An ant is at vertex of a cube. Every $10$ minutes it moves to an adjacent vertex along an edge. If $N$ is the number of one hour journeys that end at the starting vertex, find the sum of the squares of the digits of $N$.

The sequence $a_0,a_1,a_2,\dots$ is recursively defined by \[ a_0 = 1 \quad \text{and} \quad a_n = a_{n-1} \cdot \left(4-\frac{2}{n} \right) \quad \text{for } n \geq 1. \] Prove for each integer $n \geq 1$: (a) The number $a_n$ is a positive integer. (b) Each prime $p$ with $n < p \leq 2n$ is a divisor of $a_n$. (c) If $n$ is a prime, then $a_n-2$ is divisible by $n$.

Let $n$ be a positive integer. Find the number of permutations $a_1$, $a_2$, $\dots a_n$ of the sequence $1$, $2$, $\dots$ , $n$ satisfying $$a_1 \le 2a_2\le 3a_3 \le \dots \le na_n$$. Proposed by United Kingdom

Let $n$ be a nonnegative integer. Determine the number of ways that one can choose $(n+1)^2$ sets $S_{i,j}\subseteq\{1,2,\ldots,2n\}$, for integers $i,j$ with $0\leq i,j\leq n$, such that: [list] [*] for all $0\leq i,j\leq n$, the set $S_{i,j}$ has $i+j$ elements; and [*] $S_{i,j}\subseteq S_{k,l}$ whenever $0\leq i\leq k\leq n$ and $0\leq j\leq l\leq n$. [/list] [i]Proposed by Ricky Liu[/i]

There are $2^{10}=1024$ possible 10-letter strings in which each letter is either an A or a B. Find the number of such strings that do not have more than 3 adjacent letters that are identical.

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 $0,678$ ?

A sequence of real numbers $a_1, a_2, \ldots $ satisfies the following conditions. $a_1 = 2$, $a_2 = 11$. for all positive integer $n$, $2a_{n+2} =3a_n + \sqrt{5 (a_n^2+a_{n+1}^2)}$ Prove that $a_n$ is a rational number for each of positive integer $n$.

A sequence of numbers is defined recursively by $a_1 = 1$, $a_2 = \frac{3}{7}$, and $$a_n=\frac{a_{n-2} \cdot a_{n-1}}{2a_{n-2} - a_{n-1}}$$for all $n \geq 3$ Then $a_{2019}$ can be written as $\frac{p}{q}$, where $p$ and $q$ are relatively prime positive inegers. What is $p+q ?$ $\textbf{(A) } 2020 \qquad\textbf{(B) } 4039 \qquad\textbf{(C) } 6057 \qquad\textbf{(D) } 6061 \qquad\textbf{(E) } 8078$

Let $n$ be a positive integer. Given a sequence $\varepsilon_1$, $\dots$, $\varepsilon_{n - 1}$ with $\varepsilon_i = 0$ or $\varepsilon_i = 1$ for each $i = 1$, $\dots$, $n - 1$, the sequences $a_0$, $\dots$, $a_n$ and $b_0$, $\dots$, $b_n$ are constructed by the following rules: \[a_0 = b_0 = 1, \quad a_1 = b_1 = 7,\] \[\begin{array}{lll} a_{i+1} = \begin{cases} 2a_{i-1} + 3a_i, \\ 3a_{i-1} + a_i, \end{cases} & \begin{array}{l} \text{if } \varepsilon_i = 0, \\ \text{if } \varepsilon_i = 1, \end{array} & \text{for each } i = 1, \dots, n - 1, \\[15pt] b_{i+1}= \begin{cases} 2b_{i-1} + 3b_i, \\ 3b_{i-1} + b_i, \end{cases} & \begin{array}{l} \text{if } \varepsilon_{n-i} = 0, \\ \text{if } \varepsilon_{n-i} = 1, \end{array} & \text{for each } i = 1, \dots, n - 1. \end{array}\] Prove that $a_n = b_n$. [i]Proposed by Ilya Bogdanov, Russia[/i]

The function $f(x)=x^2+ \sin x$ and the sequence of positive numbers $\{ a_n \}$ satisfy $a_1=1$, $f(a_n)=a_{n-1}$, where $n \geq 2$. Prove that there exists a positive integer $n$ such that $a_1+a_2+ \dots + a_n > 2020$.

An $\textrm{alien}$ script has $n$ letters $b_1,b_2,\dots,b_n$. For some $k<n/2$ assume that all words formed by any of the $k$ letters (written left to right) are meaningful. These words are called $k$-words. Such a $k$-word is considered $\textbf{sacred}$ if: i. no letter appears twice and, ii. if a letter $b_i$ appears in the word then the letters $b_{i-1}$ and $b_{i+1}$ do not appear. (Here $b_{n+1} = b_1$ and $b_0 = b_n$). For example, if $n = 7$ and $k = 3$ then $b_1b_3b_6, b_3b_1b_6, b_2b_4b_6$ are sacred $3$-words. On the other hand $b_1b_7b_4, b_2b_2b_6$ are not sacred. What is the total number of sacred $k$-words? Use your formula to find the answer for $n = 10$ and $k = 4$.

