Found problems: 45
Let $f$ be a function whose domain is $[1, 20]$ and whose range is a subset of $[-100, 100].$ Suppose $\tfrac{f(x)}{y} - \tfrac{f(y)}{x} \leq (x - y)^2$ for all $x$ and $y$ in $[1, 20].$ Compute the largest value of $f(x) - f(y)$ over all such functions $f$ and all $x$ and $y$ in the domain $[1, 20].$
Let $P_1, P_2, \dots , P_n$ be distinct points of the plane, $n \geq 2$. Prove that
\[ \max_{1\leq i<j\leq n} P_iP_j > \frac{\sqrt 3}{2}(\sqrt n -1) \min_{1\leq i<j\leq n} P_iP_j \]
There are $n$ students standing in line positions $1$ to $n$. While the teacher looks away, some students change their positions. When the teacher looks back, they are standing in line again. If a student who was initially in position $i$ is now in position $j$, we say the student moved for $|i-j|$ steps. Determine the maximal sum of steps of all students that they can achieve.
At each vertex of a $4\times5$ rectangle there is a house. Find the path of the minimum length connecting all these houses.
For real numbers $x,$ let $T_x$ be the triangle with vertices $(5, 5^3),$ $(8, 8^3),$ and $(x, x^3)$ in $\mathbb{R}^2.$ Over all $x$ in the interval $[5, 8],$ the area of the triangle $T_x$ is maximized at $x = \sqrt{n},$ for some positive integer $n.$ Compute $n.$
Let $r_1,r_2,\ldots,r_m$ be positive rational numbers with a sum of $1$. Find the maximum values of the function $f:\mathbb N\to\mathbb Z$ defined by
$$f(n)=n-\lfloor r_1n\rfloor-\lfloor r_2n\rfloor-\ldots-\lfloor r_mn\rfloor$$
Real numbers $b>a>0$ are given. Find the number $r$ in $[a,b]$ which minimizes the value of $\max\left\{\left|\frac{r-x}x\right||a\le x\le b\right\}$.
Let $a,b,c$ be reals and
\[f(a, b, c) = \left| \frac{ |b-a|}{|ab|} +\frac{b+a}{ab} -\frac 2c \right| +\frac{ |b-a|}{|ab|} +\frac{b+a}{ab} +\frac 2c\]
Prove that $f(a, b, c) = 4 \max \{\frac 1a, \frac 1b,\frac 1c \}.$
Let $a,b,c$ be reals and
\[f(a, b, c) = \left| \frac{ |b-a|}{|ab|} +\frac{b+a}{ab} -\frac 2c \right| +\frac{ |b-a|}{|ab|} +\frac{b+a}{ab} +\frac 2c\]
Prove that $f(a, b, c) = 4 \max \{\frac 1a, \frac 1b,\frac 1c \}.$
Given real numbers $x_1, x_2, \dots , x_n \ (n \geq 2)$, with $x_i \geq \frac 1n \ (i = 1, 2, \dots, n)$ and with $x_1^2+x_2^2+\cdots+x_n^2 = 1$ , find whether the product $P = x_1x_2x_3 \cdots x_n$ has a greatest and/or least value and if so, give these values.
Let $ n \in \mathbb{Z}^\plus{}$ and let $ a, b \in \mathbb{R}.$ Determine the range of $ x_0$ for which
\[ \sum^n_{i\equal{}0} x_i \equal{} a \text{ and } \sum^n_{i\equal{}0} x^2_i \equal{} b,\]
where $ x_0, x_1, \ldots , x_n$ are real variables.
The least number is $m$ and the greatest number is $M$ among $ a_1 ,a_2 ,\ldots,a_n$ satisfying $ a_1 \plus{}a_2 \plus{}...\plus{}a_n \equal{}0$. Prove that
\[ a_1^2 \plus{}\cdots \plus{}a_n^2 \le\minus{}nmM\]
A soldier needs to check if there are any mines in the interior or on the sides of an equilateral triangle $ABC.$ His detector can detect a mine at a maximum distance equal to half the height of the triangle. The soldier leaves from one of the vertices of the triangle. Which is the minimum distance that he needs to traverse so that at the end of it he is sure that he completed successfully his mission?
Given the integer $n > 1$ and the real number $a > 0$ determine the maximum of $\sum_{i=1}^{n-1} x_i x_{i+1}$ taken over all nonnegative numbers $x_i$ with sum $a.$
If $n\in\mathbb N$ and $a_1,a_2,\ldots,a_n$ are arbitrary numbers in the interval $[0,1]$, find the maximum possible value of the smallest among the numbers $a_1-a_1a_2,a_2-a_2a_3,\ldots,a_n-a_na_1$.
For each positive integer $n$, the Bank of Cape Town issues coins of denomination $\frac1n$. Given a finite collection of such coins (of not necessarily different denominations) with total value at most most $99+\frac12$, prove that it is possible to split this collection into $100$ or fewer groups, such that each group has total value at most $1$.
Let $P = (-4, 0)$ and $Q = (4, 0)$ be two points on the $x$-axis of the Cartesian coordinate plane, and let $X$ and $Y$ be points on the $x$-axis and $y$-axis, respectively, such that over all $Z$ on line $\overleftrightarrow{XY}$, the perimeter of $\triangle ZPQ$ has a minimum value of $25$. What is the smallest possible value of $XY^2$?
Find all of the positive real numbers like $ x,y,z,$ such that :
1.) $ x \plus{} y \plus{} z \equal{} a \plus{} b \plus{} c$
2.) $ 4xyz \equal{} a^2x \plus{} b^2y \plus{} c^2z \plus{} abc$
Proposed to Gazeta Matematica in the 80s by VASILE CÎRTOAJE and then by Titu Andreescu to IMO 1995.
Let $P_1, P_2, \dots , P_n$ be distinct points of the plane, $n \geq 2$. Prove that
\[ \max_{1\leq i<j\leq n} P_iP_j > \frac{\sqrt 3}{2}(\sqrt n -1) \min_{1\leq i<j\leq n} P_iP_j \]
What is the smallest possible value of $\left|12^m-5^n\right|$, where $m$ and $n$ are positive integers?