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: 766

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 $a_{2011}$.
Sir Alex plays the following game on a row of 9 cells. Initially, all cells are empty. In each move, Sir Alex is allowed to perform exactly one of the following two operations: [list=1] [*] Choose any number of the form $2^j$, where $j$ is a non-negative integer, and put it into an empty cell. [*] Choose two (not necessarily adjacent) cells with the same number in them; denote that number by $2^j$. Replace the number in one of the cells with $2^{j+1}$ and erase the number in the other cell. [/list] At the end of the game, one cell contains $2^n$, where $n$ is a given positive integer, while the other cells are empty. Determine the maximum number of moves that Sir Alex could have made, in terms of $n$. [i]Proposed by Warut Suksompong, Thailand[/i]
Let $m_1,m_2,...,m_{2013} > 1$ be 2013 pairwise relatively prime positive integers and $A_1,A_2,...,A_{2013}$ be 2013 (possibly empty) sets with $A_i\subseteq \{1,2,...,m_i-1\}$ for $i=1,2,...,2013$. Prove that there is a positive integer $N$ such that \[ N \le \left( 2\left\lvert A_1 \right\rvert + 1 \right)\left( 2\left\lvert A_2 \right\rvert + 1 \right)\cdots\left( 2\left\lvert A_{2013} \right\rvert + 1 \right) \] and for each $i = 1, 2, ..., 2013$, there does [i]not[/i] exist $a \in A_i$ such that $m_i$ divides $N-a$. [i]Proposed by Victor Wang[/i]
Let $a,b,c$ be distinct positive real numbers, and let $k$ be a positive integer greater than $3$. Show that \[\left\lvert\frac{a^{k+1}(b-c)+b^{k+1}(c-a)+c^{k+1}(a-b)}{a^k(b-c)+b^k(c-a)+c^k(a-b)}\right\rvert\ge \frac{k+1}{3(k-1)}(a+b+c)\] and \[\left\lvert\frac{a^{k+2}(b-c)+b^{k+2}(c-a)+c^{k+2}(a-b)}{a^k(b-c)+b^k(c-a)+c^k(a-b)}\right\rvert\ge \frac{(k+1)(k+2)}{3k(k-1)}(a^2+b^2+c^2).\] [i]Calvin Deng.[/i]
Let $P_n(x)=1+2x+3x^2+\cdots+nx^{n-1}.$ Prove that the polynomials $P_j(x)$ and $P_k(x)$ are relatively prime for all positive integers $j$ and $k$ with $j\ne k.$
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)
Let $n \in \mathbb N$ and $A_n$ set of all permutations $(a_1, \ldots, a_n)$ of the set $\{1, 2, \ldots , n\}$ for which \[k|2(a_1 + \cdots+ a_k), \text{ for all } 1 \leq k \leq n.\] Find the number of elements of the set $A_n$. [i]Proposed by Vidan Govedarica, Serbia[/i]
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)
In town $ A,$ there are $ n$ girls and $ n$ boys, and each girl knows each boy. In town $ B,$ there are $ n$ girls $ g_1, g_2, \ldots, g_n$ and $ 2n \minus{} 1$ boys $ b_1, b_2, \ldots, b_{2n\minus{}1}.$ The girl $ g_i,$ $ i \equal{} 1, 2, \ldots, n,$ knows the boys $ b_1, b_2, \ldots, b_{2i\minus{}1},$ and no others. For all $ r \equal{} 1, 2, \ldots, n,$ denote by $ A(r),B(r)$ the number of different ways in which $ r$ girls from town $ A,$ respectively town $ B,$ can dance with $ r$ boys from their own town, forming $ r$ pairs, each girl with a boy she knows. Prove that $ A(r) \equal{} B(r)$ for each $ r \equal{} 1, 2, \ldots, n.$
Let $n \in \mathbb N$ and $A_n$ set of all permutations $(a_1, \ldots, a_n)$ of the set $\{1, 2, \ldots , n\}$ for which \[k|2(a_1 + \cdots+ a_k), \text{ for all } 1 \leq k \leq n.\] Find the number of elements of the set $A_n$. [i]Proposed by Vidan Govedarica, Serbia[/i]
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 $c^2_r = c_kc_m$.
Consider the Sierpinski triangle iterations drawn below. $S_0$ is a single triangle, and $S_{n+1}$ consists of three copies of $S_n.$ Let a [i]maximal line segment[/i] be line segment in the drawing of $S_k$ which cannot be extended any further while remaining in $S_k.$ For example, $S_0$ has three maximal line segments and $S_1$ has $6$ maximal line segments. How many maximal line segments are there in $S_5$? [center] [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/6/2/51d83da65910cd32ce0b235a9615ec467870e1.png[/img] [/center]
Let $p$ be a permutation of the set $S_n = \{1, 2, \dots, n\}$. An element $j \in S_n$ is called a fixed point of $p$ if $p(j) = j$. Let $f_n$ be the number of permutations having no fixed points, and $g_n$ be the number with exactly one fixed point. Show that $|f_n - g_n| = 1$.
Consider an unbiased coin which is tossed infinitely many times. Let $A_n$ be the event that no two successive heads occur in the first $n$ tosses of this experiment. Then which of the following is incorrect : (A) $\lim_{n \to \infty} P(A_n)=0$ (B) $\lim_{n \to \infty}3^n P(A_n)=0$ (C) $2^nP(A_n) +2^{n+1}P(A_{n+1})=2^{n+2}P(A_{n+2}$ (D) $\lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{P(A_n)}{P(A_{n+1})}$ is lesser than $1.2$
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?
We call an even positive integer $n$ [i]nice[/i] if the set $\{1, 2, \dots, n\}$ can be partitioned into $\frac{n}{2}$ two-element subsets, such that the sum of the elements in each subset is a power of $3$. For example, $6$ is nice, because the set $\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6\}$ can be partitioned into subsets $\{1, 2\}$, $\{3, 6\}$, $\{4, 5\}$. Find the number of nice positive integers which are smaller than $3^{2022}$.
Let $n$ be positive integer and fix $2n$ distinct points on a circle. Determine the number of ways to connect the points with $n$ arrows (oriented line segments) such that all of the following conditions hold: [list] [*]each of the $2n$ points is a startpoint or endpoint of an arrow; [*]no two arrows intersect; and [*]there are no two arrows $\overrightarrow{AB}$ and $\overrightarrow{CD}$ such that $A$, $B$, $C$ and $D$ appear in clockwise order around the circle (not necessarily consecutively). [/list]
For an integer $n$, let $f_9(n)$ denote the number of positive integers $d\leq 9$ dividing $n$. Suppose that $m$ is a positive integer and $b_1,b_2,\ldots,b_m$ are real numbers such that $f_9(n)=\textstyle\sum_{j=1}^mb_jf_9(n-j)$ for all $n>m$. Find the smallest possible value of $m$.
For positive integers $m, n$ ($m>n$), $a_{n+1}, a_{n+2}, ..., a_m$ are non-negative integers that satisfy the following inequality. $$ 2> \frac{a_{n+1}}{n+1} \ge \frac{a_{n+2}}{n+2} \ge \cdots \ge \frac{a_m}{m}$$ Find the number of pair $(a_{n+1}, a_{n+2}, \cdots, a_m)$.
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) $\lim_{n\to\infty}nx_n$.