Find the greatest $n$ such that $(z+1)^n = z^n + 1$ has all its non-zero roots in the unitary circumference, e.g. $(\alpha+1)^n = \alpha^n + 1, \alpha \neq 0$ implies $|\alpha| = 1.$

Let $ a,b$ be two complex numbers. Prove that roots of $ z^{4}\plus{}az^{2}\plus{}b$ form a rhombus with origin as center, if and only if $ \frac{a^{2}}{b}$ is a non-positive real number.

Find all positive integers $n$ for which the following statement holds: For any two polynomials $P(x)$ and $Q(x)$ of degree $n$ there exist monomials $ax^k$ and $bx^{ell}, 0 \le k,\ ell \le n$, such that the graphs of $P(x) + ax^k$ and $Q(x) + bx^{ell}$ have no common points.

Let $P(x)$ be a polynomial with rational coefficients such that when $P(x)$ is divided by the polynomial $x^2 + x + 1$, the remainder is $x + 2$, and when $P(x)$ is divided by the polynomial $x^2 + 1$, the remainder is $2x + 1$. There is a unique polynomial of least degree with these two properties. What is the sum of the squares of the coefficients of that polynomial? $\textbf{(A) } 10 \qquad \textbf{(B) } 13 \qquad \textbf{(C) } 19 \qquad \textbf{(D) } 20 \qquad \textbf{(E) } 23$

Define a sequence $<x_n>$ by $x_1 = 1, x_2 = x, x_{n+2} = xx_{n+1} + nx_n, n \ge 1$. Consider the polynomial $P_n(x) = x_{n-1}x_{n+1} - x_n^2$, for each $n \ge 2$. Prove or disprove that the coefficients of $P_n(x)$ are all non-negative, except for the constant term when $n$ is odd.

Prove that for all natural $n$ there exists a polynomial $P(x)$ divisible by $(x-1)^n$ such that its degree is not greater than $2^n$ and each of its coefficients is equal to $1$, $0$ or $-1$. (D. Fomin, Leningrad)

Prove that if $a$ and $b$ are positive integers and $ab>1$, then \[\left\lfloor\frac{(a-b)^2-1}{ab}\right\rfloor=\left\lfloor\frac{(a-b)^2-1}{ab-1}\right\rfloor.\]Here $\lfloor x\rfloor$ denotes the greatest integer not exceeding $x$. [i]Calvin Deng.[/i]

Suppose $z=a+bi$ is a solution of the polynomial equation $c_4z^4+ic_3z^3+c_2z^2+ic_1z+c_0=0$, where $c_0$, $c_1$, $c_2$, $c_3$, $a$, and $b$ are real constants and $i^2=-1$. Which of the following must also be a solution? $\textbf{(A) } -a-bi\qquad \textbf{(B) } a-bi\qquad \textbf{(C) } -a+bi\qquad \textbf{(D) }b+ai \qquad \textbf{(E) } \text{none of these}$

Ivan and Kolya play a game, Ivan starts. Initially, the polynomial $x-1$ is written of the blackboard. On one move, the player deletes the current polynomial $f(x)$ and replaces it with $ax^{n+1}-f(-x)-2$, where $\deg(f)=n$ and $a$ is a real root of $f$. The player who writes a polynomial which does not have real roots loses. Can Ivan beat Kolya?

Compute the number of monic polynomials $q(x)$ with integer coefficients of degree $12$ such that there exists an integer polynomial $p(x)$ satisfying $q(x)p(x) = q(x^2).$ [i]Proposed by Yang Liu[/i]

Let $n$ be a positive integer and let $(1+iT)^n=f(T)+ig(T)$ where $i$ is the square root of $-1$, and $f$ and $g$ are polynomials with real coefficients. Show that for any real number $k$ the equation $f(T)+kg(T)=0$ has only real roots.

Let $f$ be an irreducible (in $Z[x]$) monic polynomial with integer coefficients and of odd degree greater than $1$. Suppose that the modules of the roots of $f$ are greater than $1$ and that $f(0)$ is a square-free number. Prove that the polynomial $g(x) = f(x^3)$ is also irreducible

