Given that the polynomial $P(x) = x^5 - x^2 + 1$ has $5$ roots $r_1, r_2, r_3, r_4, r_5$. Find the value of the product $Q(r_1)Q(r_2)Q(r_3)Q(r_4)Q(r_5)$, where $Q(x) = x^2 + 1$.

Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ matrix of real numbers for some $n\ge 1.$ For each positive integer $k,$ let $A^{[k]}$ be the matrix obtained by raising each entry to the $k$th power. Show that if $A^k=A^{[k]}$ for $k=1,2,\cdots,n+1,$ then $A^k=A^{[k]}$ for all $k\ge 1.$

A sequence of polynomials $P_m(x, y, z), m = 0, 1, 2, \cdots$, in $x, y$, and $z$ is defined by $P_0(x, y, z) = 1$ and by \[P_m(x, y, z) = (x + z)(y + z)P_{m-1}(x, y, z + 1) - z^2P_{m-1}(x, y, z)\] for $m > 0$. Prove that each $P_m(x, y, z)$ is symmetric, in other words, is unaltered by any permutation of $x, y, z.$

Let $f$ be a polynomial of degree $98$, such that $f (k) =\frac{1}{k}$ for $k=1,2,3,\ldots,99$. Determine $f(100)$.

If for the coefficients of equation $x^3+ax^2+bx+c=0$ whose roots are all real, holds, $a^2= 2(b+1)$ then $|a-c|\le 2$. Prove it.

Find the real number coefficient $c$ of polynomial $x^2+x+c$, if his roots $x_1$ and $x_2$ satisfy following: $$\frac{2x_1^3}{2+x_2}+\frac{2x_2^3}{2+x_1}=-1$$

Let $ABC$ be a triangle and $m$ a line which intersects the sides $AB$ and $AC$ at interior points $D$ and $F$, respectively, and intersects the line $BC$ at a point $E$ such that $C$ lies between $B$ and $E$. The parallel lines from the points $A$, $B$, $C$ to the line $m$ intersect the circumcircle of triangle $ABC$ at the points $A_1$, $B_1$ and $C_1$, respectively (apart from $A$, $B$, $C$). Prove that the lines $A_1E$ , $B_1F$ and $C_1D$ pass through the same point. [i]Greece[/i]

The real numbers $a$, $b$, $c$, $d$ satisfy simultaneously the equations \[abc -d = 1, \ \ \ bcd - a = 2, \ \ \ cda- b = 3, \ \ \ dab - c = -6.\] Prove that $a + b + c + d \not = 0$.

The lateral surface of a cylinder of revolution is divided by $n-1$ planes parallel to the base and $m$ parallel generators into $mn$ cases $( n\ge 1,m\ge 3)$. Two cases will be called neighbouring cases if they have a common side. Prove that it is possible to write a real number in each case such that each number is equal to the sum of the numbers of the neighbouring cases and not all the numbers are zero if and only if there exist integers $k,l$ such that $n+1$ does not divide $k$ and \[ \cos \frac{2l\pi}{m}+\cos\frac{k\pi}{n+1}=\frac{1}{2}\] [i]Ciprian Manolescu[/i]

In every cell of the table $3 \times 3$ a monomial with a positive coefficient is written (cells (1,1); (2,3); (3,2) have the degree of two, cells (1,2);(2,1);(3,3) have a degree of one, cells (3,1);(2,2);(1,3) have a constant). Vuga added up monomials in every row and got three quadratic polynomials. It turned out that exactly $N$ of them have real roots. Leka added up monomials in every column and got three quadratic polynomials. It turned out that exactly $M$ of them have real roots. Find the maximum possible value of $N-M$.

Suppose $a$ real number so that there is a non-constant polynomial $P (x)$ such that $\frac{P(x+1)-P(x)}{P(x+\pi)}= \frac{a}{x+\pi}$ for each real number $x$, with $x+\pi \ne 0$ and $P(x+\pi)\ne 0$. Show that $a$ is a natural number.

