Found problems: 1111
2020 BMT Fall, 7
A fair six-sided die is rolled five times. The probability that the five die rolls form an increasing sequence where each value is strictly larger than the one that preceded can be written in the form $m/n$ , where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers. Compute $m + n$.
2012 Iran MO (3rd Round), 4
Prove that from an $n\times n$ grid, one can find $\Omega (n^{\frac{5}{3}})$ points such that no four of them are vertices of a square with sides parallel to lines of the grid. Imagine yourself as Erdos (!) and guess what is the best exponent instead of $\frac{5}{3}$!
1979 Polish MO Finals, 3
An experiment consists of performing $n$ independent tests. The $i$-th test is successful with the probability equal to $p_i$. Let $r_k$ be the probability that exactly $k$ tests succeed. Prove that $$\sum_{i=1}^n p_i =\sum_{k=0}^n kr_k.$$
1999 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 10
Pyramid $EARLY$ is placed in $(x,y,z)$ coordinates so that $E=(10,10,0),A=(10,-10,0)$, $R=(-10,-10,0)$, $L=(-10,10,0)$, and $Y=(0,0,10)$. Tunnels are drilled through the pyramid in such a way that one can move from $(x,y,z)$ to any of the $9$ points $(x,y,z-1)$, $(x\pm 1,y,z-1)$, $(x,y\pm 1, z-1)$, $(x\pm 1, y\pm 1, z-1)$. Sean starts at $Y$ and moves randomly down to the base of the pyramid, choosing each of the possible paths with probability $\dfrac{1}{9}$. What is the probability that he ends up at the point $(8,9,0)$?
2013 Online Math Open Problems, 27
Ben has a big blackboard, initially empty, and Francisco has a fair coin. Francisco flips the coin $2013$ times. On the $n^{\text{th}}$ flip (where $n=1,2,\dots,2013$), Ben does the following if the coin flips heads:
(i) If the blackboard is empty, Ben writes $n$ on the blackboard.
(ii) If the blackboard is not empty, let $m$ denote the largest number on the blackboard. If $m^2+2n^2$ is divisible by $3$, Ben erases $m$ from the blackboard; otherwise, he writes the number $n$.
No action is taken when the coin flips tails. If probability that the blackboard is empty after all $2013$ flips is $\frac{2u+1}{2^k(2v+1)}$, where $u$, $v$, and $k$ are nonnegative integers, compute $k$.
[i]Proposed by Evan Chen[/i]
2004 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 5
A best-of-9 series is to be played between two teams; that is, the first team to win 5 games is the winner. The Mathletes have a chance of $\tfrac{2}{3}$ of winning any given game. What is the probability that exactly 7 games will need to be played to determine a winner?
2013 Putnam, 5
Let $X=\{1,2,\dots,n\},$ and let $k\in X.$ Show that there are exactly $k\cdot n^{n-1}$ functions $f:X\to X$ such that for every $x\in X$ there is a $j\ge 0$ such that $f^{(j)}(x)\le k.$
[Here $f^{(j)}$ denotes the $j$th iterate of $f,$ so that $f^{(0)}(x)=x$ and $f^{(j+1)}(x)=f\left(f^{(j)}(x)\right).$]
1992 IMO Longlists, 6
Suppose that n numbers $x_1, x_2, . . . , x_n$ are chosen randomly from the set $\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5\}$. Prove that the probability that $x_1^2+ x_2^2 +\cdots+ x_n^2 \equiv 0 \pmod 5$ is at least $\frac 15.$
1979 Spain Mathematical Olympiad, 6
An urn was filled with three balls by the following procedure: it was thrown a coin three times, inserting, each time a white ball came up heads, and every time tails came up, a black ball. We draw from this urn, four times consecutive, one ball; we return it to the urn before the next extraction. Which is the probability that in the four extractions a cue ball is obtained?
1996 Bosnia and Herzegovina Team Selection Test, 6
Let $a$ and $b$ be two integers which are coprime and let $n$ be one variable integer. Determine probability that number of solutions $(x,y)$, where $x$ and $y$ are nonnegative integers, of equation $ax+by=n$ is $\left\lfloor \frac{n}{ab} \right\rfloor + 1$
2003 AIME Problems, 13
A bug starts at a vertex of an equilateral triangle. On each move, it randomly selects one of the two vertices where it is not currently located, and crawls along a side of the triangle to that vertex. Given that the probability that the bug moves to its starting vertex on its tenth move is $m/n,$ where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers, find $m+n.$
2013 NIMO Problems, 3
Integers $a$, $b$, $c$ are selected independently and at random from the set $ \{ 1, 2, \cdots, 10 \} $, with replacement. If $p$ is the probability that $a^{b-1}b^{c-1}c^{a-1}$ is a power of two, compute $1000p$.
[i]Proposed by Evan Chen[/i]
2015 CCA Math Bonanza, L3.1
Bhairav the Bat lives next to a town where $12.5$% of the inhabitants have Type AB blood. When Bhairav the Bat leaves his cave at night to suck of the inhabitants blood, chooses individuals at random until he bites one with type AB blood, after which he stops. What is the expected value of the number of individuals Bhairav the Bat will bite in any given night?
