Prove that there exists a constant $K$ such that the following inequality holds for any sequence of positive numbers $a_1 , a_2 , a_3 , \ldots:$ $$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{n}{a_1 + a_2 +\ldots + a_n } \leq K \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{a_{n}}.$$

In a sequence $a_1, a_2, . . . , a_{1000}$ consisting of $1000$ distinct numbers a pair $(a_i, a_j )$ with $i < j$ is called [i]ascending [/i] if $a_i < a_j$ and [i]descending[/i] if $a_i > a_j$ . Determine the largest positive integer $k$ with the property that every sequence of $1000$ distinct numbers has at least $k$ non-overlapping ascending pairs or at least $k$ non-overlapping descending pairs.

The sequence $a_1,a_2,\dots$ of integers satisfies the conditions: (i) $1\le a_j\le2015$ for all $j\ge1$, (ii) $k+a_k\neq \ell+a_\ell$ for all $1\le k<\ell$. Prove that there exist two positive integers $b$ and $N$ for which\[\left\vert\sum_{j=m+1}^n(a_j-b)\right\vert\le1007^2\]for all integers $m$ and $n$ such that $n>m\ge N$. [i]Proposed by Ivan Guo and Ross Atkins, Australia[/i]

A deck consists of $n$ different cards. A move consists of taking out a group of cards in sequence from some place in the deck, and putting it back someplace else without changing the order within the group or turning any cards over. We are required to reverse the order of cards in the deck by such moves. (a) Prove that for $n = 9$, this can be done in $5$ moves. (b) Prove that for $n = 52$, this i. can be done in $27$ moves, ii. can’t be done in $17$ moves, iii. can’t be done in $26$ moves. (SM Voronin, Tchelyabinsk)

Five identical empty buckets of $2$-liter capacity stand at the vertices of a regular pentagon. Cinderella and her wicked Stepmother go through a sequence of rounds: At the beginning of every round, the Stepmother takes one liter of water from the nearby river and distributes it arbitrarily over the five buckets. Then Cinderella chooses a pair of neighbouring buckets, empties them to the river and puts them back. Then the next round begins. The Stepmother goal's is to make one of these buckets overflow. Cinderella's goal is to prevent this. Can the wicked Stepmother enforce a bucket overflow? [i]Proposed by Gerhard Woeginger, Netherlands[/i]

Consider a sequence of positive real numbers $ \left( x_n \right)_{n\ge 1} $ and a primitivable function $ f:\mathbb{R}\longrightarrow\mathbb{R} . $ [b]a)[/b] Prove that $ f $ is monotonic and continuous if for any natural numbers $ n $ and real numbers $ x, $ the inequality $$ f\left( x+x_n \right)\geqslant f(x) $$ is true. [b]b)[/b] Show that $ f $ is convex if for any natural numbers $ n $ and real numbers $ x, $ the inequality $$ f\left( x+2x_n \right) +f(x)\geqslant 2f\left( x+x_n \right) $$ is true. [i]Sorin Rădulescu[/i] and [i]Ion Savu[/i]

Given a sequence $<a_1,a_2,a_3,\cdots >$ of real numbers, we define $m_n$ as the arithmetic mean of the numbers $a_1$ to $a_n$ for $n\in\mathbb{Z}^+$. If there is a real number $C$, such that \[ (i-j)m_k+(j-k)m_i+(k-i)m_j=C\] for every triple $(i,j,k)$ of distinct positive integers, prove that the sequence $<a_1,a_2,a_3,\cdots >$ is an arithmetic progression.

Let $a_0,a_1,a_2,\dots$ be a sequence of nonnegative integers such that $a_2=5$, $a_{2014}=2015$, and $a_n=a_{a_{n-1}}$ for all positive integers $n$. Find all possible values of $a_{2015}$.

For each polynomial $P(x)$ with real coefficients, define $P_0=P(0)$ and $P_j(x)=x^j\cdot P^{(j)}(x)$ where $P^{(j)}$ denotes the $j$-th derivative of $P$ for $j\geq 1$. Prove that there exists one unique sequence of real numbers $b_0, b_1, b_2, \dots$ such that for each polynomial $P(x)$ with real coefficients and for each $x$ real, we have $P(x)=b_0P_0+\sum_{k\geq 1}b_kP_k(x)=b_0P_0+b_1P_1(x)+b_2P_2(x)+\dots$

Suppose that $a_0, a_1, \cdots $ and $b_0, b_1, \cdots$ are two sequences of positive integers such that $a_0, b_0 \ge 2$ and \[ a_{n+1} = \gcd{(a_n, b_n)} + 1, \qquad b_{n+1} = \operatorname{lcm}{(a_n, b_n)} - 1. \] Show that the sequence $a_n$ is eventually periodic; in other words, there exist integers $N \ge 0$ and $t > 0$ such that $a_{n+t} = a_n$ for all $n \ge N$.

Two sequences of nonzero reals $a_1, a_2, a_3, \dots$ and $b_2, b_3, \dots$ are such that $b_n=\prod_{i=1}^{n} a_i$ and $a_n=\frac{b_n^2}{3b_n-3}$ for all integers $n > 1$. Given that $a_1=\frac{1}{2}$, find $\lvert b_{60}\rvert$. [i]Proposed by Andrew Zhao[/i]

Consider the sequence $a(n)$ defined by the following conditions:$$a(1) = 1\,\,\,\, a(n + 1) = a(n) + [\sqrt{a(n)}] \,\,\, , \,\,\,\, n = 1,2,3,...$$ How many perfect squares no greater in value than $1000 000$ will be found among the first terms of the sequence? ( (Note: $[x]$ means the integer part of $x$, that is the greatest integer not greater than $x$.) (A Andjans)

On a rectangular board $100 \times 300$, two people take turns coloring the cells that have not yet been colored. The first one colors cells in yellow, and the second one in blue. Coloring is completed when every cell of the board is colored. A [i]connected sequence[/i] of cells is a sequence of cells in which every two consecutive cells share a common side (and all cells in the sequence are different). Consider all possible connected sequences of yellow cells. The result of the first player is the number of cells in the connected sequence of yellow cells of maximum length. The first player's goal is to maximize the result, and the second player's goal is to make the first player's result as small as possible. Prove that if each player tries to achieve his goal, the result of the first player will be no more than $200$. [i]Proposed by Mykhailo Shtandenko and Fedir Yudin[/i]

Let $(k_i)$ be a sequence of unique nonzero integers such that $x^2- 5x + k_i$ has rational solutions. Find the minimum possible value of $$\frac15 \sum_{i=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{k_i}$$

We define a sequence $ \left(a_{1},a_{2},a_{3},\ldots \right)$ by \[ a_{n} \equal{} \frac {1}{n}\left(\left\lfloor\frac {n}{1}\right\rfloor \plus{} \left\lfloor\frac {n}{2}\right\rfloor \plus{} \cdots \plus{} \left\lfloor\frac {n}{n}\right\rfloor\right), \] where $\lfloor x\rfloor$ denotes the integer part of $x$. [b]a)[/b] Prove that $a_{n+1}>a_n$ infinitely often. [b]b)[/b] Prove that $a_{n+1}<a_n$ infinitely often. [i]Proposed by Johan Meyer, South Africa[/i]