This website contains problems from math contests. Problems and corresponding tags were obtained from the Art of Problem Solving website.

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Found problems: 307

Let $\{a_n\}$ be the sequance with $a_0=0$, $a_n=\frac{1}{a_{n-1}-2}$ ($n\in N_+$). Select an arbitrary term $a_k$ in the sequence $\{a_n\}$ and construct the sequence $\{b_n\}$: $b_0=a_k$, $b_n=\frac{2b_{n-1}+1} {b_{n-1}}$ ($n\in N_+$) . Determine whether the sequence $\{b_n\}$ is a finite sequence or an infinite sequence and give proof.
The sequences $a_n$, $b_n$ and $c_n$ are defined recursively in the following way: $a_0 = 1/6$, $b_0 = 1/2$, $c_0 = 1/3,$ $$a_{n+1}= \frac{(a_n + b_n)(a_n + c_n)}{(a_n - b_n)(a_n - c_n)},\,\, b_{n+1}= \frac{(b_n + a_n)(b_n + c_n)}{(b_n - a_n)(b_n - c_n)},\,\, c_{n+1}= \frac{(c_n + a_n)(c_n + b_n)}{(c_n - a_n)(c_n - b_n)}$$ For each natural number $N$, the following polynomials are defined: $A_n(x) =a_o+a_1 x+ ...+ a_{2N}x^{2N}$ $B_n(x) =b_o+a_1 x+ ...+ a_{2N}x^{2N}$ $C_n(x) =a_o+a_1 x+ ...+ a_{2N}x^{2N}$ Assume the sequences are well defined. Show that there is no real $c$ such that $A_N(c) = B_N(c) = C_N(c) = 0$.
For an infinite sequence $a_1, a_2,. . .$ denote as it's [i]first derivative[/i] is the sequence $a'_n= a_{n + 1} - a_n$ (where $n = 1, 2,..$.), and her $k$- th derivative as the first derivative of its $(k-1)$-th derivative ($k = 2, 3,...$). We call a sequence [i]good[/i] if it and all its derivatives consist of positive numbers. Prove that if $a_1, a_2,. . .$ and $b_1, b_2,. . .$ are good sequences, then sequence $a_1\cdot b_1, a_2 \cdot b_2,..$ is also a good one. R. Salimov
For a given real number $a$, define the sequence $(a_n)$ by $a_1 = a$ and $$a_{n+1} =\begin{cases} \dfrac12 \left(a_n -\dfrac{1}{a_n}\right) \,\,\, if \,\,\, a_n \ne 0, \\ 0 \,\,\, if \,\,\, a_n = 0 \end{cases}$$ Prove that the sequence $(a_n)$ contains infinitely many nonpositive terms.
Laura is putting together the following list: $a_0, a_1, a_2, a_3, a_4, ..., a_n$, where $a_0 = 3$ and $a_1 = 4$. She knows that the following equality holds for any value of $n$ integer greater than or equal to $1$: $$a_n^2-2a_{n-1}a_{n+1} =(-2)^n.$$Laura calculates the value of $a_4$. What value does it get?
Let $A$ and $E$ be opposite vertices of an octagon. A frog starts at vertex $A.$ From any vertex except $E$ it jumps to one of the two adjacent vertices. When it reaches $E$ it stops. Let $a_n$ be the number of distinct paths of exactly $n$ jumps ending at $E$. Prove that: \[ a_{2n-1}=0, \quad a_{2n}={(2+\sqrt2)^{n-1} - (2-\sqrt2)^{n-1} \over\sqrt2}. \]
It is known that the general term $\{a_n\}$ of the sequence is $a_n =(\sqrt3 +\sqrt2)^{2n}$ ($n \in N*$), let $b_n= a_n +\frac{1}{a_n}$ . (1) Find the recurrence relation between $b_{n+2}$, $b_{n+1}$, $b_n$. (2) Find the unit digit of the integer part of $a_{2011}$.
Consider the sequence $a(n)$ defined by the following conditions: $$a(1) = 1\,\,\,\, a(n + 1) = a(n) + [\sqrt{a(n)}] \,\,\, , \,\,\,\, n = 1,2,3,...$$ Prove that the sequence contains an infinite number of perfect squares. (Note: $[x]$ means the integer part of $x$, that is the greatest integer not greater than $x$.) (A Andjans)
The sequence $x_1,x_2, ...$ is defined by the following equations: $$x_1=19, \ \ x_2=97, \ \ x_{n+2} =x_n - \frac{1}{x_{n+1}}$$ for $n \ge 1$. Prove that there exists a positive integer $k$ such that $x_k=0$ and find $k$. (A Berzinsh)
Find the greatest natural number $n$ such there exist natural numbers $x_{1}, x_{2}, \ldots, x_{n}$ and natural $a_{1}< a_{2}< \ldots < a_{n-1}$ satisfying the following equations for $i =1,2,\ldots,n-1$: \[x_{1}x_{2}\ldots x_{n}= 1980 \quad \text{and}\quad x_{i}+\frac{1980}{x_{i}}= a_{i}.\]
Let the sequences $(a_n)_{n=1}^{\infty}$ and $(b_n)_{n=1}^{\infty}$ satisfy $a_0 = b_0 = 1, a_n = 9a_{n-1} -2b_{n-1}$ and $b_n = 2a_{n-1} + 4b_{n-1}$ for all positive integers $n$. Let $c_n = a_n + b_n$ for all positive integers $n$. Prove that there do not exist positive integers $k, r, m$ such that $c^2_r = c_kc_m$.
Prove that the sequence defined by: $$ y_ {n + 1} = \frac {1} {2} (3y_ {n} + \sqrt {5y_ {n} ^ {2} -4}) , \,\, \forall n \ge 0$$ with $ y_ {0} = 1$ consists only of integers.
