Found problems: 307
1993 Austrian-Polish Competition, 7
The sequence $(a_n)$ is defined by $a_0 = 0$ and $a_{n+1} = [\sqrt[3]{a_n +n}]^3$ for $n \ge 0$.
(a) Find $a_n$ in terms of $n$.
(b) Find all $n$ for which $a_n = n$.
2009 Dutch Mathematical Olympiad, 2
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.
1984 Putnam, B1
Let $n$ be a positive integer, and define $f(n)=1!+2!+\ldots+n!$. Find polynomials $P$ and $Q$ such that
$$f(n+2)=P(n)f(n+1)+Q(n)f(n)$$for all $n\ge1$.
2018 Peru IMO TST, 10
For each positive integer $m> 1$, let $P (m)$ be the product of all prime numbers that divide $m$.
Define the sequence $a_1, a_2, a_3,...$ as followed:
$a_1> 1$ is an arbitrary positive integer,
$a_{n + 1} = a_n + P (a_n)$ for each positive integer $n$.
Prove that there exist positive integers $j$ and $k$ such that $a_j$ is the product of the first $k$ prime numbers.
2010 NZMOC Camp Selection Problems, 1
For any two positive real numbers $x_0 > 0$, $x_1 > 0$, a sequence of real numbers is defined recursively by $$x_{n+1} =\frac{4 \max\{x_n, 4\}}{x_{n-1}}$$ for $n \ge 1$. Find $x_{2010}$.
2018 Istmo Centroamericano MO, 1
A sequence of positive integers $g_1$, $g_2$, $g_3$, $. . . $ is defined as follows: $g_1 = 1$ and for every positive integer $n$, $$g_{n + 1} = g^2_n + g_n + 1.$$ Show that $g^2_{n} + 1$ divides $g^2_{n + 1}+1$ for every positive integer $n$.
2020 Jozsef Wildt International Math Competition, W53
Define the sequence $(w_n)_{n\ge0}$ by the recurrence relation
$$w_{n+2}=2w_{n+1}+3w_n,\enspace\enspace w_0=1,w_1=i,\enspace n=0,1,\ldots$$
(1) Find the general formula for $w_n$ and compute the first $9$ terms.
(2) Show that $|\Re w_n-\Im w_n|=1$ for all $n\ge1$.
[i]Proposed by Ovidiu Bagdasar[/i]
1985 Tournament Of Towns, (102) 6
The numerical sequence $x_1 , x_2 ,.. $ satisfies $x_1 = \frac12$ and $x_{k+1} =x^2_k+x_k$ for all natural integers $k$ . Find the integer part of the sum $\frac{1}{x_1+1}+\frac{1}{x_2+1}+...+\frac{1}{x_{100}+1}$
{A. Andjans, Riga)
1988 Austrian-Polish Competition, 5
Two sequences $(a_k)_{k\ge 0}$ and $(b_k)_{k\ge 0}$ of integers are given by $b_k = a_k + 9$ and $a_{k+1} = 8b_k + 8$ for $k\ge 0$. Suppose that the number $1988$ occurs in one of these sequences. Show that the sequence $(a_k)$ does not contain any nonzero perfect square.
2007 Denmark MO - Mohr Contest, 5
The sequence of numbers $a_0,a_1,a_2,...$ is determined by $a_0 = 0$, and
$$a_n= \begin{cases} 1+a_{n-1} \,\,\, when\,\,\, n \,\,\, is \,\,\, positive \,\,\, and \,\,\, odd \\
3a_{n/2} \,\,\,when \,\,\,n \,\,\,is \,\,\,positive \,\,\,and \,\,\,even\end{cases}$$
How many of these numbers are less than $2007$ ?
1981 IMO Shortlist, 16
A sequence of real numbers $u_1, u_2, u_3, \dots$ is determined by $u_1$ and the following recurrence relation for $n \geq 1$:
\[4u_{n+1} = \sqrt[3]{ 64u_n + 15.}\]
Describe, with proof, the behavior of $u_n$ as $n \to \infty.$
1987 IMO Shortlist, 14
How many words with $n$ digits can be formed from the alphabet $\{0, 1, 2, 3, 4\}$, if neighboring digits must differ by exactly one?
