Olympiad problems

2008 AIME Problems, 11

Consider sequences that consist entirely of $ A$'s and $ B$'s and that have the property that every run of consecutive $ A$'s has even length, and every run of consecutive $ B$'s has odd length. Examples of such sequences are $ AA$, $ B$, and $ AABAA$, while $ BBAB$ is not such a sequence. How many such sequences have length 14?

2018 ELMO Shortlist, 1

Tags: number theory , algebra , polynomial , induction

Determine all nonempty finite sets of positive integers $\{a_1, \dots, a_n\}$ such that $a_1 \cdots a_n$ divides $(x + a_1) \cdots (x + a_n)$ for every positive integer $x$. [i]Proposed by Ankan Bhattacharya[/i]

1968 Yugoslav Team Selection Test, Problem 5

Tags: summation , algebra , polynomial

Let $n$ be an integer greater than $1$. Let $x\in\mathbb R$. (a) Evaluate $S(x,n)=\sum(x+p)(x+q)$, where the summation is over all pairs $(p,q)$ of different numbers from $\{1,2,\ldots,n\}$. (b) Do there exist integers $x,n$ for which $S(x,n)=0$?

1941 Moscow Mathematical Olympiad, 084

Tags: polynomial , factoring , algebra

a) Find an integer $a$ for which $(x - a)(x - 10) + 1$ factors in the product $(x + b)(x + c)$ with integers $b$ and $c$. b) Find nonzero and nonequal integers $a, b, c$ so that $x(x - a)(x - b)(x - c) + 1$ factors into the product of two polynomials with integer coefficients.

1997 German National Olympiad, 6a

Tags: polynomial , divide , algebra , prime

Let us define $f$ and $g$ by $f(x) = x^5 +5x^4 +5x^3 +5x^2 +1$, $g(x) = x^5 +5x^4 +3x^3 -5x^2 -1$. Determine all prime numbers $p$ such that, for at least one integer $x, 0 \le x < p-1$, both $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ are divisible by $p$. For each such $p$, find all $x$ with this property.

2010 ISI B.Stat Entrance Exam, 6

Tags: algebra , polynomial

Consider the equation $n^2+(n+1)^4=5(n+2)^3$ (a) Show that any integer of the form $3m+1$ or $3m+2$ can not be a solution of this equation. (b) Does the equation have a solution in positive integers?

1993 Austrian-Polish Competition, 8

Tags: polynomial , functional , functional equation , algebra

Determine all real polynomials $P(z)$ for which there exists a unique real polynomial $Q(x)$ satisfying the conditions $Q(0)= 0$, $x + Q(y + P(x))= y + Q(x + P(y))$ for all $x,y \in R$.

1995 Austrian-Polish Competition, 4

Tags: functional equation , functional , polynomial , algebra

Determine all polynomials $P(x)$ with real coefficients such that $P(x)^2 + P\left(\frac{1}{x}\right)^2= P(x^2)P\left(\frac{1}{x^2}\right)$ for all $x$.

2023 Caucasus Mathematical Olympiad, 2

Tags: algebra , polynomial

Given are reals $a, b$. Prove that at least one of the equations $x^4-2b^3x+a^4=0$ and $x^4-2a^3x+b^4=0$ has a real root. Proposed by N. Agakhanov

2010 Estonia Team Selection Test, 5

Tags: polynomial , algebra , trigonometry

Let $P(x, y)$ be a non-constant homogeneous polynomial with real coefficients such that $P(\sin t, \cos t) = 1$ for every real number $t$. Prove that there exists a positive integer $k$ such that $P(x, y) = (x^2 + y^2)^k$.

1961 AMC 12/AHSME, 29

Tags: quadratic , algebra , polynomial , vieta

Let the roots of $ax^2+bx+c=0$ be $r$ and $s$. The equation with roots $ar+b$ and $as+b$ is: $ \textbf{(A)}\ x^2-bx-ac=0$ $\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ x^2-bx+ac=0$ $\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ x^2+3bx+ca+2b^2=0$ ${\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ x^2+3bx-ca+2b^2=0 }$ ${\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ x^2+bx(2-a)+a^2c+b^2(a+1)=0} $

1996 Taiwan National Olympiad, 4

Tags: polynomial , vieta , algebra

Show that for any real numbers $a_{3},a_{4},...,a_{85}$, not all the roots of the equation $a_{85}x^{85}+a_{84}x^{84}+...+a_{3}x^{3}+3x^{2}+2x+1=0$ are real.

