This website contains problems from math contests. Problems and corresponding tags were obtained from the Art of Problem Solving website.

Tags were heavily modified to better represent problems.

AND
OR
NO

Found problems: 5923

Suppose $W(k,2)$ is the smallest number such that if $n\ge W(k,2)$, for each coloring of the set $\{1,2,...,n\}$ with two colors there exists a monochromatic arithmetic progression of length $k$. Prove that $W(k,2)=\Omega (2^{\frac{k}{2}})$.
Let $ A_0 \equal{} (a_1,\dots,a_n)$ be a finite sequence of real numbers. For each $ k\geq 0$, from the sequence $ A_k \equal{} (x_1,\dots,x_k)$ we construct a new sequence $ A_{k \plus{} 1}$ in the following way. 1. We choose a partition $ \{1,\dots,n\} \equal{} I\cup J$, where $ I$ and $ J$ are two disjoint sets, such that the expression \[ \left|\sum_{i\in I}x_i \minus{} \sum_{j\in J}x_j\right| \] attains the smallest value. (We allow $ I$ or $ J$ to be empty; in this case the corresponding sum is 0.) If there are several such partitions, one is chosen arbitrarily. 2. We set $ A_{k \plus{} 1} \equal{} (y_1,\dots,y_n)$ where $ y_i \equal{} x_i \plus{} 1$ if $ i\in I$, and $ y_i \equal{} x_i \minus{} 1$ if $ i\in J$. Prove that for some $ k$, the sequence $ A_k$ contains an element $ x$ such that $ |x|\geq\frac n2$. [i]Author: Omid Hatami, Iran[/i]
The given sequences are $ (x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n) $, $ (y_1, y_2, \ldots, y_n) $ with positive terms. Prove that there exists a permutation $ p $ of the set $ \{1, 2, \ldots, n\} $ such that for every real $ t $ the sequence $$ (x_{p(1)}+ty_{p(1)}, x_{p(2)}+ty_{p(2)}, \ldots, x_{p(n)}+ty_{p(n) })$$ has the following property: there is a number $ k $ such that $ 1 \leq k \leq n $ and all non-zero terms of the sequence with indices less than $ k $ are of the same sign and all non-zero terms of the sequence with indices not less than $ k $ are the same sign.
The general term of a sequence of numbers is defined as $a_n =\frac{1}{n^2 - n}$, for every integer $n \ge 3$. That is, $a_3 =\frac16$, $a_4 =\frac{1}{12}$, $a_5 =\frac{1}{20}$, and so on. Find a general expression for the sum $S_n$, which is the sum of all terms from $a_3$ until $a_n$.
In an increasing sequence of four positive integers, the first three terms form an arithmetic progression, the last three terms form a geometric progression, and the first and fourth terms differ by 30. Find the sum of the four terms.
A $\textit{divisibility chain}$ is a sequence of positive integers $(a_1, a_2, \ldots, a_n)$ such that $a_k$ divides $a_{k+1}$ for all $1 \le k < n $. Compute the number of divisibility chains of the form $(a, b, a^2, c, a^3, 360^9)$. [i]Proposed by Michael Tang[/i]
Suppose we have some proteins that each protein is a sequence of 7 "AMINO-ACIDS" $A,\ B,\ C,\ H,\ F,\ N$. For example $AFHNNNHAFFC$ is a protein. There are some steps that in each step an amino-acid will change to another one. For example with the step $NA\rightarrow N$ the protein $BANANA$ will cahnge to $BANNA$("in Persian means workman"). We have a set of allowed steps that each protein can change with these steps. For example with the set of steps: $\\ 1)\ AA\longrightarrow A\\ 2)\ AB\longrightarrow BA\\ 3)\ A\longrightarrow \mbox{null}$ Protein $ABBAABA$ will change like this: $\\ ABB\underline{AA}BA\\ \underline{AB}BABA\\ B\underline{AB}ABA\\ BB\underline{AA}BA\\ BB\underline{AB}A\\ BBB\underline{AA}\\ BBB\underline{A}\\ BBB$ You see after finite steps this protein will finish it steps. Set of allowed steps that for them there exist a protein that may have infinitely many steps is dangerous. Which of the following allowed sets are dangerous? a) $NO\longrightarrow OONN$ b) $\left\{\begin{array}{c}HHCC\longrightarrow HCCH\\ CC\longrightarrow CH\end{array}\right.$ c) Design a set of allowed steps that change $\underbrace{AA\dots A}_{n}\longrightarrow\underbrace{BB\dots B}_{2^{n}}$ d) Design a set of allowed steps that change $\underbrace{A\dots A}_{n}\underbrace{B\dots B}_{m}\longrightarrow\underbrace{CC\dots C}_{mn}$ You see from $c$ and $d$ that we acn calculate the functions $F(n)=2^{n}$ and $G(M,N)=mn$ with these steps. Find some other calculatable functions with these steps. (It has some extra mark.)
