Found problems: 3597
1995 IMO Shortlist, 4
Suppose that $ x_1, x_2, x_3, \ldots$ are positive real numbers for which \[ x^n_n \equal{} \sum^{n\minus{}1}_{j\equal{}0} x^j_n\] for $ n \equal{} 1, 2, 3, \ldots$ Prove that $ \forall n,$ \[ 2 \minus{} \frac{1}{2^{n\minus{}1}} \leq x_n < 2 \minus{} \frac{1}{2^n}.\]
2012 ELMO Problems, 3
Let $f,g$ be polynomials with complex coefficients such that $\gcd(\deg f,\deg g)=1$. Suppose that there exist polynomials $P(x,y)$ and $Q(x,y)$ with complex coefficients such that $f(x)+g(y)=P(x,y)Q(x,y)$. Show that one of $P$ and $Q$ must be constant.
[i]Victor Wang.[/i]
2022 VJIMC, 2
For any given pair of positive integers $m>n$ find all $a\in\mathbb R$ for which the polynomial $x^m-ax^n+1$ can be expressed as a quotient of two nonzero polynomials with real nonnegative coefficients.
1998 Romania Team Selection Test, 2
Find all positive integers $ k$ for which the following statement is true: If $ F(x)$ is a polynomial with integer coefficients satisfying the condition $ 0 \leq F(c) \leq k$ for each $ c\in \{0,1,\ldots,k \plus{} 1\}$, then $ F(0) \equal{} F(1) \equal{} \ldots \equal{} F(k \plus{} 1)$.
2014 Contests, 3
Say that a positive integer is [i]sweet[/i] if it uses only the digits 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8. For instance, 2014 is sweet. There are sweet integers whose squares are sweet: some examples (not necessarily the smallest) are 1, 2, 11, 12, 20, 100, 202, and 210. There are sweet integers whose cubes are sweet: some examples (not necessarily the smallest) are 1, 2, 10, 20, 200, 202, 281, and 2424. Prove that there exists a sweet positive integer $n$ whose square and cube are both sweet, such that the sum of all the digits of $n$ is 2014.
1965 AMC 12/AHSME, 7
The sum of the reciprocals of the roots of the equation $ ax^2 \plus{} bx \plus{} c \equal{} 0$ is:
$ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac {1}{a} \plus{} \frac {1}{b} \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \minus{} \frac {c}{b} \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \frac {b}{c} \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \minus{} \frac {a}{b} \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ \minus{} \frac {b}{c}$
2006 Moldova Team Selection Test, 3
Let $a,b,c$ be sides of the triangle. Prove that
\[ a^2\left(\frac{b}{c}-1\right)+b^2\left(\frac{c}{a}-1\right)+c^2\left(\frac{a}{b}-1\right)\geq 0 . \]
2017 Mathematical Talent Reward Programme, SAQ: P 1
A monic polynomial is a polynomial whose highest degree coefficient is 1. Let $P(x)$ and $Q(x)$ be monic polynomial with real coefficients and $degP(x)=degQ(x)=10$. Prove that if the equation $P(x)=Q(x)$ has no real solutions then $P(x+1)=Q(x-1)$ has a real solution
1945 Moscow Mathematical Olympiad, 091
a) Divide $a^{128} - b^{128}$ by $(a + b)(a^2 + b^2)(a^4 + b^4)(a^8 + b^8)(a^{16} + b^{16})(a^{32} + b^{32})(a^{64} + b^{64}) $.
b) Divide $a^{2^k} - b^{2^k}$ by $(a + b)(a^2 + b^2)(a^4 + b^4) ... (a^{2^{k-1}} + b^{2^{k-1}})$
1979 Vietnam National Olympiad, 2
Find all real numbers $a, b, c$ such that $x^3 + ax^2 + bx + c$ has three real roots $\alpha, \beta,\gamma$ (not necessarily all distinct) and the equation $x^3 + \alpha^3 x^2 + \beta^3 x + \gamma^3$ has roots $\alpha^3, \beta^3,\gamma^3$ .
1977 Bulgaria National Olympiad, Problem 5
Let $Q(x)$ be a non-zero polynomial and $k$ be a natural number. Prove that the polynomial $P(x) = (x-1)^kQ(x)$ has at least $k+1$ non-zero coefficients.
2002 China Team Selection Test, 3
Let \[ f(x_1,x_2,x_3) = -2 \cdot (x_1^3+x_2^3+x_3^3) + 3 \cdot (x_1^2(x_2+x_3) + x_2^2 \cdot (x_1+x_3) + x_3^2 \cdot ( x_1+x_2 ) - 12x_1x_2x_3. \] For any reals $r,s,t$, we denote \[ g(r,s,t)=\max_{t\leq x_3\leq t+2} |f(r,r+2,x_3)+s|. \] Find the minimum value of $g(r,s,t)$.
