Suppose that $728$ coins are set on a table, all facing heads up at first. For each iteration, we randomly choose $314$ coins and flip them (from heads to tails or vice versa). Let $a/b$ be the expected number of heads after we finish $4001$ iterations, where $a$ and $b$ are relatively prime. Find $a + b$ mod $10000$.

Six ants simultaneously stand on the six vertices of a regular octahedron, with each ant at a different vertex. Simultaneously and independently, each ant moves from its vertex to one of the four adjacent vertices, each with equal probability. What is the probability that no two ants arrive at the same vertex? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac {5}{256} \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \frac {21}{1024} \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \frac {11}{512} \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \frac {23}{1024} \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ \frac {3}{128}$

What is the probability of having no $B$ before the first $A$ in a random permutation of the word $\text{ABRAKADABRA}$? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \dfrac 23 \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \dfrac 57 \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \dfrac 56 \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \dfrac 67 \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \text{None of the preceding} $

A positive integer $n$ between $1$ and $N=2007^{2007}$ inclusive is selected at random. If $a$ and $b$ are natural numbers such that $a/b$ is the probability that $N$ and $n^3-36n$ are relatively prime, find the value of $a+b$.

Gary has $2$ children. We know one is a boy born on a Friday. Assume birthing boys and girls are equally likely, being born on any day of the week is equally likely, and that these properties are independent of each other, as well as independent from child to child. The probability that both of Gary's children are boys is $\tfrac{a}{b}$ where $a$ and $b$ are relatively prime integers. Find $a + b.$

Two counterfeit coins of equal weight are mixed with 8 identical genuine coins. The weight of each of the counterfeit coins is different from the weight of each of the genuine coins. A pair of coins is selected at random without replacement from the 10 coins. A second pair is selected at random without replacement from the remaining 8 coins. The combined weight of the first pair is equal to the combined weight of the second pair. What is the probability that all 4 selected coins are genuine? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac{7}{11}\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \frac{9}{13}\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \frac{11}{15}\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \frac{15}{19}\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \frac{15}{16} $

Many states use a sequence of three letters followed by a sequence of three digits as their standard license-plate pattern. Given that each three-letter three-digit arrangement is equally likely, the probability that such a license plate will contain at least one palindrome (a three-letter arrangement or a three-digit arrangement that reads the same left-to-right as it does right-to-left) is $m/n$, where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers. Find $m+n$.

Let $0<p<1$ be given. Initially, we have $n$ coins, all of which have probability $p$ of landing on heads, and probability $1-p$ of landing on tails (the results of the tosses are independent of each other). In each round, we toss our coins and remove those that result in heads. We keep repeating this until all our coins are removed. Let $k_n$ denote the expected number of rounds that are needed to get rid of all the coins. Prove that there exists $c>0$ for which the following inequality holds for all $n>0$ \[c\bigg(1+\frac{1}{2}+\cdots+\frac{1}{n}\bigg)<k_n<1+c\bigg(1+\frac{1}{2}+\cdots+\frac{1}{n}\bigg).\]

Derek and Julia are two of 64 players at a casual basketball tournament. The players split up into 8 teams of 8 players at random. Each team then randomly selects 2 captains among their players. What is the probability that both Derek and Julia are captains?

Points $ A, B, C, D $ are vertices of an isosceles trapezoid, with $ \overline{AB} $ parallel to $ \overline{CD} $, $ AB = 1 $, $ CD = 2 $, and $ BC = 1 $. Point $ E $ is chosen uniformly and at random on $ \overline{CD} $, and let point $ F $ be the point on $ \overline{CD} $ such that $ EC = FD $. Let $ G $ denote the intersection of $ \overline{AE} $ and $ \overline{BF} $, not necessarily in the trapezoid. What is the probability that $ \angle AGB > 30^\circ $?

Two points on the circumference of a circle of radius r are selected independently and at random. From each point a chord of length r is drawn in a clockwise direction. What is the probability that the two chords intersect? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac{1}{6}\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \frac{1}{5}\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \frac{1}{4}\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \frac{1}{3}\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \frac{1}{2} $

Consider a function $f$ on nonnegative integers such that $f(0)=1, f(1)=0$ and $f(n)+f(n-1)=nf(n-1)+(n-1)f(n-2)$ for $n \ge 2$. Show that \[\frac{f(n)}{n!}=\sum_{k=0}^n \frac{(-1)^k}{k!}\]

a) There is an infinite sequence of $0,1$, like $\dots,a_{-1},a_{0},a_{1},\dots$ (i.e. an element of $\{0,1\}^{\mathbb Z}$). At each step we make a new sequence. There is a function $f$ such that for each $i$, $\mbox{new }a_{i}=f(a_{i-100},a_{i-99},\dots,a_{i+100})$. This operation is mapping $F: \{0,1\}^{\mathbb Z}\longrightarrow\{0,1\}^{\mathbb Z}$. Prove that if $F$ is 1-1, then it is surjective. b) Is the statement correct if we have an $f_{i}$ for each $i$?

