Let $y=(x-a)^2+(x-b)^2, a, b$ constants. For what value of $x$ is $y$ a minimum? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac{a+b}{2} \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ a+b \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \sqrt{ab} \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \sqrt{\frac{a^2+b^2}{2}}\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \frac{a+b}{2ab} $

Source: 1976 Euclid Part A Problem 3 ----- The minimum value of the function $2x^2+6x+7$ is $\textbf{(A) } 7 \qquad \textbf{(B) } \frac{5}{2} \qquad \textbf{(C) } \frac{9}{4} \qquad \textbf{(D) } -\frac{9}{2} \qquad \textbf{(E) } \frac{5}{4}$

Let $n \geq 3$ be an integer and $F$ be the focus of the parabola $y^2=2px$. A regular polygon $A_1 A_2 \ldots A_n$ has the center in $F$ and none of its vertices lie on $Ox$. $\left( FA_1 \right., \left( FA_2 \right., \ldots, \left( FA_n \right.$ intersect the parabola at $B_1,B_2,\ldots,B_n$. Prove that \[ FB_1 + FB_2 + \ldots + FB_n > np . \] [i]Calin Popescu[/i]

Let $ a,\ b$ be the real numbers such that $ 0\leq a\leq b\leq 1$. Find the minimum value of $ \int_0^1 |(x\minus{}a)(x\minus{}b)|\ dx$.

Show that the plane cannot be represented as the union of the inner regions of a finite number of parabolas.

One side of a square in on line $y=2x-17$, and two other points are on parabola $y=x^2$, then the minumum value of the area of the square is________.

Solve the equation $\frac{1}{\sin x}+\frac{1}{\cos x}=\frac 1p$ where $p$ is a real parameter. Discuss for which values of $p$ the equation has at least one real solution and determine the number of solutions in $[0, 2\pi)$ for a given $p.$

$(BEL 1)$ A parabola $P_1$ with equation $x^2 - 2py = 0$ and parabola $P_2$ with equation $x^2 + 2py = 0, p > 0$, are given. A line $t$ is tangent to $P_2.$ Find the locus of pole $M$ of the line $t$ with respect to $P_1.$

The quadrilateral $ABCD$ is inscribed in the parabola $y=x^2$. It is known that angle $BAD=90$, the dioganal $AC$ is parallel to the axis $Ox$ and $AC$ is the bisector of the angle BAD. Find the area of the quadrilateral $ABCD$ if the length of the dioganal $BD$ is equal to $p$.

Let $P$ be a parabola with focus $F$ and directrix $\ell$. A line through $F$ intersects $P$ at two points $A$ and $B$. Let $D$ and $C$ be the feet of the altitudes from $A$ and $B$ onto $\ell$, respectively. Given that $AB = 20$ and $CD = 14$, compute the area of $ABCD$.

Given an integer $n\ge 2$, define $M_0 (x_0, y_0)$ to be an intersection point of the parabola $y^2=nx-1$ and the line $y=x$. Prove that for any positive integer $m$, there exists an integer $k\ge 2$ such that $(x^m_0, y^m_0)$ is an intersection point of $y^2=mx-1$ and the line $y=x$.

The given parabola $y=ax^2+bx+c$ doesn't intersect the $X$-axis and passes from the points $A(-2,1)$ and $B(2,9)$. Find all the possible values of the $x$ coordinates of the vertex of this parabola.

Draw a tangent with positive slope to a parabola $y=x^2+1$. Find the $x$-coordinate such that the area of the figure bounded by the parabola, the tangent and the coordinate axisis is $\frac{11}{3}.$

Let $P$ be the set of all parabolas with the equation of the form $$y=(a-1)x^2-2(a+2)x+a+1$$ where $a$ is a real parameter and $a\neq1$. Prove that there exists an unique point $M$ such that all parabolas in $P$ pass through $M$.

1. Let $f(x)=x^2+bx+c$, M = {x | |f(x)|<1}. Prove $|M|\leq 2\sqrt{2}$ (|...| = length of interval(s))

Let $ A,B$ be different points on a parabola. Prove that we can find $ P_1,P_2,\dots,P_{n}$ between $ A,B$ on the parabola such that area of the convex polygon $ AP_1P_2\dots P_nB$ is maximum. In this case prove that the ratio of $ S(AP_1P_2\dots P_nB)$ to the sector between $ A$ and $ B$ doesn't depend on $ A$ and $ B$, and only depends on $ n$.

The point $(a,b)$ lies on the circle $x^2+y^2=1$. The tangent to the circle at this point meets the parabola $y=x^2+1$ at exactly one point. Find all such points $(a,b)$.

For exactly two real values of $b$, $b_1$ and $b_2$, the line $y=bx-17$ intersects the parabola $y=x^2 +2x+3$ at exactly one point. Compute $b_1^2+b_2^2$.

When a rectangle frames a parabola such that a side of the rectangle is parallel to the parabola's axis of symmetry, the parabola divides the rectangle into regions whose areas are in the ratio $2$ to $1$. How many integer values of $k$ are there such that $0<k\leq 2007$ and the area between the parabola $y=k-x^2$ and the $x$-axis is an integer? [asy] import graph; size(300); defaultpen(linewidth(0.8)+fontsize(10)); real k=1.5; real endp=sqrt(k); real f(real x) { return k-x^2; } path parabola=graph(f,-endp,endp)--cycle; filldraw(parabola, lightgray); draw((endp,0)--(endp,k)--(-endp,k)--(-endp,0)); label("Region I", (0,2*k/5)); label("Box II", (51/64*endp,13/16*k)); label("area(I) = $\frac23$\,area(II)",(5/3*endp,k/2)); [/asy]

Determin integers $ m,\ n\ (m>n>0)$ for which the area of the region bounded by the curve $ y\equal{}x^2\minus{}x$ and the lines $ y\equal{}mx,\ y\equal{}nx$ is $ \frac{37}{6}$.

A standard parabola is the graph of a quadratic polynomial $y = x^2 + ax + b$ with leading co\"efficient 1. Three standard parabolas with vertices $V1, V2, V3$ intersect pairwise at points $A1, A2, A3$. Let $A \mapsto s(A)$ be the reflection of the plane with respect to the $x$-axis. Prove that standard parabolas with vertices $s (A1), s (A2), s (A3)$ intersect pairwise at the points $s (V1), s (V2), s (V3)$.

Sketch the evolvent of the cubic parabola $y=x^3$ (the evolvent is the locus of the points $\overrightarrow{r}(s)+(c-s)\dot{\overrightarrow{r}}(s)$, where $s$ is the arc-length of the curve $\overrightarrow{r}(s)$ and $c$ is a constant).

Points $A(1,2)$, a line that passes $(5,-2)$ intersects the parabola $y^2=4x$ at two points $B,C$. Then, $\triangle ABC$ is $\text{(A)}$ an acute triangle $\text{(B)}$ an obtuse triangle $\text{(C)}$ a right triangle $\text{(D)}$ not sure

Let $A$ be the closed region bounded by the following three lines in the $xy$ plane: $x=1, y=0$ and $y=t(2x-t)$, where $0<t<1$. Prove that the area of any triangle inside the region $A$, with two vertices $P(t,t^2)$ and $Q(1,0)$, does not exceed $\frac{1}{4}.$

Two ants, one starting at $ (-1, 1) $, the other at $ (1, 1) $, walk to the right along the parabola $ y = x^2 $ such that their midpoint moves along the line $ y = 1 $ with constant speed $1$. When the left ant first hits the line $ y = \frac {1}{2} $, what is its speed?