1982 Vietnam National Olympiad, 1
Determine a quadric polynomial with intergral coefficients whose roots are $\cos 72^{\circ}$ and $\cos 144^{\circ}.$
2006 Putnam, A2
Alice and Bob play a game in which they take turns removing stones from a heap that initially has $n$ stones. The number of stones removed at each turn must be one less than a prime number. The winner is the player who takes the last stone. Alice plays first. Prove that there are infinitely many such $n$ such that Bob has a winning strategy. (For example, if $n=17,$ then Alice might take $6$ leaving $11;$ then Bob might take $1$ leaving $10;$ then Alice can take the remaining stones to win.)
2015 Dutch IMO TST, 2
Determine all polynomials P(x) with real coefficients such that
[(x + 1)P(x − 1) − (x − 1)P(x)] is a constant polynomial.
2015 IMO Shortlist, A6
Let $n$ be a fixed integer with $n \ge 2$. We say that two polynomials $P$ and $Q$ with real coefficients are [i]block-similar[/i] if for each $i \in \{1, 2, \ldots, n\}$ the sequences
\begin{eqnarray*}
P(2015i), P(2015i - 1), \ldots, P(2015i - 2014) & \text{and}\\
Q(2015i), Q(2015i - 1), \ldots, Q(2015i - 2014)
\end{eqnarray*}
are permutations of each other.
(a) Prove that there exist distinct block-similar polynomials of degree $n + 1$.
(b) Prove that there do not exist distinct block-similar polynomials of degree $n$.
[i]Proposed by David Arthur, Canada[/i]
2006 German National Olympiad, 5
Let $x \neq 0$ be a real number satisfying $ax^2+bx+c=0$ with $a,b,c \in \mathbb{Z}$ obeying $|a|+|b|+|c| > 1$. Then prove \[ |x| \geq \frac{1}{|a|+|b|+|c|-1}. \]
1977 USAMO, 1
Determine all pairs of positive integers $ (m,n)$ such that
$ (1\plus{}x^n\plus{}x^{2n}\plus{}\cdots\plus{}x^{mn})$ is divisible by $ (1\plus{}x\plus{}x^2\plus{}\cdots\plus{}x^{m})$.
2021 USEMO, 5
Given a polynomial $p(x)$ with real coefficients, we denote by $S(p)$ the sum of the squares of its coefficients. For example $S(20x+ 21)=20^2+21^2=841$.
Prove that if $f(x)$, $g(x)$, and $h(x)$ are polynomials with real coefficients satisfying the indentity $f(x) \cdot g(x)=h(x)^ 2$, then $$S(f) \cdot S(g) \ge S(h)^2$$
[i]Proposed by Bhavya Tiwari[/i]
2014 PUMaC Individual Finals A, 2
Given $a,b,c \in\mathbb{R}^+$, and that $a^2+b^2+c^2=3$. Prove that
\[ \frac{1}{a^3+2}+\frac{1}{b^3+2}+\frac{1}{c^3+2}\ge 1 \]
2006 Cuba MO, 1
Determine all monic polynomials $P(x)$ of degree $3$ with coefficients integers, which are divisible by $x-1$, when divided by $ x-5$ leave the same remainder as when divided by$ x+5$ and have a root between $2$ and $3$.
2013 Indonesia MO, 5
Let $P$ be a quadratic (polynomial of degree two) with a positive leading coefficient and negative discriminant. Prove that there exists three quadratics $P_1, P_2, P_3$ such that:
- $P(x) = P_1(x) + P_2(x) + P_3(x)$
- $P_1, P_2, P_3$ have positive leading coefficients and zero discriminants (and hence each has a double root)
- The roots of $P_1, P_2, P_3$ are different
2013 National Olympiad First Round, 27
For how many pairs $(a,b)$ from $(1,2)$, $(3,5)$, $(5,7)$, $(7,11)$, the polynomial $P(x)=x^5+ax^4+bx^3+bx^2+ax+1$ has exactly one real root?
$
\textbf{(A)}\ 4
\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 3
\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 2
\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 1
\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 0
$
2013 Thailand Mathematical Olympiad, 8
Let $p(x) = x^{2013} + a_{2012}x^{2012} + a_{2011}x^{2011} +...+ a_1x + a_0$ be a polynomial with real coefficients with roots $- b_{1006}, - b_{1005}, ... , -b_1, 0, b_1, ... , b_{1005}, b_{1006}$, where $b_1, b_2, ... , b_{1006}$ are positive reals with product $1$. Show that $a_3a_{2011} \le 1012036$
2014 Indonesia MO, 4
Determine all polynomials with integral coefficients $P(x)$ such that if $a,b,c$ are the sides of a right-angled triangle, then $P(a), P(b), P(c)$ are also the sides of a right-angled triangle. (Sides of a triangle are necessarily positive. Note that it's not necessary for the order of sides to be preserved; if $c$ is the hypotenuse of the first triangle, it's not necessary that $P(c)$ is the hypotenuse of the second triangle, and similar with the others.)