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

A coin is tossed $n$ times, and the outcome is written in the form ($a_1,a_2,...,a_n$), where $a_i = 1$ or $2$ depending on whether the result of the $i$-th toss is the head or the tail, respectively. Set $b_j = a_1 +a_2 +...+a_j$ for $j = 1,2,...,n$, and let $p(n)$ be the probability that the sequence $b_1,b_2,...,b_n$ contains the number $n$. Express $p(n)$ in terms of $p(n-1)$ and $p(n-2)$.
Let $P_{1}(x)=x^{2}-2$ and $P_{j}(x)=P_{1}(P_{j-1}(x))$ for j$=2,\ldots$ Prove that for any positive integer n the roots of the equation $P_{n}(x)=x$ are all real and distinct.
Define the sequence sequence $a_0,a_1, a_2,....,a_{2018}, a_{2019}$ of real numbers as follows: $\bullet$ $a_0 = 1$. $\bullet$ $a_{n + 1} = a_n - \frac{a_n^2}{2019}$ for $n = 0, 1, ...,2018$. Prove that $a_{2019} < \frac12 <a_{2018}$.
Let $a_1>0$ and for $n \ge 1$ define \[a_{n+1}=a_n+\frac{1}{a_1+a_2+\dots+a_n}.\] Prove that \[\lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{a_n^2}{\ln n}=2.\]
Let sequences of real numbers $(x_n)$ and $(y_n)$ satisfy $x_1 = y_1 = 1$ and $x_{n+1} =\frac{x_n + 2}{x_n + 1}$ and $y_{n+1} = \frac{y_n^2 + 2}{2y_n}$ for $n = 1,2, ...$ Prove that $y_{n+1} = x_{2^n}$ holds for $n =0, 1,2, ... $
A sequence $(u_{n})$ is defined by \[ u_{0}=2 \quad u_{1}=\frac{5}{2}, u_{n+1}=u_{n}(u_{n-1}^{2}-2)-u_{1} \quad \textnormal{for } n=1,\ldots \] Prove that for any positive integer $n$ we have \[ [u_{n}]=2^{\frac{(2^{n}-(-1)^{n})}{3}} \](where $[x]$ denotes the smallest integer $\leq x)$
The polynomials $P_{n}(x)$ are defined by $P_{0}(x)=0,P_{1}(x)=x$ and \[P_{n}(x)=xP_{n-1}(x)+(1-x)P_{n-2}(x) \quad n\geq 2\] For every natural number $n\geq 1$, find all real numbers $x$ satisfying the equation $P_{n}(x)=0$.
A sequence of positive real numbers $a_1, a_2, a_3, ... $ satisfies $a_n = a_{n-1} + a_{n-2}$ for all $n \ge 3$. A sequence $b_1, b_2, b_3, ...$ is defined by equations $b_1 = a_1$ , $b_n = a_n + (b_1 + b_3 + ...+ b_{n-1})$ for even $n > 1$ , $b_n = a_n + (b_2 + b_4 + ... +b_{n-1})$ for odd $n > 1$. Prove that if $n\ge 3$, then $\frac13 < \frac{b_n}{n \cdot a_n} < 1$
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 $\sum_{n=1}^{2018}{\frac{1}{x_n}}<3$.
Let $0<k<1$ be a given real number and let $(a_n)_{n\ge1}$ be an infinite sequence of real numbers which satisfies $a_{n+1}\le\left(1+\frac kn\right)a_n-1$. Prove that there is an index $t$ such that $a_t<0$.
