Let be a nonnegative integer $ n. $ Prove that there exists an increasing and finite sequence of positive real numbers, $ \left( a_k \right)_{0\le k\le n} , $ that satisfy the equality $$ a_0/0! +a_1/1! +a_2/2! +\cdots +a_n/n! =1/n! , $$ and the inequality $$ a_0+a_1+a_2+\cdots +a_n<\frac{3}{2^n} . $$ [i]Dorin Andrica[/i]

Let $\operatorname{cif}(x)$ denote the sum of the digits of the number $x$ in the decimal system. Put $a_1=1997^{1996^{1997}}$, and $a_{n+1}=\operatorname{cif}(a_n)$ for every $n>0$. Find $\lim_{n\to\infty}a_n$.

The $2^{nd}$ order differentiable function $f:\mathbb R \longrightarrow \mathbb R$ is in such a way that for every $x\in \mathbb R$ we have $f''(x)+f(x)=0$. [b]a)[/b] Prove that if in addition, $f(0)=f'(0)=0$, then $f\equiv 0$. [b]b)[/b] Use the previous part to show that there exist $a,b\in \mathbb R$ such that $f(x)=a\sin x+b\cos x$.

Consider the sequence of real numbers $(a_n)_{n\ge1}$ such that $$\lim_{n\to\infty}\frac1{n^r}\sum_{k=1}^n\frac{a_k}k=l\in\mathbb R,r\in\mathbb N^*$$ Show that: $$\lim_{n\to\infty}\left(\dfrac{\displaystyle\sum_{p=n+1}^{2n}\sum_{k=1}^p\sum_{i=1}^k\frac{a_i}{p\cdot i}}{n^{r+1}}\right)=l\left(\frac{2^{r+1}}{r(r+1)}-\frac{2^r}{(r+1)^2}\right)$$ [i]Proposed by Florin Stănescu and Şerban Cioculescu[/i]

Let $f:\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ be a continuous function. A point $x$ is called a [i]shadow[/i] point if there exists a point $y\in \mathbb{R}$ with $y>x$ such that $f(y)>f(x).$ Let $a<b$ be real numbers and suppose that $\bullet$ all the points of the open interval $I=(a,b)$ are shadow points; $\bullet$ $a$ and $b$ are not shadow points. Prove that a) $f(x)\leq f(b)$ for all $a<x<b;$ b) $f(a)=f(b).$ [i]Proposed by José Luis Díaz-Barrero, Barcelona[/i]

Prove that if the $a_i$'s are different natural numbers, then $\sum_ {j = 1}^n a_j ^ 2 \prod_{k \neq j} \frac{a_j + a_k}{a_j-a_k}$ is a square number.

Find the real numbers $ \lambda $ that have the property that there is a nonconstant, continuous function $ u: [0,1]\longrightarrow\mathbb{R} $ satisfying $$ u(x)=\lambda\int_0^1 (x-3y)u(y)dy , $$ for any $ x $ in the interval $ [0,1]. $

Let $ n$ be a positive integer. Prove that, for $ 0<x<\frac{\pi}{n\plus{}1}$, $ \sin{x}\minus{}\frac{\sin{2x}}{2}\plus{}\cdots\plus{}(\minus{}1)^{n\plus{}1}\frac{\sin{nx}}{n}\minus{}\frac{x}{2}$ is positive if $ n$ is odd and negative if $ n$ is even.

