Olympiad problems

1976 IMO Longlists, 20

Let $(a_n), n = 0, 1, . . .,$ be a sequence of real numbers such that $a_0 = 0$ and \[a^3_{n+1} = \frac{1}{2} a^2_n -1, n= 0, 1,\cdots\] Prove that there exists a positive number $q, q < 1$, such that for all $n = 1, 2, \ldots ,$ \[|a_{n+1} - a_n| \leq q|a_n - a_{n-1}|,\] and give one such $q$ explicitly.

2018 Korea National Olympiad, 8

Tags: number theory

Let there be positive integers $a, c$. Positive integer $b$ is a divisor of $ac-1$. For a positive rational number $r$ which is less than $1$, define the set $A(r)$ as follows. $$A(r) = \{m(r-ac)+nab| m, n \in \mathbb{Z} \}$$ Find all rational numbers $r$ which makes the minimum positive rational number in $A(r)$ greater than or equal to $\frac{ab}{a+b}$.

2018 APMO, 4

Tags: geometry , number theory , combinatorics

Let $ABC$ be an equilateral triangle. From the vertex $A$ we draw a ray towards the interior of the triangle such that the ray reaches one of the sides of the triangle. When the ray reaches a side, it then bounces off following the law of reflection, that is, if it arrives with a directed angle $\alpha$, it leaves with a directed angle $180^{\circ}-\alpha$. After $n$ bounces, the ray returns to $A$ without ever landing on any of the other two vertices. Find all possible values of $n$.

2017 Purple Comet Problems, 19

Tags: number theory

Find the greatest integer $n < 1000$ for which $4n^3 - 3n$ is the product of two consecutive odd integers.

1976 IMO Longlists, 14

Tags: calculus , integration , number theory

A sequence $\{ u_n \}$ of integers is defined by \[u_1 = 2, u_2 = u_3 = 7,\] \[u_{n+1} = u_nu_{n-1} - u_{n-2}, \text{ for }n \geq 3\] Prove that for each $n \geq 1$, $u_n$ differs by $2$ from an integral square.

2016 Regional Olympiad of Mexico Northeast, 6

Tags: number theory , digit

A positive integer $N$ is called [i]northern[/i] if for each digit $d > 0$, there exists a divisor of $N$ whose last digit is $d$. How many [i]northern [/i] numbers less than $2016$ are there with the fewest number of divisors as possible?

2010 Dutch BxMO TST, 5

Tags: quadratic , permutation , number theory , perfect square

For any non-negative integer $n$, we say that a permutation $(a_0,a_1,...,a_n)$ of $\{0,1,..., n\} $ is quadratic if $k + a_k$ is a square for $k = 0, 1,...,n$. Show that for any non-negative integer $n$, there exists a quadratic permutation of $\{0,1,..., n\}$.

2021 BMT, 7

Tags: number theory

Alice is counting up by fives, starting with the number $3$. Meanwhile, Bob is counting down by fours, starting with the number $2021$. How many numbers between $3$ and $2021$, inclusive, are counted by both Alice and Bob?

2020 Thailand TST, 3

Tags: ceiling function , number theory , perfect square

Let $a$ and $b$ be two positive integers. Prove that the integer \[a^2+\left\lceil\frac{4a^2}b\right\rceil\] is not a square. (Here $\lceil z\rceil$ denotes the least integer greater than or equal to $z$.) [i]Russia[/i]

2021/2022 Tournament of Towns, P7

Tags: number theory , prime number , geometry

Let $p$ be a prime number and let $M$ be a convex polygon. Suppose that there are precisely $p$ ways to tile $m$ with equilateral triangles with side $1$ and squares with side $1$. Show there is some side of $M$ of length $p-1$.

2023 Thailand TST, 2

Tags: number theory

For each $1\leq i\leq 9$ and $T\in\mathbb N$, define $d_i(T)$ to be the total number of times the digit $i$ appears when all the multiples of $1829$ between $1$ and $T$ inclusive are written out in base $10$. Show that there are infinitely many $T\in\mathbb N$ such that there are precisely two distinct values among $d_1(T)$, $d_2(T)$, $\dots$, $d_9(T)$.

2021 Ecuador NMO (OMEC), 6

Tags: number theory , diophantine equation

Find all positive integers $a, b, c$ such that $ab+1$ and $c$ are coprimes and: $$a(ba+1)(ca^2+ba+1)=2021^{2021}$$

2003 Turkey Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: arithmetic sequence , number theory

Is there an arithmetic sequence with a. $2003$ b. infinitely many terms such that each term is a power of a natural number with a degree greater than $1$?