Sequence $(a_n)_{n\geq 0}$ is defined as $a_{0}=0, a_1=1, a_2=2, a_3=6$, and $ a_{n+4}=2a_{n+3}+a_{n+2}-2a_{n+1}-a_n, n\geq 0$. Prove that $n^2$ divides $a_n$ for infinite $n$. (Romania)
The sequence ($a_n$) is defined by $a_1 = a_2 = 1, a_3 = 199$ and $a_{n+1} =\frac{1989+a_na_{n-1}}{a_{n-2}}$ for all $n \ge 3$. Prove that all terms of the sequence are positive integers
A finite sequence of integers $ a_0, a_1, \ldots, a_n$ is called quadratic if for each $ i$ in the set $ \{1,2 \ldots, n\}$ we have the equality $ |a_i \minus{} a_{i\minus{}1}| \equal{} i^2.$ a.) Prove that any two integers $ b$ and $ c,$ there exists a natural number $ n$ and a quadratic sequence with $ a_0 \equal{} b$ and $ a_n \equal{} c.$ b.) Find the smallest natural number $ n$ for which there exists a quadratic sequence with $ a_0 \equal{} 0$ and $ a_n \equal{} 1996.$
The sequence $(x_n)_{n\in\mathbb N}$ is defined by $x_1=x_2=1$, $x_{n+2}=14x_{n+1}-x_n-4$ for each $n\in\mathbb N$. Prove that all terms of this sequence are perfect squares.
Let $ a_{0} \equal{} 1994$ and $ a_{n \plus{} 1} \equal{} \frac {a_{n}^{2}}{a_{n} \plus{} 1}$ for each nonnegative integer $ n$. Prove that $ 1994 \minus{} n$ is the greatest integer less than or equal to $ a_{n}$, $ 0 \leq n \leq 998$
Suppose that a sequence $x_1,x_2,\ldots,x_{2001}$ of positive real numbers satisfies $$3x^2_{n+1}=7x_nx_{n+1}-3x_{n+1}-2x^2_n+x_n\enspace\text{ and }\enspace x_{37}=x_{2001}.$$Find the maximum possible value of $x_1$.
Let $a_n$ be a sequence of natural numbers defined by $a_1 = m$ and for $n > 1$. We call apair$ (a_k, a_{\ell })$ [i]interesting [/i] if (i) $0 < \ell - k < 2016$, (ii) $a_k$ divides $a_{\ell }$. Show that there exists a $m$ such that the sequence $a_n$ contains no interesting pair.
Sequence $\{a_n\}$ defined by recurrence relation $a_{n+1} = 1+\frac{n^2}{a_n}$. Given $a_1>1$, find the value of $\lim\limits_{n\to\infty} \frac{a_n}{n}$ with proof.
Consider the positive integers written in the decimal system with $n$ digits, the start of which is not zero and where there are no two sevens next to each other. The number of these numbers is called $u_n$. Derive a relation that expresses $u_{n+2}$ in terms of $u_{n+1}$ and $u_n$.
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.
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.
The sequence of real numbers $a_1, a_2, a_3, ...$ is defined as follows: $a_1 = 2019$, $a_2 = 2020$, $a_3 = 2021$ and for all $n \ge 1$ $$a_{n+3} = 5a^6_{n+2} + 3a^3_{n+1} + a^2_n.$$ Show that this sequence does not contain numbers of the form $m^6$ where $m$ is a positive integer.
$(GBR 5)$ Let us define $u_0 = 0, u_1 = 1$ and for $n\ge 0, u_{n+2} = au_{n+1}+bu_n, a$ and $b$ being positive integers. Express $u_n$ as a polynomial in $a$ and $b.$ Prove the result. Given that $b$ is prime, prove that $b$ divides $a(u_b -1).$
Consider a sequence of polynomials $P_0(x), P_1(x), P_2(x), \ldots, P_n(x), \ldots$, where $P_0(x) = 2, P_1(x) = x$ and for every $n \geq 1$ the following equality holds: \[P_{n+1}(x) + P_{n-1}(x) = xP_n(x).\] Prove that there exist three real numbers $a, b, c$ such that for all $n \geq 1,$ \[(x^2 - 4)[P_n^2(x) - 4] = [aP_{n+1}(x) + bP_n(x) + cP_{n-1}(x)]^2.\]
Let there be a sequence $a_n$ such that $a_1 = 2,a_2 = 0, a_3 = 1, a_4 = 0$, and for $n \ge 1, a_{n+4}$ is the remainder when $a_n + 2a_{n+1} + 3a_{n+2} + 4a_{n+3}$ is divided by $9$. Prove that there are no positive integer $k$ such that $$a_k = 0, a_{k+1} = 1, a_{k+2} = 0,a_{k+3} = 2.$$