For each positive integer \( n \), list in increasing order all irreducible fractions in the interval \([0, 1]\) that have a positive denominator less than or equal to \( n \): \[ 0 = \frac{p_0}{q_0} < \frac{1}{n} = \frac{p_1}{q_1} < \cdots < \frac{1}{1} = \frac{p_{M(n)}}{q_{M(n)}}. \] Let \( k \) be a positive integer. We define, for each \( n \) such that \( M(n) \geq k - 1 \), \[ f_k(n) = \min \left\{ \sum_{s=0}^{k-1} q_{j+s} : 0 \leq j \leq M(n) - k + 1 \right\}. \] Determine, in function of \( k \), \[ \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{f_k(n)}{n}. \] For example, if \( n = 4 \), the enumeration is \[ \frac{0}{1} < \frac{1}{4} < \frac{1}{3} < \frac{1}{2} < \frac{2}{3} < \frac{3}{4} < \frac{1}{1}, \] where \( p_0 = 0, p_1 = 1, p_2 = 1, p_3 = 1, p_4 = 2, p_5 = 3, p_6 = 1 \) and \( q_0 = 1, q_1 = 4, q_2 = 3, q_3 = 2, q_4 = 3, q_5 = 4, q_6 = 1 \). In this case, we have \( f_1(4) = 1, f_2(4) = 5, f_3(4) = 8, f_4(4) = 10, f_5(4) = 13, f_6(4) = 17 \), and \( f_7(4) = 18 \).

Let $f:[0,\infty)\rightarrow [0,\infty)$ be a continuous and bijective function, such that $$\lim_{x\rightarrow\infty}\frac{f^{-1}(f(x)/x)}{x}=1.$$ [list=a] [*] Show that $\lim_{x\rightarrow\infty}\frac{f(x)}{x}=\infty$ and $\lim_{x\rightarrow\infty}\frac{f^{-1}(ax)}{f^{-1}(x)}=1$ for any $a>0$. [*] Give an example of function which satisfies the hypothesis.

Is it possible to draw circles on the plane so that every line intersects at least one of them but no more than $100$ of them?

Let $f:(0,\infty)\to\mathbb R$ be a differentiable function. Assume that $$\lim_{x\to\infty}\left(f(x)+\frac{f'(x)}x\right)=0.$$Prove that $$\lim_{x\to\infty}f(x)=0.$$

Does there exist a nowhere dense, nonempty compact set $C \subset [0,1]$ such that \[ \liminf_{h \to 0^+} \frac{\lambda(C \cap (x, x+h))}{h} > 0 \quad \text{or} \quad \liminf_{h \to 0^+} \frac{\lambda(C \cap (x-h, x))}{h} > 0 \] holds for every point $x \in C$, where $\lambda(A)$ denotes the Lebesgue measure of $A$?

Let $ f(t)$ be a continuous function on the interval $ 0 \leq t \leq 1$, and define the two sets of points \[ A_t\equal{}\{(t,0): t\in[0,1]\} , B_t\equal{}\{(f(t),1): t\in [0,1]\}.\] Show that the union of all segments $ \overline{A_tB_t}$ is Lebesgue-measurable, and find the minimum of its measure with respect to all functions $ f$. [A. Csaszar]

Let $f:[0,1]\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ a differentiable function such that $f(0)=f(1)=0$ and $|f'(x)|\le 1,\ \forall x\in [0,1]$. Prove that: \[\left|\int_0 ^1f(t)dt\right|<\frac{1}{4}\]

Find all differentiable functions $ f:(0,\infty )\longrightarrow (-\infty ,\infty ) $ having the property that $$ f'(\sqrt{x}) =\frac{1+x+x^2}{1+x} , $$ for any positive real numbers $ x. $ [i]Ovidiu Țâțan[/i]

A sequence of real numbers $x_1,x_2,\ldots ,x_n$ is given such that $x_{i+1}=x_i+\frac{1}{30000}\sqrt{1-x_i^2},\ i=1,2,\ldots ,$ and $x_1=0$. Can $n$ be equal to $50000$ if $x_n<1$?

