Let $p > 2$ be a prime number. $\mathbb{F}_p[x]$ is defined as the set of polynomials in $x$ with coefficients in $\mathbb{F}_p$ (the integers modulo $p$ with usual addition and subtraction), so that two polynomials are equal if and only if the coefficients of $x^k$ are equal in $\mathbb{F}_p$ for each nonnegative integer $k$. For example, $(x+2)(2x+3) = 2x^2 + 2x + 1$ in $\mathbb{F}_5[x]$ because the corresponding coefficients are equal modulo 5. Let $f, g \in \mathbb{F}_p[x]$. The pair $(f, g)$ is called [i]compositional[/i] if \[f(g(x)) \equiv x^{p^2} - x\] in $\mathbb{F}_p[x]$. Find, with proof, the number of compositional pairs.

Solve in $\Bbb{N}^*$ the equation $$ 4^a \cdot 5^b - 3^c \cdot 11^d = 1.$$

The first two terms of a sequence are $2$ and $3$. Each next term thereafter is the sum of the nearestly previous two terms if their sum is not greather than $10, 0$ otherwise. The $2014$th term is: (A): $0$, (B): $8$, (C): $6$, (D): $4$, (E) None of the above.

Let $d$ be a positive integer. Show that for every integer $S$, there exists an integer $n>0$ and a sequence of $n$ integers $\epsilon_1, \epsilon_2,..., \epsilon_n$, where $\epsilon_i = \pm 1$ (not necessarily dependent on each other) for all integers $1\le i\le n$, such that $S=\sum_{i=1}^{n}{\epsilon_i(1+id)^2}$.

Determine all positive integers $n$ such that $5^n - 1$ can be written as a product of an even number of consecutive integers.

Let $n \ge 0$ be an integer. A sequence $a_0,a_1,a_2,...$ of integers is defined as follows: we have $a_0 = n$ and for $k \ge 1, a_k$ is the smallest integer greater than $a_{k-1}$ for which $a_k +a_{k-1}$ is the square of an integer. Prove that there are exactly $\lfloor \sqrt{2n}\rfloor$ positive integers that cannot be written in the form $a_k - a_{\ell}$ with $k > \ell\ge 0$.

A positive integer is called [i]saturated [/i]i f any prime factor occurs at a power greater than or equal to $2$ in its factorisation. For example, numbers $8 = 2^3$ and $9 = 3^2$ are saturated, moreover, they are consecutive. Prove that there exist infinitely many saturated consecutive numbers.

Let $d(n)$ be the number of positive divisors of a positive integer $n$ (including $1$ and $n$). Find all values of $n$ such that $n + d(n) = d(n)^2$.

Find the largest positive integer $n$ such that the following is true: There exists $n$ distinct positive integers $x_1,~x_2,\dots,x_n$ such that whatever the numbers $a_1,~a_2,\dots,a_n\in\left\{-1,0,1\right\}$ are, not all null, the number $n^3$ do not divide $\sum_{k=1}^n a_kx_k$.

A machine accepts coins of $k{}$ values $1 = a_1 <\cdots < a_k$ and sells $k{}$ different drinks with prices $0<b_1 < \cdots < b_k$. It is known that if we start inserting coins into the machine in an arbitrary way, sooner or later the total value of the coins will be equal to the price of a drink. For which sets of numbers $(a_1,\ldots,a_k;b_1,\ldots,b_k)$ does this property hold?

Prove that there is no $m$ such that ($1978^m - 1$) is divisible by ($1000^m - 1$).

Let $n\ge 2$ be an integer. Ariane and Bérénice play a game on the number of the residue classes modulo $n$. At the beginning there is the residue class $1$ on each piece of paper. It is the turn of the player whose turn it is to replace the current residue class $x$ with either $x + 1$ or by $2x$. The two players take turns, with Ariane starting. Ariane wins if the residue class $0$ is reached during the game. Bérénice wins if she can prevent that permanently. Depending on $n$, determine which of the two has a winning strategy.

Ten mutually distinct non-zero reals are given such that for any two, either their sum or their product is rational. Prove that squares of all these numbers are rational.

Let $p=4k+1$ be a prime and let $|x| \leq \frac{p-1}{2}$ such that $\binom{2k}{k}\equiv x \pmod p$. Show that $|x| \leq 2\sqrt{p}$.