[i]Proposed by Germany, FR.[/i]
1975 IMO Shortlist, 14
Let $x_0 = 5$ and $x_{n+1} = x_n + \frac{1}{x_n} \ (n = 0, 1, 2, \ldots )$. Prove that
\[45 < x_{1000} < 45. 1.\]
2018 IFYM, Sozopol, 8
The row $x_1, x_2,…$ is defined by the following recursion
$x_1=1$ and $x_{n+1}=x_n+\sqrt{x_n}$
Prove that
$\sum_{n=1}^{2018}{\frac{1}{x_n}}<3$.
2000 German National Olympiad, 6
A sequence ($a_n$) satisfies the following conditions:
(i) For each $m \in N$ it holds that $a_{2^m} = 1/m$.
(ii) For each natural $n \ge 2$ it holds that $a_{2n-1}a_{2n} = a_n$.
(iii) For all integers $m,n$ with $2m > n \ge 1$ it holds that $a_{2n}a_{2n+1} = a_{2^m+n}$.
Determine $a_{2000}$. You may assume that such a sequence exists.
1977 IMO Shortlist, 11
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
\[ \min \{x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n \} =[ \sqrt n ]\]
2024 Regional Olympiad of Mexico West, 5
Consider a sequence of positive integers $a_1,a_2,a_3,...$ such that $a_1>1$ and
$$a_{n+1}=\frac{a_n}{p}+p,$$
where $p$ is the greatest prime factor of $a_n$. Prove that for any choice of $a_1$, the sequence $a_1,a_2,a_3,...$ has an infinite terms that are equal between them.
Kvant 2020, M2603
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
1997 Belarusian National Olympiad, 2
A sequence $(a_n)_{-\infty}^{-\infty}$ of zeros and ones is given. It is known that $a_n = 0$ if and only if $a_{n-6} + a_{n-5} +...+ a_{n-1}$ is a multiple of $3$, and not all terms of the sequence are zero. Determine the maximum possible number of zeros among $a_0,a_1,...,a_{97}$.
2015 CHMMC (Fall), 2
Let $a_1 = 1$, $a_2 = 1$, and for $n \ge 2$, let $$a_{n+1} =\frac{1}{n} a_n + a_{n-1}.$$ What is $a_{12}$?
1998 Moldova Team Selection Test, 10
Let $P(x)$ denote the product of all (decimal) digits of a natural number $x$. For any positive integer $x_1$, define the sequence $(x_n)$ recursively by $x_{n+1} = x_n + P(x_n)$. Prove or disprove that the sequence $(x_n)$ is necessarily bounded.
1979 IMO Longlists, 28
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: \[ a_{2n-1}=0, \quad a_{2n}={(2+\sqrt2)^{n-1} - (2-\sqrt2)^{n-1} \over\sqrt2}. \]
1994 Austrian-Polish Competition, 2
The sequences $(a_n)$ and (c_n) are given by $a_0 =\frac12$, $c_0=4$ , and for $n \ge 0$ , $a_{n+1}=\frac{2a_n}{1+a_n^2}$, $c_{n+1}=c_n^2-2c_n+2$
Prove that for all $n\ge 1$, $a_n=\frac{2c_0c_1...c_{n-1}}{c_n}$
1969 IMO Longlists, 31
$(GDR 3)$ Find the number of permutations $a_1, \cdots, a_n$ of the set $\{1, 2, . . ., n\}$ such that $|a_i - a_{i+1}| \neq 1$ for all $i = 1, 2, . . ., n - 1.$ Find a recurrence formula and evaluate the number of such permutations for $n \le 6.$
KoMaL A Problems 2018/2019, A. 738
Consider the following sequence: $a_1 = 1$, $a_2 = 2$, $a_3 = 3$, and
\[a_{n+3} = \frac{a_{n+1}^2 + a_{n+2}^2 - 2}{a_n}\]
for all integers $n \ge 1$. Prove that every term of the sequence is a positive integer.