Alice and the Cheshire Cat play a game. At each step, Alice either (1) gives the cat a penny, which causes the cat to change the number of (magic) beans that Alice has from $ n$ to $ 5n$ or (2) gives the cat a nickel, which causes the cat to give Alice another bean. Alice wins (and the cat disappears) as soon as the number of beans Alice has is greater than $ 2008$ and has last two digits $ 42$. What is the minimum number of cents Alice can spend to win the game, assuming she starts with 0 beans?

Prove that exist infinite integers $n$ so that $n^2$ divides $2^n+3^n$. Thanks

Let $p$ be a prime number of the form $4k+1$. Suppose that $2p+1$ is prime. Show that there is no $k \in \mathbb{N}$ with $k<2p$ and $2^k \equiv 1 \; \pmod{2p+1}$.

Which one below cannot be expressed in the form $x^2+y^5$, where $x$ and $y$ are integers? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 59170 \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 59149 \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 59130 \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 59121 \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 59012 $

Show that the equation $x^3 + 2y^2 + 4z = n$ has an integral solution $(x, y, z)$ for all integers $n.$

Let $a$ and $b$ be natural numbers with $a > b$ and having the same parity. Prove that the solutions of the equation \[ x^2 - (a^2 - a + 1)(x - b^2 - 1) - (b^2 + 1)^2 = 0 \] are natural numbers, none of which is a perfect square. [i]Albania[/i]

For every positive integer $n$, define the number of non-empty subsets $\mathcal N\subseteq \{1,\ldots ,n\}$ such that $\gcd(n\in\mathcal N)=1$. Show that $f(n)$ is a perfect square if and only if $n=1$.

Find the smallest positive integer $ n$ such that $ 107n$ has the same last two digits as $ n$.

Determine the number of positive integers $a \le 250$ for which the set $\{a+1, a+2, \dots, a+1000\}$ contains $\bullet$ Exactly $333$ multiples of $3$, $\bullet$ Exactly $142$ multiples of $7$, and $\bullet$ Exactly $91$ multiples of $11$. [i]Based on a proposal by Rajiv Movva[/i]

Show that for each prime $p \geq 7$, there exist a positive integer $n$ and integers $x_{i}$, $y_{i}$ $(i = 1, . . . , n)$, not divisible by $p$, such that $x_{i}^{2}+ y_{i}^{2}\equiv x_{i+1}^{2}\pmod{p}$ where $x_{n+1} = x_{1}$

Find all positive integers $n$ such that $A=2^{n+2}(2^n-1)-8\cdot 3^n +1$ is a perfect square.

Two persons, A and B, set up an incantation contest in which they spell incantations (i.e. a finite sequence of letters) alternately. They must obey the following rules: i) Any incantation can appear no more than once; ii) Except for the first incantation, any incantation must be obtained by permuting the letters of the last one before it, or deleting one letter from the last incantation before it; iii)The first person who cannot spell an incantation loses the contest. Answer the following questions: a) If A says '$STAGEPREIMO$' first, then who will win? b) Let $M$ be the set of all possible incantations whose lengths (i.e. the numbers of letters in them) are $2009$ and containing only four letters $A,B,C,D$, each of them appearing at least once. Find the first incantation (arranged in dictionary order) in $M$ such that A has a winning strategy by starting with it.

Find all pairs of positive integers $\left(n;\;k\right)$ such that $n!=\left( n+1\right)^{k}-1$.

Find all positive integers $ n$ such that there exists sequence consisting of $ 1$ and $ - 1: a_{1},a_{2},\cdots,a_{n}$ satisfying $ a_{1}\cdot1^2 + a_{2}\cdot2^2 + \cdots + a_{n}\cdot n^2 = 0.$

Define the sequence $a_1, a_2, a_3, \ldots$ by $a_1 = 1$ and, for $n > 1$, \[a_n = a_{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor} + a_{\lfloor n/3 \rfloor} + \ldots + a_{\lfloor n/n \rfloor} + 1.\] Prove that there are infinitely many $n$ such that $a_n \equiv n \pmod{2^{2010}}$.

Does there exist any integer $a,b,c$ such that $a^2bc+2,ab^2c+2,abc^2+2$ are perfect squares?

Prove that there exists two strictly increasing sequences $(a_{n})$ and $(b_{n})$ such that $a_{n}(a_{n}+1)$ divides $b^{2}_{n}+1$ for every natural n.

Let $m$ and $n$ be positive integers such that $m>n$ and $m \equiv n \pmod{2}$. If $(m^2-n^2+1) \mid n^2-1$, then prove that $m^2-n^2+1$ is a perfect square. (proposed by G. Batzaya, folklore)

Let $a,b$ and $c$ be positive integers, no two of which have a common divisor greater than $1$. Show that $2abc-ab-bc-ca$ is the largest integer which cannot be expressed in the form $xbc+yca+zab$, where $x,y,z$ are non-negative integers.

Find the value of $$(2^{40}+12^{41}+23^{42}+67^{43}+87^{44})^{45!+46}\mod11$$ (variation but same answer) [hide=Answer]3[/hide]

Show that \[ \prod_{1\leq x < y \leq \frac{p\minus{}1}{2}} (x^2\plus{}y^2) \equiv (\minus{}1)^{\lfloor\frac{p\plus{}1}{8}\rfloor} \;(\textbf{mod}\;p\ ) \] for every prime $ p\equiv 3 \;(\textbf{mod}\;4\ )$. [J. Suranyi]

Consider a string of $n$ 7's, $7777\cdots77$, into which $+$ signs are inserted to produce an arithmetic expression. For example, $7+77+777+7+7=875$ could be obtained from eight 7's in this way. For how many values of $n$ is it possible to insert $+$ signs so that the resulting expression has value 7000?

Solve in prime numbers the equation $x^y - y^x = xy^2 - 19$.

Find all natural numbers $x,y,z$ such that $a+2^x3^y=z^2$.

Let $f : \mathbb N \to \mathbb N$ be an injective function such that there exists a positive integer $k$ for which $f(n) \leq n^k$. Prove that there exist infinitely many primes $q$ such that the equation $f(x) \equiv 0 \pmod q$ has a solution in prime numbers.