2019 Brazil Undergrad MO, Problem 5

Tags: combinatorics , counting , limit , number theory

Let $M, k>0$ integers. Let $X(M,k)$ the (infinite) set of all integers that can be factored as ${p_1}^{e_1} \cdot {p_2}^{e_2} \cdot \ldots \cdot {p_r}^{e_r}$ where each $p_i$ is not smaller than $M$ and also each $e_i$ is not smaller than $k$. Let $Z(M,k,n)$ the number of elements of $X(M,k)$ not bigger than $n$. Show that there are positive reals $c(M,k)$ and $\beta(M,k)$ such that $$\lim_{n \rightarrow \infty}{\frac{Z(M,k,n)}{n^{\beta(M,k)}}} = c(M,k)$$ and find $\beta(M,k)$

1990 Flanders Math Olympiad, 2

Tags: number theory

Let $a$ and $b$ be two primes having at least two digits, such that $a > b$. Show that \[240|\left(a^4-b^4\right)\] and show that 240 is the greatest positive integer having this property.

2003 India IMO Training Camp, 2

Tags: greatest common divisor , number theory

Find all triples $(a,b,c)$ of positive integers such that (i) $a \leq b \leq c$; (ii) $\text{gcd}(a,b,c)=1$; and (iii) $a^3+b^3+c^3$ is divisible by each of the numbers $a^2b, b^2c, c^2a$.

2014 All-Russian Olympiad, 3

Tags: number theory

Positive rational numbers $a$ and $b$ are written as decimal fractions and each consists of a minimum period of 30 digits. In the decimal representation of $a-b$, the period is at least $15$. Find the minimum value of $k\in\mathbb{N}$ such that, in the decimal representation of $a+kb$, the length of period is at least $15$. [i]A. Golovanov[/i]

2024 Kyiv City MO Round 1, Problem 1

Tags: number theory , digit

Find the number of positive integers for which the product of digits and the sum of digits are the same and equal to $8$.

2015 Mexico National Olympiad, 4

Tags: number theory , combinatorics

Let $n$ be a positive integer. Mary writes the $n^3$ triples of not necessarily distinct integers, each between $1$ and $n$ inclusive on a board. Afterwards, she finds the greatest (possibly more than one), and erases the rest. For example, in the triple $(1, 3, 4)$ she erases the numbers 1 and 3, and in the triple $(1, 2, 2)$ she erases only the number 1, Show after finishing this process, the amount of remaining numbers on the board cannot be a perfect square.

2022 Saudi Arabia BMO + EGMO TST, p1

Tags: algebra , number theory

By $rad(x)$ we denote the product of all distinct prime factors of a positive integer $n$. Given $a \in N$, a sequence $(a_n)$ is defined by $a_0 = a$ and $a_{n+1} = a_n+rad(a_n)$ for all $n \ge 0$. Prove that there exists an index $n$ for which $\frac{a_n}{rad(a_n)} = 2022$

2023 CMIMC Algebra/NT, 5

Tags: number theory , algebra

Let $\mathcal{P}$ be a parabola that passes through the points $(0, 0)$ and $(12, 5)$. Suppose that the directrix of $\mathcal{P}$ takes the form $y = b$. (Recall that a parabola is the set of points equidistant from a point called the focus and line called the directrix) Find the minimum possible value of $|b|$. [i]Proposed by Kevin You[/i]

1997 Singapore Team Selection Test, 2

Tags: sequence , consecutive , number theory

Let $a_n$ be the number of n-digit integers formed by $1, 2$ and $3$ which do not contain any consecutive $1$’s. Prove that $a_n$ is equal to $$\left( \frac12 + \frac{1}{\sqrt3}\right)(\sqrt{3} + 1)^n$$ rounded off to the nearest integer.

1953 Miklós Schweitzer, 5

Tags: number theory

Show that any positive integer has at least as many positive divisors of the form $3k+1$ as of the form $3k-1$. [b](N. 7)[/b]

2014 NIMO Problems, 3

Tags: number theory , prime number , prime factorization

Find the number of positive integers $n$ with exactly $1974$ factors such that no prime greater than $40$ divides $n$, and $n$ ends in one of the digits $1$, $3$, $7$, $9$. (Note that $1974 = 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 7 \cdot 47$.) [i]Proposed by Yonah Borns-Weil[/i]

2018 All-Russian Olympiad, 1

Tags: algebra , prime , prime number , number theory

Suppose $a_1,a_2, \dots$ is an infinite strictly increasing sequence of positive integers and $p_1, p_2, \dots$ is a sequence of distinct primes such that $p_n \mid a_n$ for all $n \ge 1$. It turned out that $a_n-a_k=p_n-p_k$ for all $n,k \ge 1$. Prove that the sequence $(a_n)_n$ consists only of prime numbers.