Suppose $X$ is a random variable that takes on only nonnegative integer values, with $E[X]=1,$ $E[X^2]=2,$ and $E[X^3]=5.$ (Here $E[Y]$ denotes the expectation of the random variable $Y.$) Determine the smallest possible value of the probability of the event $X=0.$

10 students are arranged in a row. Every minute, a new student is inserted in the row (which can occur in the front and in the back as well, hence $11$ possible places) with a uniform $\tfrac{1}{11}$ probability of each location. Then, either the frontmost or the backmost student is removed from the row (each with a $\tfrac{1}{2}$ probability). Suppose you are the eighth in the line from the front. The probability that you exit the row from the front rather than the back is $\tfrac{m}{n}$, where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers. Find $100m+n$. [i]Proposed by Lewis Chen[/i]

A given sequence $r_1, r_2, \dots, r_n$ of distinct real numbers can be put in ascending order by means of one or more ``bubble passes''. A bubble pass through a given sequence consists of comparing the second term with the first term, and exchanging them if and only if the second term is smaller, then comparing the third term with the second term and exchanging them if and only if the third term is smaller, and so on in order, through comparing the last term, $r_n$, with its current predecessor and exchanging them if and only if the last term is smaller. The example below shows how the sequence 1, 9, 8, 7 is transformed into the sequence 1, 8, 7, 9 by one bubble pass. The numbers compared at each step are underlined. \[ \begin{array}{c} \underline{1 \quad 9} \quad 8 \quad 7 \\ 1 \quad \underline{9 \quad 8} \quad 7 \\ 1 \quad 8 \quad \underline{9 \quad 7} \\ 1 \quad 8 \quad 7 \quad 9 \end{array} \] Suppose that $n = 40$, and that the terms of the initial sequence $r_1, r_2, \dots, r_{40}$ are distinct from one another and are in random order. Let $p/q$, in lowest terms, be the probability that the number that begins as $r_{20}$ will end up, after one bubble pass, in the $30^{\text{th}}$ place. Find $p + q$.

A box contains $2$ red marbles, $2$ green marbles, and $2$ yellow marbles. Carol takes $2$ marbles from the box at random; then Claudia takes $2$ of the remaining marbles at random; and then Cheryl takes the last two marbles. What is the probability that Cheryl gets $2$ marbles of the same color? $\textbf{(A) }\dfrac1{10}\qquad\textbf{(B) }\dfrac16\qquad\textbf{(C) }\dfrac15\qquad\textbf{(D) }\dfrac13\qquad\textbf{(E) }\dfrac12$

Let $ S$ be a set that contains $ n$ elements. Let $ A_{1},A_{2},\cdots,A_{k}$ be $ k$ distinct subsets of $ S$, where $ k\geq 2, |A_{i}| \equal{} a_{i}\geq 1 ( 1\leq i\leq k)$. Prove that the number of subsets of $ S$ that don't contain any $ A_{i} (1\leq i\leq k)$ is greater than or equal to $ 2^n\prod_{i \equal{} 1}^k(1 \minus{} \frac {1}{2^{a_{i}}}).$