Find all polynomials $P(x)$ with real coefficients such that $P(2014) = 1$ and, for some integer $c$: $xP(x-c) = (x - 2014)P(x)$

[u]Round 5[/u] [b]p13.[/b] You have a $26 \times 26$ grid of squares. Color each randomly with red, yellow, or blue. What is the expected number (to the nearest integer) of $2 \times 2$ squares that are entirely red? [b]p14.[/b] Four snakes are boarding a plane with four seats. Each snake has been assigned to a different seat. The first snake sits in the wrong seat. Any subsequent snake will sit in their assigned seat if vacant, if not, they will choose a random seat that is available. What is the expected number of snakes who sit in their correct seats? [b]p15.[/b] Let $n \ge 1$ be an integer and $a > 0$ a real number. In terms of n, find the number of solutions $(x_1, ..., x_n)$ of the equation $\sum^n_{i=1}(x^2_i + (a - x_i)^2) = na^2$ such that $x_i$ belongs to the interval $[0, a]$ , for $i = 1, 2, . . . , n$. [u]Round 6 [/u] [b]p16.[/b] All roots of $$\prod^{25}_{n=1} \prod^{2n}_{k=0}(-1)^k \cdot x^k = 0$$ are written in the form $r(\cos \phi + i\sin \phi)$ for $i^2 = -1$, $r > 0$, and $0 \le \phi < 2\pi$. What is the smallest positive value of $\phi$ in radians? [b]p17.[/b] Find the sum of the distinct real roots of the equation $$\sqrt[3]{x^2 - 2x + 1} + \sqrt[3]{x^2 - x - 6} = \sqrt[3]{2x^2 - 3x - 5}.$$ [b]p18.[/b] If $a$ and $b$ satisfy the property that $a2^n + b$ is a square for all positive integers $n$, find all possible value(s) of $a$. [u]Round 7 [/u] [b]p19.[/b] Compute $(1 - \cot 19^o)(1 - \cot 26^o)$. [b]p20.[/b] Consider triangle $ABC$ with $AB = 3$, $BC = 5$, and $\angle ABC = 120^o$. Let point $E$ be any point inside $ABC$. The minimum of the sum of the squares of the distances from $E$ to the three sides of $ABC$ can be written in the form $a/b$ , where a and b are natural numbers such that the greatest common divisor of $a$ and $b$ is $1$. Find $a + b$. [b]p21.[/b] Let $m \ne 1$ be a square-free number (an integer – possibly negative – such that no square divides $m$). We denote $Q(\sqrt{m})$ to be the set of all $a + b\sqrt{m}$ where $a$ and $b$ are rational numbers. Now for a fixed $m$, let $S$ be the set of all numbers $x$ in $Q(\sqrt{m})$ such that x is a solution to a polynomial of the form: $x^n + a_1x^{n-1} + .... + a_n = 0$, where $a_0$, $...$, $a_n$ are integers. For many integers m, $S = Z[\frac{m}] = \{a + b\sqrt{m}\}$ where $a$ and $b$ are integers. Give a classification of the integers for which this is not true. (Hint: It is true for $ m = -1$ and $2$.) PS. You should use hide for answers. Rounds 1-4 have been posted [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c4h2782002p24434611]here[/url]. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

A polynomial $p(x)$ of degree $n\ge 2$ has exactly $n$ real roots, counted with multiplicity. We know that the coefficient of $x^n$ is $1$, all the roots are less than or equal to $1$, and $p(2)=3^n$. What values can $p(1)$ take?

Let $p$ be a prime number, and define a sequence by: $x_i=i$ for $i=,0,1,2...,p-1$ and $x_n=x_{n-1}+x_{n-p}$ for $n \geq p$ Find the remainder when $x_{p^3}$ is divided by $p$.