An $n\times n$ chessboard is given, where $n$ is an even positive integer. On every line, the unit squares are to be permuted, subject to the condition that the resulting table has to be symmetric with respect to its main diagonal (the diagonal from the top-left corner to the bottom-right corner). We say that a board is [i]alternative[/i] if it has at least one pair of complementary lines (two lines are complementary if the unit squares on them which lie on the same column have distinct colours). Otherwise, we call the board [i]nonalternative[/i]. For what values of $n$ do we always get from the $n\times n$ chessboard an alternative board?\\ \\ [i](Alexandru Petrescu and Andra Elena Mircea)[/i]

Georg has a circular game board with 100 squares labelled $1, 2, . . . , 100$. Georg chooses three numbers $a, b, c$ among the numbers $1, 2, . . . , 99$. The numbers need not be distinct. Initially there is a piece on the square labelled $100$. First, Georg moves the piece $a$ squares forward $33$ times and puts a caramel on each of the squares the piece lands on. Then he moves the piece $b$ squares forward $33$ times and puts a caramel on each of the squares the piece lands on. Finally, he moves the piece $c$ squares forward $33$ times and puts a caramel on each of the squares the piece lands on. Thus he puts a total of $99$ caramels on the board. Georg wins all the caramels on square number $1$. How many caramels can Georg win, at most? [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/d/c/af438e5feadca5b1bfc98ae427f6fc24655e29.png[/img]

A complex number $z$ whose real and imaginary parts are integers satisfies $\left(Re(z) \right)^4 +\left(Re(z^2)\right)^2 + |z|^4 =(2018)(81)$, where $Re(w)$ and $Im(w)$ are the real and imaginary parts of $w$, respectively. Find $\left(Im(z) \right)^2$ .

Show that \[ \frac{1 - s^a}{1 - s} \leq (1 + s)^{a-1}\] holds for every $1 \neq s > 0$ real and $0 < a \leq 1$ rational.

Let $a_1,...,a_n$ be $n$ real numbers. If for each odd positive integer $k\leqslant n$ we have $a_1^k+a_2^k+\ldots+a_n^k=0$, then for each odd positive integer $k$ we have $a_1^k+a_2^k+\ldots+a_n^k=0$. [i]Proposed by M. Didin[/i]

The golden ratio $\phi = \frac{1+\sqrt5}{2}$ satisfies the property $\phi^2 =\phi + 1$. Point $P$ lies inside equilateral triangle $\vartriangle ABC$ such that $PA = \phi$, $PB = 2$, and angle $\angle APC$ measures $150$ degrees. What is the measure of $\angle BPC$ in degrees?

In a triangle, both the sides and the angles form arithmetic sequences. Determine the angles of the triangle.

$100$ heaps of stones lie on a table. Two players make moves in turn. At each move, a player can remove any non-zero number of stones from the table, so that at least one heap is left untouched. The player that cannot move loses. Determine, for each initial position, which of the players, the first or the second, has a winning strategy. [i]K. Kokhas[/i] [b]EDIT.[/b] It is indeed confirmed by the sender that empty heaps are still heaps, so the third post contains the right guess of an interpretation.

If $3^p + 3^4 = 90$, $2^r + 44 = 76$, and $5^3 + 6^s = 1421$, what is the product of $p$, $r$, and $s$? $\textbf{(A)}\ 27 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 40 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 50 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 70 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 90$

Ten localities are served by two international airlines such that there exists a direct service (without stops) between any two of these localities and all airline schedules offer round-trip service between the cities they serve. Prove that at least one of the airlines can offer two disjoint round trips each containing an odd number of landings.

Determine whether there exists a polynomial $f(x_1, x_2)$ with two variables, with integer coefficients, and two points $A=(a_1, a_2)$ and $B=(b_1, b_2)$ in the plane, satisfying the following conditions: (i) $A$ is an integer point (i.e $a_1$ and $a_2$ are integers); (ii) $|a_1-b_1|+|a_2-b_2|=2010$; (iii) $f(n_1, n_2)>f(a_1, a_2)$ for all integer points $(n_1, n_2)$ in the plane other than $A$; (iv) $f(x_1, x_2)>f(b_1, b_2)$ for all integer points $(x_1, x_2)$ in the plane other than $B$. [i]Massimo Gobbino, Italy[/i]

Let $\mathbb{P}$ be the set of all primes and let $M$ be a subset of $\mathbb{P}$ with at least three elements. Suppose that for all $k \geq 1$ and for all subsets $A=\{p_1,p_2,\dots ,p_k \}$ of $M$ ,$A\neq M$ , all prime factors of $p_1p_2\dots p_k-1$ are in $M$ . Prove that $M=\mathbb{P}$.

Find all primes $p$ such that $p^2-p+1$ is a perfect cube.

Let $A$ be the set $A = \{ 1,2, \ldots, n\}$. Determine the maximum number of elements of a subset $B\subset A$ such that for all elements $x,y$ from $B$, $x+y$ cannot be divisible by $x-y$. [i]Mircea Lascu, Dorel Mihet[/i]

An ant walks on the interior surface of a cube, he moves on a straight line. If ant reaches to an edge the he moves on a straight line on cube's net. Also if he reaches to a vertex he will return his path. a) Prove that for each beginning point ant can has infinitely many choices for his direction that its path becomes periodic. b) Prove that if if the ant starts from point $A$ and its path is periodic, then for each point $B$ if ant starts with this direction, then his path becomes periodic.