[i]2015 CCA Math Bonanza Lightning Round #3.1[/i]
2021 JHMT HS, 3
Let $(x,y)$ be the coordinates of a point chosen uniformly at random within the unit square with vertices at $(0,0), (0,1), (1,0),$ and $(1,1).$ The probability that $|x - \tfrac{1}{2}| + |y - \tfrac{1}{2}| < \tfrac{1}{2}$ is $\tfrac{p}{q},$ where $p$ and $q$ are relatively prime integers. Find $p + q.$
2008 Hungary-Israel Binational, 2
For every natural number $ t$, $ f(t)$ is the probability that if a fair coin is tossed $ t$ times, the number of times we get heads is 2008 more than the number of tails. What is the value of $ t$ for which $ f(t)$ attains its maximum? (if there is more than one, describe all of them)
2018-2019 SDML (High School), 12
How many ordered pairs $(s, d)$ of positive integers with $4 \leq s \leq d \leq 2019$ are there such that when $s$ silver balls and $d$ diamond balls are randomly arranged in a row, the probability that the balls on each end have the same color is $\frac{1}{2}$?
$ \mathrm{(A) \ } 58 \qquad \mathrm{(B) \ } 59 \qquad \mathrm {(C) \ } 60 \qquad \mathrm{(D) \ } 61 \qquad \mathrm{(E) \ } 62$
2012 AMC 10, 9
A pair of six-sided fair dice are labeled so that one die has only even numbers (two each of $2$, $4$, and $6$), and the other die has only odd numbers (two each of $1$, $3$, and $5$). The pair of dice is rolled. What is the probability that the sum of the numbers on top of the two dice is $7$?
$ \textbf{(A)}\ \dfrac{1}{6}
\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \dfrac{1}{5}
\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \dfrac{1}{4}
\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \dfrac{1}{3}
\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \dfrac{1}{2}
$
1989 AMC 12/AHSME, 20
Let $x$ be a real number selected uniformly at random between 100 and 200. If $\lfloor {\sqrt{x}} \rfloor = 12$, find the probability that $\lfloor {\sqrt{100x}} \rfloor = 120$. ($\lfloor {v} \rfloor$ means the greatest integer less than or equal to $v$.)
$\text{(A)} \ \frac{2}{25} \qquad \text{(B)} \ \frac{241}{2500} \qquad \text{(C)} \ \frac{1}{10} \qquad \text{(D)} \ \frac{96}{625} \qquad \text{(E)} \ 1$
2006 AMC 10, 21
For a particular peculiar pair of dice, the probabilities of rolling 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 on each die are in the ratio $ 1: 2: 3: 4: 5: 6$. What is the probability of rolling a total of 7 on the two dice?
$ \textbf{(A) } \frac 4{63} \qquad \textbf{(B) } \frac 18 \qquad \textbf{(C) } \frac 8{63} \qquad \textbf{(D) } \frac 16 \qquad \textbf{(E) } \frac 27$
1982 Dutch Mathematical Olympiad, 3
Five marbles are distributed at a random among seven urns. What is the expected number of urns with exactly one marble?
2008 ITest, 34
While entertaining his younger sister Alexis, Michael drew two different cards from an ordinary deck of playing cards. Let $a$ be the probability that the cards are of different ranks. Compute $\lfloor 1000a\rfloor$.
2019 LIMIT Category C, Problem 8
Let $X_1,X_2,\ldots$ be a sequence of independent random variables distributed exponentially with mean $1$. Suppose $\mathbb N$ is a random variable independent of
$X_i$'s that has a Poisson distribution with mean $\lambda>0$. What is the expected value of $X_1+X_2+\ldots+X_N$?
$\textbf{(A)}~N^2$
$\textbf{(B)}~\lambda+\lambda^2$
$\textbf{(C)}~\lambda^2$
$\textbf{(D)}~\lambda$
2014 Contests, 1
1. What is the probability that a randomly chosen word of this sentence has exactly four letters?
1968 Miklós Schweitzer, 11
Let $ A_1,...,A_n$ be arbitrary events in a probability field. Denote by $ C_k$ the event that at least $ k$ of $ A_1,...,A_n$ occur. Prove that \[ \prod_{k=1}^n P(C_k) \leq \prod_{k=1}^n P(A_k).\]
[i]A. Renyi[/i]
1985 IMO Longlists, 80
Let $E = \{1, 2, \dots , 16\}$ and let $M$ be the collection of all $4 \times 4$ matrices whose entries are distinct members of $E$. If a matrix $A = (a_{ij} )_{4\times4}$ is chosen randomly from $M$, compute the probability $p(k)$ of $\max_i \min_j a_{ij} = k$ for $k \in E$. Furthermore, determine $l \in E$ such that $p(l) = \max \{p(k) | k \in E \}.$