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 $x_n = \sqrt[2]{2+\sqrt[3]{3+\cdots+\sqrt[n]{n}}}.$ Prove that \[x_{n+1}-x_n <\frac{1}{n!} \quad n=2,3,\cdots\]
Given a sequence $ (c_n) $ of natural numbers defined recursively: $ c_1 = 2 $, $ c_{n+1} = \left[ \frac{3}{2}c_n\right] $. Prove that there are infinitely many even numbers and infinitely many odd numbers among the terms of this sequence.
For a sequence of integers $a_1,a_2,a_3,...$ with $0<a_1<a_2<a_3<...$ applies: $$a_n=4a_{n-1}-a_{n-2} \,\,\, for \,\,\, n > 2$$ It is further given that $a_4 = 194$. Calculate $a_5$.
A sequence of real numbers $ a_{0},\ a_{1},\ a_{2},\dots$ is defined by the formula \[ a_{i \plus{} 1} \equal{} \left\lfloor a_{i}\right\rfloor\cdot \left\langle a_{i}\right\rangle\qquad\text{for}\quad i\geq 0; \]here $a_0$ is an arbitrary real number, $\lfloor a_i\rfloor$ denotes the greatest integer not exceeding $a_i$, and $\left\langle a_i\right\rangle=a_i-\lfloor a_i\rfloor$. Prove that $a_i=a_{i+2}$ for $i$ sufficiently large. [i]Proposed by Harmel Nestra, Estionia[/i]
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 $a_{12}$?
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 $a_1, a_2, ..., a_n, a_{n+1}$ be a finite sequence of real numbers satisfying $a_0 = a_{n+1} = 0$ and $|a_{k-1} - 2a_{k} + a_{k+1}| \leq 1$ for $k = 1, 2, ..., n$ Prove that for $k=0, 1, ..., n+1,$ $|a_k| \leq \frac{k(n+1-k)}{2}$
For a given value $t$, we consider number sequences $a_1, a_2, a_3,...$ such that $a_{n+1} =\frac{a_n + t}{a_n + 1}$ for all $n \ge 1$. (a) Suppose that $t = 2$. Determine all starting values $a_1 > 0$ such that $\frac43 \le a_n \le \frac32$ holds for all $n \ge 2$. (b) Suppose that $t = -3$. Investigate whether $a_{2020} = a_1$ for all starting values $a_1$ different from $-1$ and $1$.
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]
Let $c>2$ and $a_0,a_1, \ldots$ be a sequence of real numbers such that \begin{align*} a_n = a_{n-1}^2 - a_{n-1} < \frac{1}{\sqrt{cn}} \end{align*} for any $n$ $\in$ $\mathbb{N}$. Prove, $a_1=0$
Let $b$ be an odd positive integer. The sequence $a_1, a_2, a_3, a_4$, is definedin the next way: $a_1$ and $a_2$ are positive integers and for all $k \ge 2$, $$a_{k+1}= \begin{cases} \frac{a_k + a_{k-1}}{2} \,\,\, if \,\,\, a_k + a_{k-1} \,\,\, is \,\,\, even \\ \frac{a_k + a_{k-1+b}}{2}\,\,\, if \,\,\, a_k + a_{k-1}\,\,\, is \,\,\,odd\end{cases}$$ a) Prove that if $b = 1$, then after a certain term, the sequence will become constant. b) For each $b \ge 3$ (odd), prove that there exist values of $a_1$ and $a_2$ for which the sequence will become constant after a certain term.
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: \[ a_{2n-1}=0, \quad a_{2n}={(2+\sqrt2)^{n-1} - (2-\sqrt2)^{n-1} \over\sqrt2}. \]
The set $ \{a_0, a_1, \ldots, a_n\}$ of real numbers satisfies the following conditions: [b](i)[/b] $ a_0 \equal{} a_n \equal{} 0,$ [b](ii)[/b] for $ 1 \leq k \leq n \minus{} 1,$ \[ a_k \equal{} c \plus{} \sum^{n\minus{}1}_{i\equal{}k} a_{i\minus{}k} \cdot \left(a_i \plus{} a_{i\plus{}1} \right)\] Prove that $ c \leq \frac{1}{4n}.$
Define the sequence $a_1, a_2,...$ as follows: $a_1 = 1$, and for every $n \ge 2$, $a_n = n - 2$ if $a_{n-1} = 0$ and $a_n = a_{n-1} - 1$, otherwise. Find the number of $1 \le k \le 2016$ such that there are non-negative integers $r, s$ and a positive integer $n$ satisfying $k = r + s$ and $a_{n+r} = a_n + s$.