Let $a,b$ be real numbers ($b\ne 0$) and consider the infinite arithmetic sequence $a, a+b ,a +2b , \ldots.$ Show that this sequence contains an infinite geometric subsequence if and only if $\frac{a}{b}$ is rational.

The perpendicular bisector to side $AC$ of triangle $ABC$ intersects side $BC$ at point $M$ (see fig.). The bisector of angle $\angle AMB$ intersects the circumcircle of triangle $ABC$ at point $K$. Prove that the line passing through the centers of the inscribed circles triangles $AKM$ and $BKM$, perpendicular to the bisector of angle $\angle AKB$. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/b/4/b53ec7df0643a90b835f142d99c417a2a1dd45.png[/img]

Given a positive odd integer $n$, show that the arithmetic mean of fractional parts $\{\frac{k^{2n}}{p}\}, k=1,..., \frac{p-1}{2}$ is the same for infinitely many primes $p$ .

Around the outside of a $4$ by $4$ square, construct four semicircles (as shown in the figure) with the four sides of the square as their diameters. Another square, $ABCD$, has its sides parallel to the corresponding sides of the original square, and each side of $ABCD$ is tangent to one of the semicircles. The area of the square $ABCD$ is [asy] pair A,B,C,D; A = origin; B = (4,0); C = (4,4); D = (0,4); draw(A--B--C--D--cycle); draw(arc((2,1),(1,1),(3,1),CCW)--arc((3,2),(3,1),(3,3),CCW)--arc((2,3),(3,3),(1,3),CCW)--arc((1,2),(1,3),(1,1),CCW)); draw((1,1)--(3,1)--(3,3)--(1,3)--cycle); dot(A); dot(B); dot(C); dot(D); dot((1,1)); dot((3,1)); dot((1,3)); dot((3,3)); label("$A$",A,SW); label("$B$",B,SE); label("$C$",C,NE); label("$D$",D,NW); [/asy] $\text{(A)}\ 16 \qquad \text{(B)}\ 32 \qquad \text{(C)}\ 36 \qquad \text{(D)}\ 48 \qquad \text{(E)}\ 64$

Show that for all integers $n>1$, \[ \dfrac {1}{2ne} < \dfrac {1}{e} - \left( 1 - \dfrac {1}{n} \right)^n < \dfrac {1}{ne}. \]

Two circles $\Gamma_1$ and $\Gamma_2$ meet at two distinct points $A$ and $B$. A line passing through $A$ meets $\Gamma_1$ and $\Gamma_2$ again at $C$ and $D$ respectively, such that $A$ lies between $C$ and $D$. The tangent at $A$ to $\Gamma_2$ meets $\Gamma_1$ again at $E$. Let $F$ be a point on $\Gamma_2$ such that $F$ and $A$ lie on different sides of $BD$, and $2\angle AFC=\angle ABC$. Prove that the tangent at $F$ to $\Gamma_2$, and lines $BD$ and $CE$ are concurrent.

Let $K, K_1$ be two circles with the same center and their radii equal to $R$ and $R_1 (R_1>R)$ respectively. Quadrilateral $ABCD$ is inscribed in circle $K$. Quadrilateral $A_1B_1C_1D_1$ is inscribed in circle $K_1$ where $A_1,B_1,C_1,D_1$ lie on rays $CD,DA,AB,BC$ respectively. Show that $\dfrac{S_{A_1B_1C_1D_1}}{S_{ABCD}}\ge \dfrac{R^2_1}{R^2}$.

A club with $x$ members is organized into four committees in accordance with these two rules: $ \text{(1)}\ \text{Each member belongs to two and only two committees}\qquad$ $\text{(2)}\ \text{Each pair of committees has one and only one member in common}$ Then $x$: $\textbf{(A)} \ \text{cannont be determined} \qquad$ $\textbf{(B)} \ \text{has a single value between 8 and 16} \qquad$ $\textbf{(C)} \ \text{has two values between 8 and 16} \qquad$ $\textbf{(D)} \ \text{has a single value between 4 and 8} \qquad$ $\textbf{(E)} \ \text{has two values between 4 and 8} \qquad$

Let $AD, BE$ be the altitudes and $CF$ be the angle bissector of acute non-isosceles triangle $ABC$ and $AE+BD=AB.$ Denote by $I_A, I_B, I_C$ the incentres of triangles $AEF,$ $BDF,$ $CDE$ respectively. Prove that points $D, E, F, I_A, I_B$ and $I_C$ lie on the same circle.

An unfair coin, which has the probability of $a\ \left(0<a<\frac 12\right)$ for showing $Heads$ and $1-a$ for showing $Tails$, is flipped $n\geq 2$ times. After $n$-th trial, denote by $A_n$ the event that heads are showing on at least two times and by$B_n$ the event that are not showing in the order of $tails\rightarrow heads$, until the trials $T_1,\ T_2,\ \cdots ,\ T_n$ will be finished . Answer the following questions: (1) Find the probabilities $P(A_n),\ P(B_n)$. (2) Find the probability $P(A_n\cap B_n )$. (3) Find the limit $\lim_{n\to\infty} \frac{P(A_n) P(B_n)}{P(A_n\cap B_n )}.$ You may use $\lim_{n\to\infty} nr^n=0\ (0<r<1).$