The first term of a sequence is 2005. Each succeeding term is the sum of the cubes of the digits of the previous terms. What is the 2005th term of the sequence? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 29\qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 55\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 85\qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 133\qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 250$

The first term of a sequence is 2005. Each succeeding term is the sum of the cubes of the digits of the previous terms. What is the 2005th term of the sequence? $ \textbf{(A)}\ 29\qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 55\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 85\qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 133\qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 250$

Define a sequence recursively by $F_0 = 0$, $F_1 = 1$, and $F_n = $ the remainder when $F_{n-1} + F_{n-2}$ is divided by $3$, for all $n \ge 2$. Thus the sequence starts $0,1,1,2,0,2 \ldots$. What is $F_{2017} + F_{2018} + F_{2019} + F_{2020} + F_{2021} + F_{2022} + F_{2023} + F_{2024}$? $\textbf{(A)}\ 6\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 7\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 8\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 9\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 10$

For any natural number $n$, consider a $1\times n$ rectangular board made up of $n$ unit squares. This is covered by $3$ types of tiles : $1\times 1$ red tile, $1\times 1$ green tile and $1\times 2$ domino. (For example, we can have $5$ types of tiling when $n=2$ : red-red ; red-green ; green-red ; green-green ; and blue.) Let $t_n$ denote the number of ways of covering $1\times n$ rectangular board by these $3$ types of tiles. Prove that, $t_n$ divides $t_{2n+1}$.

The integer sequence $(s_i)$ "having pattern 2016'" is defined as follows: $\circ$ The first member $s_1$ is 2. $\circ$ The second member $s_2$ is the least positive integer exceeding $s_1$ and having digit 0 in its decimal notation. $\circ$ The third member $s_3$ is the least positive integer exceeding $s_2$ and having digit 1 in its decimal notation. $\circ$ The third member $s_3$ is the least positive integer exceeding $s_2$ and having digit 6 in its decimal notation. The following members are defined in the same way. The required digits change periodically: $2 \rightarrow 0 \rightarrow 1 \rightarrow 6 \rightarrow 2 \rightarrow 0 \rightarrow \ldots$. The first members of this sequence are the following: $2; 10; 11; 16; 20; 30; 31; 36; 42; 50$.\\ Does this sequence contain a) 2001, b) 2006?

Find all pairs of polynomials $p(x)$ and $q(x)$ with real coefficients for which \[p(x)q(x+1)-p(x+1)q(x)=1.\]

Consider the sequence $a_1, a_2, \dots$ of positive integers such that $a_1=2$ and $a_{n+1}=a_n^4+a_n^3-3a_n^2-a_n+2$, for all $n\geqslant 1$. Prove that there exist infinitely many prime numbers that don't divide any term of the sequence. [i]Proposed by Pavel Ciurea[/i]

A mail carrier delivers mail to the nineteen houses on the east side of Elm Street. The carrier notices that no two adjacent houses ever get mail on the same day, but that there are never more than two houses in a row that get no mail on the same day. How many different patterns of mail delivery are possible?

Let $f(0), f(1), f(2), \dots$ be a sequence satisfying \[ f(0) = 0 \quad \text{and} \quad f(n) = n - f(f(n-1)) \] for $n=1,2,3,\dots$. Give a formula for $f(n)$ such that its value can be immediately computed using $n$ without having to compute the previous terms.

Let $n$ be a positive integer. Find the number of permutations $a_1$, $a_2$, $\dots a_n$ of the sequence $1$, $2$, $\dots$ , $n$ satisfying $$a_1 \le 2a_2\le 3a_3 \le \dots \le na_n$$. Proposed by United Kingdom

If $x_0=x_1=1$, and for $n\geq1$ $x_{n+1}=\frac{x_n^2}{x_{n-1}+2x_n}$, find a formula for $x_n$ as a function of $n$.

The [i]runcible[/i] positive integers are defined recursively as follows: [list] [*]$1$ and $2$ are runcible [*]If $a$ and $b$ are runcible (where $a$ and $b$ are not necessarily distinct) then $2a + 3b$ is runcible. [/list] Is $2024$ runcible?

Call a set $S$ [i]product-free[/i] if there do not exist $a, b, c \in S$ (not necessarily distinct) such that $a b = c$. For example, the empty set and the set $\{16, 20\}$ are product-free, whereas the sets $\{4, 16\}$ and $\{2, 8, 16\}$ are not product-free. Find the number of product-free subsets of the set $\{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10\}$.

Denote by $l(n)$ the largest prime divisor of $n$. Let $a_{n+1} = a_n + l(a_n)$ be a recursively defined sequence of integers with $a_1 = 2$. Determine all natural numbers $m$ such that there exists some $i \in \mathbb{N}$ with $a_i = m^2$. [i]Proposed by Nikola Velov, North Macedonia[/i]