Let $\{a_n\}_{n\geq 1}$ be a sequence with $a_1=1$, $a_2=4$ and for all $n>1$, \[ a_{n} = \sqrt{ a_{n-1}a_{n+1} + 1 } . \] a) Prove that all the terms of the sequence are positive integers. b) Prove that $2a_na_{n+1}+1$ is a perfect square for all positive integers $n$. [i]Valentin Vornicu[/i]
Flights are arranged between 13 countries. For $ k\ge 2$, the sequence $ A_{1} ,A_{2} ,\ldots A_{k}$ is said to a cycle if there exist a flight from $ A_{1}$ to $ A_{2}$, from $ A_{2}$ to $ A_{3}$, $ \ldots$, from $ A_{k \minus{} 1}$ to $ A_{k}$, and from $ A_{k}$ to $ A_{1}$. What is the smallest possible number of flights such that how the flights are arranged, there exist a cycle? $\textbf{(A)}\ 14 \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 53 \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 66 \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 79 \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 156$
Let $(a_n), n = 0, 1, . . .,$ be a sequence of real numbers such that $a_0 = 0$ and \[a^3_{n+1} = \frac{1}{2} a^2_n -1, n= 0, 1,\cdots\] Prove that there exists a positive number $q, q < 1$, such that for all $n = 1, 2, \ldots ,$ \[|a_{n+1} - a_n| \leq q|a_n - a_{n-1}|,\] and give one such $q$ explicitly.
Let $ a_1,a_2,\dots$ be sequence of real numbers such that $ a_1\equal{}1$, $ a_2\equal{}\dfrac{4}{3}$, and \[ a_{n\plus{}1}\equal{}\sqrt{1\plus{}a_na_{n\minus{}1}}, \quad \forall n \ge 2.\] Prove that for all $ n \ge 2$, \[ a_n^2>a_{n\minus{}1}^2\plus{}\dfrac{1}{2}\] and \[ 1\plus{}\dfrac{1}{a_1}\plus{}\dfrac{1}{a_2}\plus{}\dots\plus{}\dfrac{1}{a_n}>2a_n.\] [i]Fajar Yuliawan, Bandung[/i]
Let $n$ be a positive integer. Find the number of sequences $a_0,a_1,a_2,\dots,a_{2n}$ of integers in the range $[0,n]$ such that for all integers $0\leq k\leq n$ and all nonnegative integers $m$, there exists an integer $k\leq i\leq 2k$ such that $\lfloor k/2^m\rfloor=a_i.$ [i]Andrew Carratu[/i]
Let $n$ be a positive integer. A [i]Japanese triangle[/i] consists of $1 + 2 + \dots + n$ circles arranged in an equilateral triangular shape such that for each $i = 1$, $2$, $\dots$, $n$, the $i^{th}$ row contains exactly $i$ circles, exactly one of which is coloured red. A [i]ninja path[/i] in a Japanese triangle is a sequence of $n$ circles obtained by starting in the top row, then repeatedly going from a circle to one of the two circles immediately below it and finishing in the bottom row. Here is an example of a Japanese triangle with $n = 6$, along with a ninja path in that triangle containing two red circles. [asy] // credit to vEnhance for the diagram (which was better than my original asy): size(4cm); pair X = dir(240); pair Y = dir(0); path c = scale(0.5)*unitcircle; int[] t = {0,0,2,2,3,0}; for (int i=0; i<=5; ++i) { for (int j=0; j<=i; ++j) { filldraw(shift(i*X+j*Y)*c, (t[i]==j) ? lightred : white); draw(shift(i*X+j*Y)*c); } } draw((0,0)--(X+Y)--(2*X+Y)--(3*X+2*Y)--(4*X+2*Y)--(5*X+2*Y),linewidth(1.5)); path q = (3,-3sqrt(3))--(-3,-3sqrt(3)); draw(q,Arrows(TeXHead, 1)); label("$n = 6$", q, S); label("$n = 6$", q, S); [/asy] In terms of $n$, find the greatest $k$ such that in each Japanese triangle there is a ninja path containing at least $k$ red circles.
