Found problems: 638
1967 IMO Shortlist, 6
Solve the system of equations:
$
\begin{matrix}
|x+y| + |1-x| = 6 \\ |x+y+1| + |1-y| = 4.
\end{matrix}
$
2002 India IMO Training Camp, 6
Determine the number of $n$-tuples of integers $(x_1,x_2,\cdots ,x_n)$ such that $|x_i| \le 10$ for each $1\le i \le n$ and $|x_i-x_j| \le 10$ for $1 \le i,j \le n$.
2019 VJIMC, 3
For an invertible $n\times n$ matrix $M$ with integer entries we define a sequence $\mathcal{S}_M=\{M_i\}_{i=0}^{\infty}$ by the recurrence $M_0=M$ ,$M_{i+1}=(M_i^T)^{-1}M_i$ for $i\geq 0$.
Find the smallest integer $n\geq 2 $ for wich there exists a normal $n\times n$ matrix with integer entries such that its sequence $\mathcal{S}_M$ is not constant and has period $P=7$ i.e $M_{i+7}=M_i$.
($M^T$ means the transpose of a matrix $M$ . A square matrix is called normal if $M^T M=M M^T$ holds).
[i]Proposed by Martin Niepel (Comenius University, Bratislava)..[/i]
2002 Putnam, 6
Let $p$ be a prime number. Prove that the determinant of the matrix \[ \begin{bmatrix}x & y & z\\ x^p & y^p & z^p \\ x^{p^2} & y^{p^2} & z^{p^2} \end{bmatrix} \] is congruent modulo $p$ to a product of polynomials of the form $ax+by+cz$, where $a$, $b$, and $c$ are integers. (We say two integer polynomials are congruent modulo $p$ if corresponding coefficients are congruent modulo $p$.)
2010 IberoAmerican Olympiad For University Students, 5
Let $A,B$ be matrices of dimension $2010\times2010$ which commute and have real entries, such that $A^{2010}=B^{2010}=I$, where $I$ is the identity matrix. Prove that if $\operatorname{tr}(AB)=2010$, then $\operatorname{tr}(A)=\operatorname{tr}(B)$.
2003 Alexandru Myller, 2
Let be two $ 3\times 3 $ real matrices that have the property that
$$ AX=\begin{pmatrix}0\\0\\0\end{pmatrix}\implies BX=\begin{pmatrix}0\\0\\0\end{pmatrix} , $$
for any three-dimensional vectors $ X. $
Prove that there exists a $ 3\times 3 $ real matrix $ C $ such that $ B=CA. $
1984 Putnam, A3
Let $n$ be a positive integer. Let $a,b,x$ be real numbers, with $a \neq b$ and let $M_n$ denote the $2n x 2n $ matrix whose $(i,j)$ entry $m_{ij}$ is given by
$m_{ij}=x$ if $i=j$,
$m_{ij}=a$ if $i \not= j$ and $i+j$ is even,
$m_{ij}=b$ if $i \not= j$ and $i+j$ is odd.
For example
$ M_2=\begin{vmatrix}x& b& a & b\\ b& x & b &a\\ a
& b& x & b\\ b & a & b & x \end{vmatrix}$.
Express $\lim_{x\to\ 0} \frac{ det M_n}{ (x-a)^{(2n-2)} }$ as a polynomial in $a,b $ and $n$ .
P.S. How write in latex $m_{ij}=...$ with symbol for the system (because is multiform function?)
2013 USA TSTST, 7
A country has $n$ cities, labelled $1,2,3,\dots,n$. It wants to build exactly $n-1$ roads between certain pairs of cities so that every city is reachable from every other city via some sequence of roads. However, it is not permitted to put roads between pairs of cities that have labels differing by exactly $1$, and it is also not permitted to put a road between cities $1$ and $n$. Let $T_n$ be the total number of possible ways to build these roads.
(a) For all odd $n$, prove that $T_n$ is divisible by $n$.
(b) For all even $n$, prove that $T_n$ is divisible by $n/2$.
