Olympiad problems

2023 Silk Road, 3

Let $p$ be a prime number. We construct a directed graph of $p$ vertices, labeled with integers from $0$ to $p-1$. There is an edge from vertex $x$ to vertex $y$ if and only if $x^2+1\equiv y \pmod{p}$. Let $f(p)$ denotes the length of the longest directed cycle in this graph. Prove that $f(p)$ can attain arbitrarily large values.

2020 Stars of Mathematics, 3

Tags: number theory , quadratic residue

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]

2014 Contests, 3

Tags: quadratic residue , divisibility , hensel , surjective

Find all positive integers $n$ such that for any integer $k$ there exists an integer $a$ for which $a^3+a-k$ is divisible by $n$. [i]Warut Suksompong, Thailand[/i]

2024 Indonesia Regional, 4

Tags: number theory , quadratic reciprocity , quadratic residue

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]

2014 USA Team Selection Test, 2

Tags: modular arithmetic , induction , quadratic residue , quadratic , number theory

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]

2022 Korea -Final Round, P5

Tags: number theory , divisibility , chinese remainder theorem , quadratic residue , hensel s lemma

Find all positive integers $m$ such that there exists integers $x$ and $y$ that satisfies $$m \mid x^2+11y^2+2022.$$

2025 India National Olympiad, P6

Tags: quadratic residue , base system , construction

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]

2016 Romanian Master of Mathematics Shortlist, N1

Tags: number theory , quadratic residue , primitive root

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]