A cat is trying to catch a mouse in the non-negative quadrant \[N=\{(x_1,x_2)\in \mathbb{R}^2: x_1,x_2\geq 0\}.\] At time $t=0$ the cat is at $(1,1)$ and the mouse is at $(0,0)$. The cat moves with speed $\sqrt{2}$ such that the position $c(t)=(c_1(t),c_2(t))$ is continuous, and differentiable except at finitely many points; while the mouse moves with speed $1$ such that its position $m(t)=(m_1(t),m_2(t))$ is also continuous, and differentiable except at finitely many points. Thus $c(0)=(1,1)$ and $m(0)=(0,0)$; $c(t)$ and $m(t)$ are continuous functions of $t$ such that $c(t),m(t)\in N$ for all $t\geq 0$; the derivatives $c'(t)=(c'_1(t),c'_2(t))$ and $m'(t)=(m'_1(t),m'_2(t))$ each exist for all but finitely many $t$ and \[(c'_1(t)^2+(c'_2(t))^2=2 \qquad (m'_1(t)^2+(m'_2(t))^2=1,\] whenever the respective derivative exists. At each time $t$ the cat knows both the mouse's position $m(t)$ and velocity $m'(t)$. Show that, no matter how the mouse moves, the cat can catch it by time $t=1$; that is, show that the cat can move such that $c(\tau)=m(\tau)$ for some $\tau\in[0,1]$.

Prove that the function \[ f(\nu)= \int_1^{\frac{1}{\nu}} \frac{dx}{\sqrt{(x^2-1)(1-\nu^2x^2)}}\] (where the positive value of the square root is taken) is monotonically decreasing in the interval $ 0<\nu<1$. [P. Turan]

Let $f:[0,1]\to\mathbb{R}$ be a function for which there exists a constant $K>0$ such that $|f(x)-f(y)|\le K|x-y|$ for all $x,y\in [0,1].$ Suppose also that for each rational number $r\in [0,1],$ there exist integers $a$ and $b$ such that $f(r)=a+br.$ Prove that there exist finitely many intervals $I_1,\dots,I_n$ such that $f$ is a linear function on each $I_i$ and $[0,1]=\bigcup_{i=1}^nI_i.$

A real valued function $f$ is defined on the interval $(-1,2)$. A point $x_0$ is said to be a fixed point of $f$ if $f(x_0)=x_0$. Suppose that $f$ is a differentiable function such that $f(0)>0$ and $f(1)=1$. Show that if $f'(1)>1$, then $f$ has a fixed point in the interval $(0,1)$.

Find the twice-differentiable functions $ f:\mathbb{R}\longrightarrow\mathbb{R} $ that have the property that $$ f'(x)+F(x)=2f(x)+x^2/2, $$ for any real numbers $ x; $ where $ F $ is a primitive of $ f. $ [i]Carmen Botea[/i]

A real valued function $f$ is defined on the interval $(-1,2)$. A point $x_0$ is said to be a fixed point of $f$ if $f(x_0)=x_0$. Suppose that $f$ is a differentiable function such that $f(0)>0$ and $f(1)=1$. Show that if $f'(1)>1$, then $f$ has a fixed point in the interval $(0,1)$.

In whatever follows $f$ denotes a differentiable function from $\mathbb{R}$ to $\mathbb{R}$. $f \circ f$ denotes the composition of $f(x)$. $\textbf{(a)}$ If $f\circ f(x) = f(x) \forall x \in \mathbb{R}$ then for all $x$, $f'(x) =$ or $f'(f(x)) =$. Fill in the blank and justify. $\textbf{(b)}$Assume that the range of $f$ is of the form $ \left(-\infty , +\infty \right), [a, \infty ),(- \infty , b], [a, b] $. Show that if $f \circ f = f$, then the range of $f$ is $\mathbb{R}$. [hide=Hint](Hint: Consider a maximal element in the range of f)[/hide] $\textbf{(c)}$ If $g$ satisfies $g \circ g \circ g = g$, then $g$ is onto. Prove that $g$ is either strictly increasing or strictly decreasing. Furthermore show that if $g$ is strictly increasing, then $g$ is unique.

Let $f: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ be a continuous function with the following property: for all $\alpha \in \mathbb{R}_{>0}$, the sequence $(a_n)_{n \in \mathbb{N}}$ defined as $a_n = f(n\alpha)$ satisfies $\lim_{n \to \infty} a_n = 0$. Is it necessarily true that $\lim_{x \to +\infty} f(x) = 0$?