[u]Round 1[/u] [b]p1.[/b] Let $n$ be a two-digit positive integer. What is the maximum possible sum of the prime factors of $n^2 - 25$ ? [b]p2.[/b] Angela has ten numbers $a_1, a_2, a_3, ... , a_{10}$. She wants them to be a permutation of the numbers $\{1, 2, 3, ... , 10\}$ such that for each $1 \le i \le 5$, $a_i \le 2i$, and for each $6 \le i \le 10$, $a_i \le - 10$. How many ways can Angela choose $a_1$ through $a_{10}$? [b]p3.[/b] Find the number of three-by-three grids such that $\bullet$ the sum of the entries in each row, column, and diagonal passing through the center square is the same, and $\bullet$ the entries in the nine squares are the integers between $1$ and $9$ inclusive, each integer appearing in exactly one square. [u]Round 2 [/u] [b]p4.[/b] Suppose that $P(x)$ is a quadratic polynomial such that the sum and product of its two roots are equal to each other. There is a real number $a$ that $P(1)$ can never be equal to. Find $a$. [b]p5.[/b] Find the number of ordered pairs $(x, y)$ of positive integers such that $\frac{1}{x} +\frac{1}{y} =\frac{1}{k}$ and k is a factor of $60$. [b]p6.[/b] Let $ABC$ be a triangle with $AB = 5$, $AC = 4$, and $BC = 3$. With $B = B_0$ and $C = C_0$, define the infinite sequences of points $\{B_i\}$ and $\{C_i\}$ as follows: for all $i \ge 1$, let $B_i$ be the foot of the perpendicular from $C_{i-1}$ to $AB$, and let $C_i$ be the foot of the perpendicular from $B_i$ to $AC$. Find $C_0C_1(AC_0 + AC_1 + AC_2 + AC_3 + ...)$. [u]Round 3 [/u] [b]p7.[/b] If $\ell_1, \ell_2, ... ,\ell_{10}$ are distinct lines in the plane and $p_1, ... , p_{100}$ are distinct points in the plane, then what is the maximum possible number of ordered pairs $(\ell_i, p_j )$ such that $p_j$ lies on $\ell_i$? [b]p8.[/b] Before Andres goes to school each day, he has to put on a shirt, a jacket, pants, socks, and shoes. He can put these clothes on in any order obeying the following restrictions: socks come before shoes, and the shirt comes before the jacket. How many distinct orders are there for Andres to put his clothes on? [b]p9. [/b]There are ten towns, numbered $1$ through $10$, and each pair of towns is connected by a road. Define a backwards move to be taking a road from some town $a$ to another town $b$ such that $a > b$, and define a forwards move to be taking a road from some town $a$ to another town $b$ such that $a < b$. How many distinct paths can Ali take from town $1$ to town $10$ under the conditions that $\bullet$ she takes exactly one backwards move and the rest of her moves are forward moves, and $\bullet$ the only time she visits town $10$ is at the very end? One possible path is $1 \to 3 \to 8 \to 6 \to 7 \to 8 \to 10$. [u]Round 4[/u] [b]p10.[/b] How many prime numbers $p$ less than $100$ have the properties that $p^5 - 1$ is divisible by $6$ and $p^6 - 1$ is divisible by $5$? [b]p11.[/b] Call a four-digit integer $\overline{d_1d_2d_3d_4}$ [i]primed [/i] if 1) $d_1$, $d_2$, $d_3$, and $d_4$ are all prime numbers, and 2) the two-digit numbers $\overline{d_1d_2}$ and $\overline{d_3d_4}$ are both prime numbers. Find the sum of all primed integers. [b]p12.[/b] Suppose that $ABC$ is an isosceles triangle with $AB = AC$, and suppose that $D$ and $E$ lie on $\overline{AB}$ and $\overline{AC}$, respectively, with $\overline{DE} \parallel \overline{BC}$. Let $r$ be the length of the inradius of triangle $ADE$. Suppose that it is possible to construct two circles of radius $r$, each tangent to one another and internally tangent to three sides of the trapezoid $BDEC$. If $\frac{BC}{r} = a + \sqrt{b}$ forpositive integers $a$ and $b$ with $b$ squarefree, then find $a + b$. PS. You should use hide for answers. Rounds 5-7 have been posted [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c4h2800986p24675177]here[/url]. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

[b]p1. [/b](a) Show that for every positive integer $m > 1$, there are positive integers $x$ and $y$ such that $x^2 - y^2 = m^3$. (b) Find all pairs of positive integers $(x, y)$ such that $x^6 = y^2 + 127$. [b]p2.[/b] (a) Let $P(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients. Suppose that $P(0)$ is an odd integer and that $P(1)$ is also an odd integer. Show that if $c$ is an integer then $P(c)$ is not equal to $0$. (b) Let P(x) be a polynomial with integer coefficients. Suppose that $P(1,000) = 1,000$ and $P(2,000) = 2,000.$ Explain why $P(3,000)$ cannot be equal to $1,000$. [b]p3.[/b] Triangle $\vartriangle ABC$ is created from points $A(0, 0)$, $B(1, 0)$ and $C(1/2, 2)$. Let $q, r$, and $s$ be numbers such that $0 < q < 1/2 < s < 1$, and $q < r < s$. Let D be the point on $AC$ which has $x$-coordinate $q$, $E$ be the point on AB which has $x$-coordinate $r$, and $F$ be the point on $BC$ that has $x$-coordinate $s$. (a) Find the area of triangle $\vartriangle DEF$ in terms of $q, r$, and $s$. (b) If $r = 1/2$, prove that at least one of the triangles $\vartriangle ADE$, $\vartriangle CDF$, or $\vartriangle BEF$ has an area of at least $1/4$. [b]p4.[/b] In the Gregorian calendar: (i) years not divisible by $4$ are common years, (ii) years divisible by $4$ but not by $100$ are leap years, (iii) years divisible by $100$ but not by $400$ are common years, (iv) years divisible by $400$ are leap years, (v) a leap year contains $366$ days, a common year $365$ days. From the information above: (a) Find the number of common years and leap years in $400$ consecutive Gregorian years. Show that $400$ consecutive Gregorian years consists of an integral number of weeks. (b) Prove that the probability that Christmas falls on a Wednesday is not equal to $1/7$. [b]p5.[/b] Each of the first $13$ letters of the alphabet is written on the back of a card and the $13$ cards are placed in a row in the order $$A,B,C,D,E, F, G,H, I, J,K, L,M$$ The cards are then turned over so that the letters are face down. The cards are rearranged and again placed in a row, but of course they may be in a different order. They are rearranged and placed in a row a second time and both rearrangements were performed exactly the same way. When the cards are turned over the letters are in the order $$B,M, A,H, G,C, F,E,D, L, I,K, J$$ What was the order of the letters after the cards were rearranged the first time? PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

Given distinct prime numbers $p$ and $q$ and a natural number $n \geq 3$, find all $a \in \mathbb{Z}$ such that the polynomial $f(x) = x^n + ax^{n-1} + pq$ can be factored into 2 integral polynomials of degree at least 1.