\times n$ matrix $A=(a_{ij})_{ij}$, $$a_{ij}=\begin{cases} (-1)^{|i-j|} & \text{if}\, i\ne j,\\ 2 & \text{if}\, i= j. \end{cases}$$

Let $A$ be an invertible $n \times n$ matrix with complex entries. Suppose that for each positive integer $m$, there exists a positive integer $k_m$ and an $n \times n$ invertible matrix $B_m$ such that $A^{k_m m} = B_m A B_m ^{-1}$. Show that all eigenvalues of $A$ are equal to $1$.

Given a prime number $p$ congruent to $1$ modulo $5$ such that $2p+1$ is also prime, show that there exists a matrix of $0$s and $1$s containing exactly $4p$ (respectively, $4p+2$) $1$s no sub-matrix of which contains exactly $2p$ (respectively, $2p+1$) $1$s.

Find the derivatives of the lengths of the semiaxes of the ellipsoid $x^2 + y^2 + z^2 + xy + yz + zx = 1 + \epsilon xy$ with respect to $\epsilon$ at $\epsilon = 0$.

Let $A=[a_{ij}]_{n \times n}$ be a $n \times n$ matrix whose elements are all numbers which belong to set $\{1,2,\cdots ,n\}$. Prove that by swapping the columns of $A$ with each other we can produce matrix $B=[b_{ij}]_{n \times n}$ such that $K(B) \le n$ where $K(B)$ is the number of elements of set $\{(i,j) ; b_{ij} =j\}$.

A Sudoku matrix is defined as a $ 9\times9$ array with entries from $ \{1, 2, \ldots , 9\}$ and with the constraint that each row, each column, and each of the nine $ 3 \times 3$ boxes that tile the array contains each digit from $ 1$ to $ 9$ exactly once. A Sudoku matrix is chosen at random (so that every Sudoku matrix has equal probability of being chosen). We know two of the squares in this matrix, as shown. What is the probability that the square marked by ? contains the digit $ 3$? $ \setlength{\unitlength}{6mm} \begin{picture}(9,9)(0,0) \multiput(0,0)(1,0){10}{\line(0,1){9}} \multiput(0,0)(0,1){10}{\line(1,0){9}} \linethickness{1.2pt} \multiput(0,0)(3,0){4}{\line(0,1){9}} \multiput(0,0)(0,3){4}{\line(1,0){9}} \put(0,8){\makebox(1,1){1}} \put(1,7){\makebox(1,1){2}} \put(3,6){\makebox(1,1){?}} \end{picture}$