Denote by $a_n$ the greatest number that is not divisible by $3$ and that divides $n$. Consider the sequence $s_0 = 0, s_n = a_1 +a_2+\cdots+a_n, n \in \mathbb N$. Denote by $A(n)$ the number of all sums $s_k \ (0 \leq k \leq 3^n, k \in \mathbb N_0)$ that are divisible by $3$. Prove the formula \[A(n) = 3^{n-1} + 2 \cdot 3^{(n/2)-1} \cos \left(\frac{n\pi}{6}\right), \qquad n\in \mathbb N_0.\]
a) Suppose that a sequence of numbers $x_1,x_2,x_3,...$ satisfies the inequality $x_n-2x_{n+1}+x_{n+2} \le 0$ for any $n$ . Moreover $x_o=1,x_{20}=9,x_{200}=6$. What is the maximal value of $x_{2009}$ can be? b) Suppose that a sequence of numbers $x_1,x_2,x_3,...$ satisfies the inequality $2x_n-3x_{n+1}+x_{n+2} \le 0$ for any $n$. Moreover $x_o=1,x_1=2,x_3=1$. Can $x_{2009}$ be greater then $0,678$ ?
Let $f : Z_{\ge 0} \to Z_{\ge 0}$ be a function which satisfies for all integer $n \ge 0$: (a) $f(2n + 1)^2 - f(2n)^2 = 6f(n) + 1$, (b) $f(2n) \ge f(n)$ where $Z_{\ge 0}$ is the set of nonnegative integers. Solve the equation $f(n) = 1000$
Let $(a_n)_{n=0}^{\infty}$ be a sequence of real numbers defined as follows: [list] [*] $a_0 = 3$, $a_1 = 2$, and $a_2 = 12$; and [*] $2a_{n + 3} - a_{n + 2} - 8a_{n + 1} + 4a_n = 0$ for $n \geq 0$. [/list] Show that $a_n$ is always a strictly positive integer.
The sequence $(x_n)$ is defined by formulas $$ x_1=c,\; x_{n+1} = cx_n + \sqrt{(c^2-1)(x_n^2-1)} \quad\text{ for }\quad n=1,2,\ldots$$ Prove that if $ c $ is a natural number, then all numbers $ x_n $ are natural.
Define a sequence $<x_n>$ by $x_0 = 0$ and $$\large x_n = \left\{ \begin{array}{ll} x_{n-1} + \frac{3^r-1}{2} & if \,\,n = 3^{r-1}(3k + 1)\\ & \\ x_{n-1} - \frac{3^r+1}{2} & if \,\, n = 3^{r-1}(3k + 2)\\ \end{array} \right. $$ where $k, r$ are integers. Prove that every integer occurs exactly once in the sequence.
Let $a_1,a_2,a_3,\ldots$ and $b_1,b_2,b_3,\ldots$ be positive integers such that $a_{n+2} = a_n + a_{n+1}$ and $b_{n+2} = b_n + b_{n+1}$ for all $n \ge 1$. Assume that $a_n$ divides $b_n$ for infinitely many values of $n$. Prove that there exists an integer $c$ such that $b_n = c a_n$ for all $n \ge 1$.
Let $a_0$ be a positive real number and consider the general term sequence $a_n$ defined by $$a_n =a_{n-1} + \frac{1}{a_{n-1}} \,\,\, n=1,2,3,...$$ Prove that $a_{1998} > 63$.
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 $n$.
The sequence of positive integers $a_1, a_2, a_3, ...$ satisfies $a_{n+1} = a^2_{n} + 2018$ for $n \ge 1$. Prove that there exists at most one $n$ for which $a_n$ is the cube of an integer.
Let $\{a_n\}$ be a sequence of positive terms such that $a_{n+1}=a_n+ \frac{n^2}{a_n}$ . Let $b_n =a_n-n$ . (1) Are there infinitely many $n$ such that $b_n \ge 0$ ? (2) Prove that there is a positive number $M$ such that $\sum^{\infty}_{n=3} \frac{b_n}{n+1}<M$.