Juli is a mathematician and devised an algorithm to find a husband. The strategy is: • Start interviewing a maximum of $1000$ prospective husbands. Assign a ranking $r$ to each person that is a positive integer. No two prospects will have same the rank $r$. • Reject the first $k$ men and let $H$ be highest rank of these $k$ men. • After rejecting the first $k$ men, select the next prospect with a rank greater than $H$ and then stop the search immediately. If no candidate is selected after $999$ interviews, the $1000th$ person is selected. Juli wants to find the value of $k$ for which she has the highest probability of choosing the highest ranking prospect among all $1000$ candidates without having to interview all $1000$ prospects. [b](a)[/b] (6 points:) What is the probability that the highest ranking prospect among all $1000$ prospects is the $(m + 1)th$ prospect? [b](b)[/b] (6 points:) Assume the highest ranking prospect is the $(m + 1)th$ person to be interviewed. What is the probability that the highest rank candidate among the first $m$ candidates is one of the first $k$ candidates who were rejected? [b](c)[/b] (6 points:) What is the probability that the prospect with the highest rank is the $(m+1)th$ person and that Juli will choose the $(m+1)th$ man using this algorithm? [b](d)[/b] (16 points:) The total probability that Juli will choose the highest ranking prospect among the $1000$ prospects is the sum of the probability for each possible value of $m+1$ with $m+1$ ranging between $k+1$ and $1000$. Find the sum. To simplify your answer use the formula $In N \approx \frac{1}{N-1}+\frac{1}{N-2}+...+\frac{1}{2}+1$ [b](e)[/b] (6 points:) Find that value of $k$ that maximizes the probability of choosing the highest ranking prospect without interviewing all $1000$ candidates. You may need to know that the maximum of the function $x ln \frac{A}{x-1}$ is approximately $\frac{A + 1}{e}$, where $A$ is a constant and $e$ is Euler’s number, $e = 2.718....$

Let $a/b$ be the probability that a randomly selected divisor of $2007$ is a multiple of $3$. If $a$ and $b$ are relatively prime positive integers, find $a+b$.

Title is self explanatory. Pick two points on the unit sphere. What is the expected distance between them?

In a certain family, a husband and wife made the following agreement: If the wife washes the dishes one day, the husband washes the dishes the next day. However, if the husband washes the dishes one day, then who washes the dishes the next day is decided by drawing a coin. Let $ p_n $ denote the probability of the event that the husband washes the dishes on the $ n $-th day of the contract. Prove that there is a limit $ \lim_{n\to \infty} p_n $ and calculate it. We assume $ p_1 = \frac{1}{2} $.

A box contains exactly five chips, three red and two white. Chips are randomly removed one at a time without replacement until all the red chips are drawn or all the white chips are drawn. What is the probability that the last chip drawn is white? $ \displaystyle \textbf{(A)} \ \frac {3}{10} \qquad \textbf{(B)} \ \frac {2}{5} \qquad \textbf{(C)} \ \frac {1}{2} \qquad \textbf{(D)} \ \frac {3}{5} \qquad \textbf{(E)} \ \frac {7}{10}$

Let $a_1,a_2,a_3,\ldots$ be an infinite sequence where for all positive integers $i$, $a_i$ is chosen to be a random positive integer between $1$ and $2016$, inclusive. Let $S$ be the set of all positive integers $k$ such that for all positive integers $j<k$, $a_j\neq a_k$. (So $1\in S$; $2\in S$ if and only if $a_1\neq a_2$; $3\in S$ if and only if $a_1\neq a_3$ and $a_2\neq a_3$; and so on.) In simplest form, let $\dfrac{p}{q}$ be the expected number of positive integers $m$ such that $m$ and $m+1$ are in $S$. Compute $pq$.

Three students, with different names, line up single file. What is the probability that they are in alphabetical order from front-to-back? $\textbf{(A)}\ \dfrac{1}{12} \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \dfrac{1}{9} \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \dfrac{1}{6} \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \dfrac{1}{3} \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ \dfrac{2}{3}$

The number $21!=51,090,942,171,709,440,000$ has over $60,000$ positive integer divisors. One of them is chosen at random. What is the probability that it is odd? $\textbf{(A)} \frac{1}{21} \qquad \textbf{(B)} \frac{1}{19} \qquad \textbf{(C)} \frac{1}{18} \qquad \textbf{(D)} \frac{1}{2} \qquad \textbf{(E)} \frac{11}{21}$

Let $N>1$ and let $a_1,a_2,\dots,a_N$ be nonnegative reals with sum at most $500$. Prove that there exist integers $k\ge 1$ and $1=n_0<n_1<\dots<n_k=N$ such that \[\sum_{i=1}^k n_ia_{n_{i-1}}<2005.\]

You have four fair $6$-sided dice, each numbered $1$ to $6$ (inclusive). If all four dice are rolled, the probability that the product of the rolled numbers is prime can be written as $\tfrac{a}{b}$, where $a$ and $b$ are relatively prime. What is $a+b$?

Each face of a cube is painted either red or blue, each with probability $ 1/2$. The color of each face is determined independently. What is the probability that the painted cube can be placed on a horizontal surface so that the four vertical faces are all the same color? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac14 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \frac{5}{16} \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \frac38 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \frac{7}{16} \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ \frac12$

Real numbers $x,y,$ and $z$ are chosen from the interval $[-1,1]$ independently and uniformly at random. What is the probability that $$\vert{x}\vert+\vert{y}\vert+\vert{z}\vert+\vert{x+y+z}\vert=\vert{x+y}\vert+\vert{y+z}\vert+\vert{z+x}\vert?$$