2004 China Team Selection Test, 2
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.
2016 Brazil Undergrad MO, 4
Let
$$A=\left( \begin{array}{cc}
4 & -\sqrt{5} \\
2\sqrt{5} & -3
\end{array} \right) $$
Find all pairs of integers \(m,n\) with \(n \geq 1\) and \(|m| \leq n\) such as all entries of \(A^n-(m+n^2)A\) are integer.
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.
2011 N.N. Mihăileanu Individual, 2
Let be a natural number $ k, $ and a matrix $ M\in\mathcal{M}_k(\mathbb{R}) $ having the property that
$$ \det\left( I-\frac{1}{n^2}\cdot A^2 \right) +1\ge\det \left( I -\frac{1}{n}\cdot A \right) +\det \left( I +\frac{1}{n}\cdot A \right) , $$
for all natural numbers $ n. $ Prove that the trace of $ A $ is $ 0. $
[i]Nelu Chichirim[/i]
2009 Miklós Schweitzer, 11
Denote by $ H_n$ the linear space of $ n\times n$ self-adjoint complex matrices, and by $ P_n$ the cone of positive-semidefinite matrices in this space. Let us consider the usual inner product on $ H_n$
\[ \langle A,B\rangle \equal{} {\rm tr} AB\qquad (A,B\in H_n)\]
and its derived metric. Show that every $ \phi: P_n\to P_n$ isometry (that is a not necessarily surjective, distance preserving map with respect to the above metric) can be expressed as
\[ \phi(A) \equal{} UAU^* \plus{} X\qquad (A\in H_n)\]
or
\[ \phi(A) \equal{} UA^TU^* \plus{} X\qquad (A\in H_n)\]
where $ U$ is an $ n\times n$ unitary matrix, $ X$ is a positive-semidefinite matrix, and $ ^T$ and $ ^*$ denote taking the transpose and the adjoint, respectively.
2019 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 9
Tessa the hyper-ant has a 2019-dimensional hypercube. For a real number $k$, she calls a placement of nonzero real numbers on the $2^{2019}$ vertices of the hypercube [i]$k$-harmonic[/i] if for any vertex, the sum of all 2019 numbers that are edge-adjacent to this vertex is equal to $k$ times the number on this vertex. Let $S$ be the set of all possible values of $k$ such that there exists a $k$-harmonic placement. Find $\sum_{k \in S} |k|$.
2011 Morocco National Olympiad, 3
Solve in $\mathbb{R}^{3}$ the following system
\[\left\{\begin{matrix}
\sqrt{x^{2}-y}=z-1\\
\sqrt{y^{2}-z}=x-1\\
\sqrt{z^{2}-x}=y-1
\end{matrix}\right.\]
2006 VJIMC, Problem 4
Let $A=[a_{ij}]_{n\times n}$ be a matrix with nonnegative entries such that
$$\sum_{i=1}^n\sum_{j=1}^na_{ij}=n.$$
(a) Prove that $|\det A|\le1$.
(b) If $|\det A|=1$ and $\lambda\in\mathbb C$ is an arbitrary eigenvalue of $A$, show that $|\lambda|=1$.