Let $x$ and $y$ be positive integers. If ${x^{2^n}}-1$ is divisible by $2^ny+1$ for every positive integer $n$, prove that $x=1$.

p1. Four kite-shaped shapes as shown below ($a > b$, $a$ and $b$ are natural numbers less than $10$) arranged in such a way so that it forms a square with holes in the middle. The square hole in the middle has a perimeter of $16$ units of length. What is the possible perimeter of the outermost square formed if it is also known that $a$ and $b$ are numbers coprime? [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/4/1/fa95f5f557aa0ca5afb9584d5cee74743dcb10.png[/img] p2. If $a = 3^p$, $b = 3^q$, $c = 3^r$, and $d = 3^s$ and if $p, q, r$, and $s$ are natural numbers, what is the smallest value of $p\cdot q\cdot r\cdot s$ that satisfies $a^2 + b^3 + c^5 = d^7$ 3. Ucok intends to compose a key code (password) consisting of 8 numbers and meet the following conditions: i. The numbers used are $1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8$, and $9$. ii. The first number used is at least $1$, the second number is at least $2$, third digit-at least $3$, and so on. iii. The same number can be used multiple times. a) How many different passwords can Ucok compose? b) How many different passwords can Ucok make, if provision (iii) is replaced with: no numbers may be used more than once. p 4. For any integer $a, b$, and $c$ applies $a\times (b + c) = (a\times b) + (a\times c)$. a) Look for examples that show that $a + (b\times c)\ne (a + b)\times (a + c)$. b) Is it always true that $a + (b\times c) = (a + b)\times(a + c)$? Justify your answer. p5. The results of a survey of $N$ people with the question whether they maintain dogs, birds, or cats at home are as follows: $50$ people keep birds, $61$ people don't have dogs, $13$ people don't keep a cat, and there are at least $74$ people who keep the most a little two kinds of animals in the house. What is the maximum value and minimum of possible value of $N$ ?

We calculate the sum of $7$ natural consecutive pairs (e.g. $2+4+6+8+10+12+14$) and we will call the result $A$, then the sum of the next $7$ consecutive pairs (in the example, $16+ 18+...$) and its result we will call $B$, and finally we calculate the sum of the following $7$ consecutive pairs and its result we will call $C$. Can the product $ABC$ be $2002^3$?

How many ordered triples $(a, b, c)$ of integers $1 \le a, b, c \le 31$ are there such that the remainder of $ab+bc+ca$ divided by $31$ equals $8$?

A natural number $a$ is said [i]to be contained[/i] in the natural number $b$ if it is possible to obtain a by erasing some digits from $b$ (in their decimal representations). For example, $123$ is contained in $901523$, but not contained in $3412$. Does there exist an infinite set of natural numbers such that no number in the set is contained in any other number from the set?

The sequence $a_1, a_2, a_3, ...$ is defined by $a_1 = 0$, $a_n = a_{[n/2]} + (-1)^{n(n+1)/2}$. Show that for any positive integer $k$ we can find $n$ in the range $2^k \leq n < 2^{k+1}$ such that $a_n = 0$.

Paul starts with the number $19$. In one step, he can add $1$ to his number, divide his number by $2$, or divide his number by $3$. What is the minimum number of steps Paul needs to get to $1$?

On a closed track, clockwise, there are five boxes $A, B, C, D$ and $E$, and the length of the track section between boxes $A$ and $B$ is $1$ km, between $B$ and $C$ - $5$ km, between $C$ and $D$ - $2$ km, between $D$ and $E$ - $10$ km, and between $E$ and $A$ - $3$ km. On the track, they drive in a clockwise direction, the race always begins and ends in the box. What box did you start from if the length of the race was exactly $1998$ km?

A right triangle with perpendicular sides $a$ and $b$ and hypotenuse $c$ has the following properties: $a = p^m$ and $b = q^n$ with $p$ and $q$ prime numbers and $m$ and $n$ positive integers, $c = 2k +1$ with $k$ a positive integer. Determine all possible values of $c$ and the associated values of $a$ and $b$.

Determine if the number $\lambda_n=\sqrt{3n^2+2n+2}$ is irrational for all non-negative integers $n$.

Give are the integers $a_{1}=11 , a_{2}=1111, a_{3}=111111, ... , a_{n}= 1111...111$( with $2n$ digits) with $n > 8$ . Let $q_{i}= \frac{a_{i}}{11} , i= 1,2,3, ... , n$ the remainder of the division of $a_{i}$ by$ 11$ . Prove that the sum of nine consecutive quotients: $s_{i}=q_{i}+q_{i+1}+q_{i+2}+ ... +q_{i+8}$ is a multiple of $9$ for any $i= 1,2,3, ... , (n-8)$