Let $b \geqslant 2$ be a positive integer. Anu has an infinite collection of notes with exactly $b-1$ copies of a note worth $b^k-1$ rupees, for every integer $k\geqslant 1$. A positive integer $n$ is called payable if Anu can pay exactly $n^2+1$ rupees by using some collection of her notes. Prove that if there is a payable number, there are infinitely many payable numbers. [i]Proposed by Shantanu Nene[/i]

Determine all integers $n \ge 3$ whose decimal expansion has less than $20$ digits, such that every quadratic non-residue modulo $n$ is a primitive root modulo $n$. [i]An integer $a$ is a quadratic non-residue modulo $n$, if there is no integer $b$ such that $a - b^2$ is divisible by $n$. An integer $a$ is a primitive root modulo $n$, if for every integer $b$ relatively prime to n there is a positive integer $k$ such that $a^k - b$ is divisible by $n$.[/i]

Determine the primes $p$ for which the numbers $2\lfloor p/k\rfloor - 1, \ k = 1,2,\ldots, p,$ are all quadratic residues modulo $p.$ [i]Vlad Matei[/i]

Let $p$ be an odd prime number. Show that the smallest positive quadratic nonresidue of $p$ is smaller than $\sqrt{p}+1$.

$p=3k+1$ is a prime number. For each $m \in \mathbb Z_p$, define function $L$ as follow: $L(m) = \sum_{x \in \mathbb{Z}_p}^{ } \left ( \frac{x(x^3 + m)}{p} \right )$ [i]a)[/i] For every $m \in \mathbb Z_p$ and $t \in {\mathbb Z_p}^{*}$ prove that $L(m) = L(mt^3)$. (5 points) [i]b)[/i] Prove that there is a partition of ${\mathbb Z_p}^{*} = A \cup B \cup C$ such that $|A| = |B| = |C| = \frac{p-1}{3}$ and $L$ on each set is constant. Equivalently there are $a,b,c$ for which $L(x) = \left\{\begin{matrix} a & & &x \in A \\ b& & &x \in B \\ c& & & x \in C \end{matrix}\right.$ . (7 points) [i]c)[/i] Prove that $a+b+c = -3$. (4 points) [i]d)[/i] Prove that $a^2 + b^2 + c^2 = 6p+3$. (12 points) [i]e)[/i] Let $X= \frac{2a+b+3}{3},Y= \frac{b-a}{3}$, show that $X,Y \in \mathbb Z$ and also show that :$p= X^2 + XY +Y^2$. (2 points) (${\mathbb Z_p}^{*} = \mathbb Z_p \setminus \{0\}$)

Find the number of positive integer pairs $1\leqslant a,b \leqslant 2027$ that satisfy \[ 2027 \mid a^6+b^5+b^2.\] (Note: For integers $a$ and $b$, the notation $a \mid b$ means that there is an integer $c$ such that $ac=b$.) [i]Proposed by Valentio Iverson, Indonesia[/i]

Find the numbers of ordered array $(x_1,...,x_{100})$ that satisfies the following conditions: ($i$)$x_1,...,x_{100}\in\{1,2,..,2017\}$; ($ii$)$2017|x_1+...+x_{100}$; ($iii$)$2017|x_1^2+...+x_{100}^2$.

Let $a_1,a_2,a_3,\ldots$ be a sequence of integers, with the property that every consecutive group of $a_i$'s averages to a perfect square. More precisely, for every positive integers $n$ and $k$, the quantity \[\frac{a_n+a_{n+1}+\cdots+a_{n+k-1}}{k}\] is always the square of an integer. Prove that the sequence must be constant (all $a_i$ are equal to the same perfect square). [i]Evan O'Dorney and Victor Wang[/i]