MIPT student olimpiad autumn 2024, 2
$A,B \in M_{2\times 2}(C)$
Prove that:
$Tr(AAABBABAABBB)=tr(BBBAABABBAAA)$
2008 IMS, 1
Let $ A_1,A_2,\dots,A_n$ be idempotent matrices with real entries. Prove that:
\[ \mbox{N}(A_1)\plus{}\mbox{N}(A_2)\plus{}\dots\plus{}\mbox{N}(A_n)\geq \mbox{rank}(I\minus{}A_1A_2\dots A_n)\]
$ \mbox{N}(A)$ is $ \mbox{dim}(\mbox{ker(A)})$
2018 Romania National Olympiad, 1
Let $n \geq 2$ be a positive integer and, for all vectors with integer entries $$X=\begin{pmatrix}
x_1 \\
x_2 \\
\vdots \\
x_n
\end{pmatrix}$$
let $\delta(X) \geq 0$ be the greatest common divisor of $x_1,x_2, \dots, x_n.$ Also, consider $A \in \mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{Z}).$
Prove that the following statements are equivalent:
$\textbf{i) }$ $|\det A | = 1$
$\textbf{ii) }$ $\delta(AX)=\delta(X),$ for all vectors $X \in \mathcal{M}_{n,1}(\mathbb{Z}).$
[i]Romeo Raicu[/i]
1988 French Mathematical Olympiad, Problem 1
Let us consider a matrix $T$ with n rows denoted $1,\ldots,n$ and $p$ columns $1,\ldots,p$. Its entries $a_{ik}~(1\le i\le n,1\le k\le p)$ are integers such that $1\le a_{ik}\le N$, where $N$ is a given natural number. Let $E_i$ be the set of numbers that appear on the $i$-th row. Answer question (a) or (b).
(a) Assume $T$ satisfies the following conditions: $(1)$ $E_i$ has exactly $p$ elements for each $i$, and $(2)$ all $E_i$'s are mutually distinct. Let $m$ be the smallest value of $N$ that permits a construction of such an $n\times p$ table $T$.
i. Compute $m$ if $n=p+1$.
ii. Compute $m$ if $n=10^{30}$ and $p=1998$.
iii. Determine $\lim_{n\to\infty}\frac{m^p}n$, where $p$ is fixed.
(b) Assume $T$ satisfies the following conditions instead: $(1)$ $p=n$, $(2)$ whenever $i,k$ are integers with $i+k\le n$, the number $a_{ik}$ is not in the set $E_{i+k}$.
i. Prove that all $E_i$'s are mutually distinct.
ii. Prove that if $n\ge2^q$ for some integer $q>0$, then $N\ge q+1$.
iii. Let $n=2^r-1$ for some integer $r>0$. Prove that $N\ge r$ and show that there is such a table with $N=r$.
1998 IMO Shortlist, 5
In a contest, there are $m$ candidates and $n$ judges, where $n\geq 3$ is an odd integer. Each candidate is evaluated by each judge as either pass or fail. Suppose that each pair of judges agrees on at most $k$ candidates. Prove that \[{\frac{k}{m}} \geq {\frac{n-1}{2n}}. \]
2004 Gheorghe Vranceanu, 4
Let be a $ 3\times 3 $ complex matrix such that $ A^3=I $ and for which exist four real numbers $ a,b,c,d $ with $ a,c\neq 1 $ such that $ \det \left( A^2+aA+bI \right) =\det \left( A^2+cA+dI \right) =0. $ Show that $ a+b=c+d. $
[i]C. Merticaru[/i]
2004 USA Team Selection Test, 5
Let $A = (0, 0, 0)$ in 3D space. Define the [i]weight[/i] of a point as the sum of the absolute values of the coordinates. Call a point a [i]primitive lattice point[/i] if all of its coordinates are integers whose gcd is 1. Let square $ABCD$ be an [i]unbalanced primitive integer square[/i] if it has integer side length and also, $B$ and $D$ are primitive lattice points with different weights. Prove that there are infinitely many unbalanced primitive integer squares such that the planes containing the squares are not parallel to each other.
2009 Mediterranean Mathematics Olympiad, 3
Decide whether the integers $1,2,\ldots,100$ can be arranged in the cells $C(i, j)$ of a $10\times10$ matrix (where $1\le i,j\le 10$), such that the following conditions are fullfiled:
i) In every row, the entries add up to the same sum $S$.
ii) In every column, the entries also add up to this sum $S$.
iii) For every $k = 1, 2, \ldots, 10$ the ten entries $C(i, j)$ with $i-j\equiv k\bmod{10}$ add up to $S$.
[i](Proposed by Gerhard Woeginger, Austria)[/i]
2025 District Olympiad, P2
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 $A\neq A^T$.