Forty-nine students solve a set of 3 problems. The score for each problem is a whole number of points from 0 to 7. Prove that there exist two students $ A$ and $ B$ such that, for each problem, $ A$ will score at least as many points as $ B.$

Forty-nine students solve a set of 3 problems. The score for each problem is a whole number of points from 0 to 7. Prove that there exist two students $ A$ and $ B$ such that, for each problem, $ A$ will score at least as many points as $ B.$

A cake has the form of an $ n$ x $ n$ square composed of $ n^{2}$ unit squares. Strawberries lie on some of the unit squares so that each row or column contains exactly one strawberry; call this arrangement $\mathcal{A}$. Let $\mathcal{B}$ be another such arrangement. Suppose that every grid rectangle with one vertex at the top left corner of the cake contains no fewer strawberries of arrangement $\mathcal{B}$ than of arrangement $\mathcal{A}$. Prove that arrangement $\mathcal{B}$ can be obtained from $ \mathcal{A}$ by performing a number of switches, defined as follows: A switch consists in selecting a grid rectangle with only two strawberries, situated at its top right corner and bottom left corner, and moving these two strawberries to the other two corners of that rectangle.

let P be a finite set with at least 2 elements. P is a partially ordered and connected set. $p:P^3 \to P$ is a 3-variable, monotone function which satisfies p(x,x,y)=y. Prove that there exists a non-empty subset $I \subset P$ such that $\forall x \in P$ $\forall y \in I$, we have $p(x, y, y) \in I$. [P is connected means that if each element is replaced by vertices and there is an edge between 2 vertices iff the 2 elements can be compared, then the graph is connected. p is monotone means that if $x_1\leq y_1 , x_2\leq y_2 , x_3\leq y_3$ , then $p(x_1,x_2,x_3)\leq p(y_1,y_2,y_3)$.]

Let $n(\ge 2)$ be an integer. $2n^2$ contestants participate in a Chinese chess competition, where any two contestant play exactly once. There may be draws. It is known that (1)If A wins B and B wins C, then A wins C. (2)there are at most $\frac{n^3}{16}$ draws. Proof that it is possible to choose $n^2$ contestants and label them $P_{ij}(1\le i,j\le n)$, so that for any $i,j,i',j'\in \{1,2,...,n\}$, if $i<i'$, then $P_{ij}$ wins $P_{i'j'}$.

A cake has the form of an $ n$ x $ n$ square composed of $ n^{2}$ unit squares. Strawberries lie on some of the unit squares so that each row or column contains exactly one strawberry; call this arrangement $\mathcal{A}$. Let $\mathcal{B}$ be another such arrangement. Suppose that every grid rectangle with one vertex at the top left corner of the cake contains no fewer strawberries of arrangement $\mathcal{B}$ than of arrangement $\mathcal{A}$. Prove that arrangement $\mathcal{B}$ can be obtained from $ \mathcal{A}$ by performing a number of switches, defined as follows: A switch consists in selecting a grid rectangle with only two strawberries, situated at its top right corner and bottom left corner, and moving these two strawberries to the other two corners of that rectangle.

Let $n(\ge 2)$ be an integer. $2n^2$ contestants participate in a Chinese chess competition, where any two contestant play exactly once. There may be draws. It is known that (1)If A wins B and B wins C, then A wins C. (2)there are at most $\frac{n^3}{16}$ draws. Proof that it is possible to choose $n^2$ contestants and label them $P_{ij}(1\le i,j\le n)$, so that for any $i,j,i',j'\in \{1,2,...,n\}$, if $i<i'$, then $P_{ij}$ wins $P_{i'j'}$.

Consider the set of all strictly decreasing sequences of $n$ natural numbers having the property that in each sequence no term divides any other term of the sequence. Let $A = (a_j)$ and $B = (b_j)$ be any two such sequences. We say that $A$ precedes $B$ if for some $k$, $a_k < b_k$ and $a_i = b_i$ for $i < k$. Find the terms of the first sequence of the set under this ordering.

This ISL 2005 problem has not been used in any TST I know. A pity, since it is a nice problem, but in its shortlist formulation, it is absolutely incomprehensible. Here is a mathematical restatement of the problem: Let $k$ be a nonnegative integer. A forest consists of rooted (i. e. oriented) trees. Each vertex of the forest is either a leaf or has two successors. A vertex $v$ is called an [i]extended successor[/i] of a vertex $u$ if there is a chain of vertices $u_{0}=u$, $u_{1}$, $u_{2}$, ..., $u_{t-1}$, $u_{t}=v$ with $t>0$ such that the vertex $u_{i+1}$ is a successor of the vertex $u_{i}$ for every integer $i$ with $0\leq i\leq t-1$. A vertex is called [i]dynastic[/i] if it has two successors and each of these successors has at least $k$ extended successors. Prove that if the forest has $n$ vertices, then there are at most $\frac{n}{k+2}$ dynastic vertices.

Let P be a finite, partially ordered set with one largest element, which is the only upper bound of the set of minimal elements. Prove that any monotonic function $f : P^n\to P$ can be written in the form $g( x_1 , x_2 , ..., x_n , c_1 , ..., c_m )$, where $c_i\in P$ and g is a monotonic, idempotent function. (g is idempotent iff $g(x , x , ..., x) = x\,\forall x\in P$)

Consider the set of all strictly decreasing sequences of $n$ natural numbers having the property that in each sequence no term divides any other term of the sequence. Let $A = (a_j)$ and $B = (b_j)$ be any two such sequences. We say that $A$ precedes $B$ if for some $k$, $a_k < b_k$ and $a_i = b_i$ for $i < k$. Find the terms of the first sequence of the set under this ordering.

A cake has the form of an $ n$ x $ n$ square composed of $ n^{2}$ unit squares. Strawberries lie on some of the unit squares so that each row or column contains exactly one strawberry; call this arrangement $\mathcal{A}$. Let $\mathcal{B}$ be another such arrangement. Suppose that every grid rectangle with one vertex at the top left corner of the cake contains no fewer strawberries of arrangement $\mathcal{B}$ than of arrangement $\mathcal{A}$. Prove that arrangement $\mathcal{B}$ can be obtained from $ \mathcal{A}$ by performing a number of switches, defined as follows: A switch consists in selecting a grid rectangle with only two strawberries, situated at its top right corner and bottom left corner, and moving these two strawberries to the other two corners of that rectangle.