2010 Contests, 3

Tags: polynomial , search , inequalities , algebra

prove that for each natural number $n$ there exist a polynomial with degree $2n+1$ with coefficients in $\mathbb{Q}[x]$ such that it has exactly $2$ complex zeros and it's irreducible in $\mathbb{Q}[x]$.(20 points)

2006 Germany Team Selection Test, 1

Tags: algebra , polynomial , number theory , composite number , prime number

Let $ a$, $ b$, $ c$, $ d$, $ e$, $ f$ be positive integers and let $ S = a+b+c+d+e+f$. Suppose that the number $ S$ divides $ abc+def$ and $ ab+bc+ca-de-ef-df$. Prove that $ S$ is composite.

2017 Korea National Olympiad, problem 5

Tags: number theory , polynomial , cubic , divisibility

Given a prime $p$, show that there exist two integers $a, b$ which satisfies the following. For all integers $m$, $m^3+ 2017am+b$ is not a multiple of $p$.

Russian TST 2014, P2

Tags: number theory , prime divisor , polynomial

Prove that there exist infinitely many positive integers $n$ such that the largest prime divisor of $n^4 + n^2 + 1$ is equal to the largest prime divisor of $(n+1)^4 + (n+1)^2 +1$.

2014 Iran Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: algebra , polynomial , number theory

prove for all $k> 1$ equation $(x+1)(x+2)...(x+k)=y^{2}$ has finite solutions.

2020 Indonesia MO, 2

Tags: quadratic , algebra , polynomial

Problem 2. Let $P(x) = ax^2 + bx + c$ where $a, b, c$ are real numbers. If $$P(a) = bc, \hspace{0.5cm} P(b) = ac, \hspace{0.5cm} P(c) = ab$$ then prove that $$(a - b)(b - c)(c - a)(a + b + c) = 0.$$

2005 National High School Mathematics League, 7

Tags: algebra , polynomial

The polynomial $f(x)=1-x+x^2-x^3+\cdots-x^{19}+x^{20}$ is written into the form $g(y)=a_0+a_1y+a_2y^2+\cdots+a_{20}y^{20}$, where $y=x-4$, then $a_0+a_1+\cdots+a_{20}=$________.

2021 European Mathematical Cup, 4

Tags: polynomial , algebra

Find all positive integers $d$ for which there exist polynomials $P(x)$ and $Q(x)$ with real coefficients such that degree of $P$ equals $d$ and $$P(x)^2+1=(x^2+1)Q(x)^2.$$

Kvant 2019, M2575

Tags: algebra , polynomial

Let $t\in (1,2)$. Show that there exists a polynomial $P(x)=a_nx^n+a_{n-1}x^{n-1}+...+a_1x+a_0$ with the coefficients in $\{1,-1\}$ such that $\left|P(t)-2019\right| \leqslant 1.$ [i]Proposed by N. Safaei (Iran)[/i]

2019 German National Olympiad, 4

Tags: algebra , polynomial , number theory

Show that for each non-negative integer $n$ there are unique non-negative integers $x$ and $y$ such that we have \[n=\frac{(x+y)^2+3x+y}{2}.\]

1978 Romania Team Selection Test, 7

Tags: algebra , polynomial

Let $ P,Q,R $ be polynomials of degree $ 3 $ with real coefficients such that $ P(x)\le Q(x)\le R(x) , $ for every real $ x. $ Suppose $ P-R $ admits a root. Show that $ Q=kP+(1-k)R, $ for some real number $ k\in [0,1] . $ What happens if $ P,Q,R $ are of degree $ 4, $ under the same circumstances?

1996 Estonia Team Selection Test, 1

Tags: algebra , polynomial

Prove that the polynomial $P_n(x)=1+x+\frac{x^2}{2!}+\cdots +\frac{x^n}{n!}$ has no real zeros if $n$ is even and has exatly one real zero if $n$ is odd

2004 Brazil National Olympiad, 5

Tags: induction , modular arithmetic , algebra , polynomial , number theory

Consider the sequence $(a_n)_{n\in \mathbb{N}}$ with $a_0=a_1=a_2=a_3=1$ and $a_na_{n-4}=a_{n-1}a_{n-3} + a^2_{n-2}$. Prove that all the terms of this sequence are integer numbers.