Let $n$ be a positive integer. We start with $n$ piles of pebbles, each initially containing a single pebble. One can perform moves of the following form: choose two piles, take an equal number of pebbles from each pile and form a new pile out of these pebbles. Find (in terms of $n$) the smallest number of nonempty piles that one can obtain by performing a finite sequence of moves of this form.
Show that among the square roots of the first $ 2015 $ natural numbers, we cannot choose an arithmetic sequence composed of $ 45 $ elements.
A doubly-indexed sequence $a_{m,n}$, for $m$ and $n$ nonnegative integers, is defined as follows: [list] [*]$a_{m,0}=0$ for all $m>0$ and $a_{0,0}=1$. [*]$a_{m,1}=0$ for all $m>1$, $a_{1,1}=1$, and $a_{0,1}=0$. [*]$a_{0,n}=a_{0,n-1}+a_{0,n-2}$ for all $n\geq 2$. [*]$a_{m,n}=a_{m,n-1}+a_{m,n-2}+a_{m-1,n-1}-a_{m-1,n-2}$ for all $m>0$, $n\geq 2$. [/list] Then there exists a unique value of $x$ so $\sum_{m=0}^{\infty}\sum_{n=0}^{\infty}\frac{a_{m,n}x^m}{3^{n-m}}=1$. Find $\lfloor 1000x^2 \rfloor$.
Sequence $\{ a_n \}$ satisfies: $a_1=3$, $a_2=7$, $a_n^2+5=a_{n-1}a_{n+1}$, $n \geq 2$. If $a_n+(-1)^n$ is prime, prove that there exists a nonnegative integer $m$ such that $n=3^m$.
Define a sequence of positive rational numbers $x_0, x_1, x_2, x_3, \cdots$ by $x_0 = 2, x_1 = 3,$ and for all $n \geq 2,$ $$x_n = \frac{x_{n-1}^2 + 5}{x_{n-2}}$$ (a) Prove that $x_n$ is an integer for all $n \geq 0.$ (b) Prove that if $x_n$ is prime, then either $n = 0$ or $n = 2^k$ for some integer $k \geq 0.$
Let $a_1$, $a_2$, ... be a sequence of integers defined recursively by $a_1=2013$ and for $n \ge 1$, $a_{n+1}$ is the sum of the $2013$-th powers of the digits of $a_n$. Do there exist distinct positive integers $i$, $j$ such that $a_i=a_j$?
Given sequence $ \{ c_n \}$ satisfying the conditions that $ c_0\equal{}1$, $ c_1\equal{}0$, $ c_2\equal{}2005$, and $ c_{n\plus{}2}\equal{}\minus{}3c_n \minus{} 4c_{n\minus{}1} \plus{}2008$, ($ n\equal{}1,2,3, \cdots$). Let $ \{ a_n \}$ be another sequence such that $ a_n\equal{}5(c_{n\plus{}1} \minus{} c_n) \cdot (502 \minus{} c_{n\minus{}1} \minus{} c_{n\minus{}2}) \plus{} 4^n \times 2004 \times 501$, ($ n\equal{}2,3, \cdots$). Is $ a_n$ a perfect square for every $ n > 2$?
Kara rolls a six-sided die six times, and notices that the results satisfy the following conditions: [list] [*] She rolled a $6$ exactly three times; [*] The product of her first three rolls is the same as the product of her last three rolls. [/list] How many distinct sequences of six rolls could Kara have rolled? [i]Proposed by Andrew Wu[/i]
For all $n\ge2$ positive integer, let $f(n)$ denote the product of all distinct prime divisors of $n$. For example, $f(5)=5$, $f(8)=2$, and $f(12)=6$. Given a sequence ${a_n}$, where $a_1\ge2$, defined as follows: $$a_{n+1}=a_n+f(a_n)$$ Show that for any prime $p$, there exists a term $a_k$ in the sequence such that $p|a_k$.
A square $ABCD$ is divided into $(n - 1)^2$ congruent squares, with sides parallel to the sides of the given square. Consider the grid of all $n^2$ corners obtained in this manner. Determine all integers $n$ for which it is possible to construct a non-degenerate parabola with its axis parallel to one side of the square and that passes through exactly $n$ points of the grid.
Find all homogeneous linear recursive sequences such that there is a $ T$ such that $ a_n\equal{}a_{n\plus{}T}$ for each $ n$.
Let $a_1, a_2, \dots$ be an arithmetic sequence and $b_1, b_2, \dots$ be a geometric sequence. Suppose that $a_1 b_1 = 20$, $a_2 b_2 = 19$, and $a_3 b_3 = 14$. Find the greatest possible value of $a_4 b_4$.