Hi guys, I was just reading over old posts that I made last year ( :P ) and saw how much the level of Getting Started became harder. To encourage more people from posting, I decided to start a Problem of the Day. This is how I'll conduct this: 1. In each post (not including this one since it has rules, etc) everyday, I'll post the problem. I may post another thread after it to give hints though. 2. Level of problem.. This is VERY important. All problems in this thread will be all AHSME or problems similar to this level. No AIME. Some AHSME problems, however, that involve tough insight or skills will not be posted. The chosen problems will be usually ones that everyone can solve after working. Calculators are allowed when you solve problems but it is NOT necessary. 3. Response.. All you have to do is simply solve the problem and post the solution. There is no credit given or taken away if you get the problem wrong. This isn't like other threads where the number of problems you get right or not matters. As for posting, post your solutions here in this thread. Do NOT PM me. Also, here are some more restrictions when posting solutions: A. No single answer post. It doesn't matter if you put hide and say "Answer is ###..." If you don't put explanation, it simply means you cheated off from some other people. I've seen several posts that went like "I know the answer" and simply post the letter. What is the purpose of even posting then? Huh? B. Do NOT go back to the previous problem(s). This causes too much confusion. C. You're FREE to give hints and post different idea, way or answer in some cases in problems. If you see someone did wrong or you don't understand what they did, post here. That's what this thread is for. 4. Main purpose.. This is for anyone who visits this forum to enjoy math. I rememeber when I first came into this forum, I was poor at math compared to other people. But I kindly got help from many people such as JBL, joml88, tokenadult, and many other people that would take too much time to type. Perhaps without them, I wouldn't be even a moderator in this forum now. This site clearly made me to enjoy math more and more and I'd like to do the same thing. That's about the rule.. Have fun problem solving! Next post will contain the Day 1 Problem. You can post the solutions until I post one. :D

Jerry starts at 0 on the real number line. He tosses a fair coin 8 times. When he gets heads, he moves 1 unit in the positive direction; when he gets tails, he moves 1 unit in the negative direction. The probability that he reaches 4 at some time during this process is $a/b$, where $a$ and $b$ are relatively prime positive integers. What is $a+b$? (For example, he succeeds if his sequence of tosses is $HTHHHHHH$.) $\textbf{(A)}\ 69\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 151\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 257\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 293\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 313$

You know that the Jones family has five children, and the Smith family has three children. Of the eight children you know that there are five girls and three boys. Let $\dfrac{m}{n}$ be the probability that at least one of the families has only girls for children. Given that $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers, find $m+ n$.

Jason rolls three fair standard six-sided dice. Then he looks at the rolls and chooses a subset of the dice (possibly empty, possibly all three dice) to reroll. After rerolling, he wins if and only if the sum of the numbers face up on the three dice is exactly $7$. Jason always plays to optimize his chances of winning. What is the probability that he chooses to reroll exactly two of the dice? $\textbf{(A) } \frac{7}{36} \qquad\textbf{(B) } \frac{5}{24} \qquad\textbf{(C) } \frac{2}{9} \qquad\textbf{(D) } \frac{17}{72} \qquad\textbf{(E) } \frac{1}{4}$

A palindrome between $ 1000$ and $ 10,000$ is chosen at random. What is the probability that it is divisible by $ 7?$ $ \textbf{(A)}\ \dfrac{1}{10} \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \dfrac{1}{9} \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \dfrac{1}{7} \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \dfrac{1}{6}\qquad \textbf{(E)}\ \dfrac{1}{5}$

Jacob uses the following procedure to write down a sequence of numbers. First he chooses the first term to be $ 6$. To generate each succeeding term, he flips a fair coin. If it comes up heads, he doubles the previous term and subtracts $ 1$. If it comes up tails, he takes half of the previous term and subtracts $ 1$. What is the probability that the fourth term in Jacob's sequence is an integer? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac{1}{6} \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \frac{1}{3} \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \frac{1}{2} \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \frac{5}{8} \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ \frac{3}{4}$

Two jokers are added to a $52$ card deck and the entire stack of $54$ cards is shuffled randomly. What is the expected number of cards that will be strictly between the two jokers?

Three fair six-sided dice are rolled. What is the probability that the values shown on two of the dice sum to the value shown on the remaining die? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \dfrac16\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \dfrac{13}{72}\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \dfrac7{36}\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \dfrac5{24}\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \dfrac29 $

We randomly choose 5 distinct positive integers less than or equal to 90. What is the floor of 10 times the expected value of the fourth largest number?