Let $x_1=a, x_2=a^{x_1}, ..., x_n=a^{x_{n-1}}$ where $a>1$. What is the maximum value of $a$ for which lim exists $\lim_{n\to \infty} x_n$ and what is this limit?
Let $(x_n)_{n\ge2}$ be a sequence of real numbers such that $x_2>0$ and $x_{n+1}=-1+\sqrt[n]{1+nx_n}$ for $n\ge2$. Find (a) $\lim_{n\to\infty}x_n$, (b) $\lim_{n\to\infty}nx_n$.
There are $2022$ numbers arranged in a circle $a_1, a_2, . . ,a_{2022}$. It turned out that for any three consecutive $a_i$, $a_{i+1}$, $a_{i+2}$ the equality $a_i =\sqrt2 a_{i+2} - \sqrt3 a_{i+1}$. Prove that $\sum^{2022}_{i=1} a_ia_{i+2} = 0$, if we know that $a_{2023} = a_1$, $a_{2024} = a_2$.
Consider the sequences $(a_n), (b_n)$ defined by \[a_1=3, \quad b_1=100 , \quad a_{n+1}=3^{a_n} , \quad b_{n+1}=100^{b_n} \] Find the smallest integer $m$ for which $b_m > a_{100}.$
Let it \(k \geq 1\) be an integer. Define the sequence \((a_n)_{n \geq 1}\) by \(a_0=0,a_1=1\) and \[ a_{n+2} = ka_{n+1}+a_n \] for \(n \geq 0\). Let it \(p\) an odd prime number. Denote \(m(p)\) as the smallest positive integer \(m\) such that \(p | a_m\). Denote \(T(p)\) as the smallest positive integer \(T\) such that for every natural \(j\) we gave \(p | (a_{T+j}-a_j)\). [list='i'] [*] Show that \(T(p) \leq (p-1) \cdot m(p)\). [*] Show that if \(T(p) = (p-1) \cdot m(p)\) then \[ \prod_{1 \leq j \leq T(p)-1}^{j \not \equiv 0 \pmod{m(p)}}{a_j} \equiv (-1)^{m(p)-1} \pmod{p} \] [/list]
Let $c$ be a positive integer. The sequence $\{f_n\}$ is defined as follows: \[f_1 = 1, f_2 = c, f_{n+1} = 2f_n - f_{n-1} + 2 \quad (n \geq 2).\] Show that for each $k \in \mathbb N$ there exists $r \in \mathbb N$ such that $f_kf_{k+1}= f_r.$
Let $n$ be a natural number. We define sequences $\langle a_i\rangle$ and $\langle b_i\rangle$ of integers as follows. We let $a_0=1$ and $b_0=n$. For $i>0$, we let $$\left( a_i,b_i\right)=\begin{cases} \left(2a_{i-1}+1,b_{i-1}-a_{i-1}-1\right) & \text{if } a_{i-1}<b_{i-1},\\ \left( a_{i-1}-b_{i-1}-1,2b_{i-1}+1\right) & \text{if } a_{i-1}>b_{i-1},\\ \left(a_{i-1},b_{i-1}\right) & \text{if } a_{i-1}=b_{i-1}.\end{cases}$$ Given that $a_k=b_k$ for some natural number $k$, prove that $n+3$ is a power of two.
Consider the sequence of integers $0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12,...$ obtained by starting with zero, adding $1$, then adding $1$ again, then adding $2$, and adding $2$ again, then adding $3$, and adding $3$ again, and so on. If we call the subsequent terms of this sequence $a_0, a_1, a_2, ...$, then we have $a_0 = 0$, and $a_{2n-1} = a_{2n-2} + n$ , $a_{2n} = a_{2n-1} + n$ for all integers $n \ge 1$. Find all integers $k \ge 0$ for which $a_k$ is the square of an integer.
Let $n$ be an integer greater than $1$. Define \[x_1 = n, y_1 = 1, x_{i+1} =\left[ \frac{x_i+y_i}{2}\right] , y_{i+1} = \left[ \frac{n}{x_{i+1}}\right], \qquad \text{for }i = 1, 2, \ldots\ ,\] where $[z]$ denotes the largest integer less than or equal to $z$. Prove that \[ \min \{x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n \} =[ \sqrt n ]\]
Let the sequence $ a(n), n \equal{} 1,2,3, \ldots$ be generated as follows with $ a(1) \equal{} 0,$ and for $ n > 1:$ \[ a(n) \equal{} a\left( \left \lfloor \frac{n}{2} \right \rfloor \right) \plus{} (\minus{}1)^{\frac{n(n\plus{}1)}{2}}.\] 1.) Determine the maximum and minimum value of $ a(n)$ over $ n \leq 1996$ and find all $ n \leq 1996$ for which these extreme values are attained. 2.) How many terms $ a(n), n \leq 1996,$ are equal to 0?
Prove that there exists no in nite sequence of prime numbers $p_0, p_1, p_2,...$ such that for all positive integers $k$: $p_k = 2p_{k-1} + 1$ or $p_k = 2p_{k-1} - 1$.
Let $x_n = \sqrt[2]{2+\sqrt[3]{3+\cdots+\sqrt[n]{n}}}.$ Prove that \[x_{n+1}-x_n <\frac{1}{n!} \quad n=2,3,\cdots\]
In a sports meeting a total of $m$ medals were awarded over $n$ days. On the first day one medal and $\frac{1}{7}$ of the remaining medals were awarded. On the second day two medals and $\frac{1}{7}$ of the remaining medals were awarded, and so on. On the last day, the remaining $n$ medals were awarded. How many medals did the meeting last, and what was the total number of medals ?