Ten women sit in $ 10$ seats in a line. All of the $ 10$ get up and then reseat themselves using all $ 10$ seats, each sitting in the seat she was in before or a seat next to the one she occupied before. In how many ways can the women be reseated? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 89\qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 90\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 120\qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 2^{10}\qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 2^2 3^8$

Star flips a quarter four times. Find the probability that the quarter lands heads exactly twice. $\textbf{(A) }\dfrac18\hspace{14em}\textbf{(B) }\dfrac3{16}\hspace{14em}\textbf{(C) }\dfrac38$ $\textbf{(D) }\dfrac12$

We are given a finite, simple, non-directed graph. Ann writes positive real numbers on each edge of the graph such that for all vertices the following is true: the sum of the numbers written on the edges incident to a given vertex is less than one. Bob wants to write non-negative real numbers on the vertices in the following way: if the number written at vertex $v$ is $v_0$, and Ann's numbers on the edges incident to $v$ are $e_1,e_2,\ldots,e_k$, and the numbers on the other endpoints of these edges are $v_1,v_2,\ldots,v_k$, then $v_0=\sum_{i=1}^k e_iv_i+2022$. Prove that Bob can always number the vertices in this way regardless of the graph and the numbers chosen by Ann. Proposed by [i]Boldizsár Varga[/i], Verőce

Suppose that the function $h:\mathbb{R}^2\to\mathbb{R}$ has continuous partial derivatives and satisfies the equation \[h(x,y)=a\frac{\partial h}{\partial x}(x,y)+b\frac{\partial h}{\partial y}(x,y)\] for some constants $a,b.$ Prove that if there is a constant $M$ such that $|h(x,y)|\le M$ for all $(x,y)$ in $\mathbb{R}^2,$ then $h$ is identically zero.

Let $k\ge t\ge 2$ positive integers. For integers $n\ge k$ let $p_n$ be the probability that if we choose $k$ from the first $n$ positive integers randomly, any $t$ of the $k$ chosen integers have greatest common divisor $1$. Let qn be the probability that if we choose $k-t+1$ from the first $n$ positive integers the product is not divisible by a perfect $t^{th}$ power that is greater then $1$. Prove that sequences $p_n$ and $q_n$ converge to the same value.

A supermarket has $128$ crates of apples. Each crate contains at least $120$ apples and at most $144$ apples. What is the largest integer $n$ such that there must be at least $n$ crates containing the same number of apples? $\textbf{(A) }4\qquad\textbf{(B) }5\qquad\textbf{(C) }6\qquad\textbf{(D) }24\qquad \textbf{(E) }25$

Let $ a_1, a_2, \ldots , a_n$ be distinct positive integers and let $ M$ be a set of $ n \minus{} 1$ positive integers not containing $ s \equal{} a_1 \plus{} a_2 \plus{} \ldots \plus{} a_n.$ A grasshopper is to jump along the real axis, starting at the point $ 0$ and making $ n$ jumps to the right with lengths $ a_1, a_2, \ldots , a_n$ in some order. Prove that the order can be chosen in such a way that the grasshopper never lands on any point in $ M.$ [i]Proposed by Dmitry Khramtsov, Russia[/i]

In a cardboard box are a large number of loose socks. Some of the socks are red, the others are blue. It is stated that the total number of socks does not exceed $1993$. Furthermore, it is stated that the probability of pulling two socks from the same color when two socks are randomly drawn from the box is $1/2$. What is according to the available information, the largest number of red socks that can exist in the box?

Tom, Dick, and Harry are playing a game. Starting at the same time, each of them flips a fair coin repeatedly until he gets his first head, at which point he stops. What is the probability that all three flip their coins the same number of times? $\textbf{(A)}\ \frac{1}{8} \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \frac{1}{7} \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \frac{1}{6} \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \frac{1}{4} \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ \frac{1}{3}$

The probability of drawing a red marble from a bag is $\frac{3}{5}$. After some red marbles are removed, the probability of drawing a red marble is $\frac{2}{7}$. What is the smallest number of marbles that could have originally been in the bag?

Let $n$ be a positive integer. Let $(a, b, c)$ be a random ordered triple of nonnegative integers such that $a + b + c = n$, chosen uniformly at random from among all such triples. Let $M_n$ be the expected value (average value) of the largest of $a$, $b$, and $c$. As $n$ approaches infinity, what value does $\frac{M_n}{n}$ approach?