A sequence $a_1,a_2,\ldots$ of positive integers satisfies the following properties.[list][*]$a_1 = 1$ [*]$a_{3n+1} = 2a_n + 1$ [*]$a_{n+1}\ge a_n$ [*]$a_{2001} = 200$[/list]Find the value of $a_{1000}$. [i]Note[/i]. In the original statement of the problem, there was an extra condition:[list][*]every positive integer appears at least once in the sequence.[/list]However, with this extra condition, there is no solution, i.e., no such sequence exists. (Try to prove it.) The problem as written above does have a solution.

For any positive integer $m \geq 2$, let $p(m)$ be the smallest prime dividing $m$ and $P(m)$ be the largest prime dividing $m$. Let $C$ be a positive integer. Define sequences $\{a_n\}$ and $\{b_n\}$ by $a_0 = b_0 = C$ and, for each positive integer $k$ such that $a_{k-1}\geq 2$, $$a_k=a_{k-1}-\frac{a_{k-1}}{p(a_{k-1})};$$ and, for each positive integer $k$ such that $b_{k-1}\geq 2$, $$b_k=b_{k-1}-\frac{b_{k-1}}{P(b_{k-1})}$$ It is easy to see that both $\{a_n\}$ and $\{b_n\}$ are finite sequences which terminate when they reach the number $1$. Prove that the numbers of terms in the two sequences are always equal.

Prove that there exists a four-coloring of the set $M = \{1, 2, \cdots, 1987\}$ such that any arithmetic progression with $10$ terms in the set $M$ is not monochromatic. [b][i]Alternative formulation[/i][/b] Let $M = \{1, 2, \cdots, 1987\}$. Prove that there is a function $f : M \to \{1, 2, 3, 4\}$ that is not constant on every set of $10$ terms from $M$ that form an arithmetic progression. [i]Proposed by Romania[/i]

Let $ \left( a_n \right)_{n\ge 1} $ be an arithmetic progression with $ a_1=1 $ and natural ratio. [b]a)[/b] Prove that $$ a_n^{1/a_k} <1+\sqrt{\frac{2\left( a_n-1 \right)}{a_k\left( a_k -1 \right)}} , $$ for any natural numbers $ 2\le k\le n. $ [b]b)[/b] Calculate $ \lim_{n\to\infty } \frac{1}{a_n}\sum_{k=1}^n a_n^{1/a_k} . $ [i]Nicolae Bourbăcuț[/i]

[hide=D stands for Dedekind, Z stands for Zermelo]they had two problem sets under those two names[/hide] [b]Z15.[/b] Let $AOB$ be a quarter circle with center $O$ and radius $4$. Let $\omega_1$ and $\omega_2$ be semicircles inside $AOB$ with diameters $OA$ and $OB$, respectively. Find the area of the region within $AOB$ but outside of $\omega_1$ and $\omega_2$. [u]Set 4[/u] [b]Z16.[/b] Integers $a, b, c$ form a geometric sequence with an integer common ratio. If $c = a + 56$, find $b$. [b]Z17 / D24.[/b] In parallelogram $ABCD$, $\angle A \cdot \angle C - \angle B \cdot \angle D = 720^o$ where all angles are in degrees. Find the value of $\angle C$. [b]Z18.[/b] Steven likes arranging his rocks. A mountain formation is where the sequence of rocks to the left of the tallest rock increase in height while the sequence of rocks to the right of the tallest rock decrease in height. If his rocks are $1, 2, . . . , 10$ inches in height, how many mountain formations are possible? For example: the sequences $(1-3-5-6-10-9-8-7-4-2)$ and $(1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10)$ are considered mountain formations. [b]Z19.[/b] Find the smallest $5$-digit multiple of $11$ whose sum of digits is $15$. [b]Z20.[/b] Two circles, $\omega_1$ and $\omega_2$, have radii of $2$ and $8$, respectively, and are externally tangent at point $P$. Line $\ell$ is tangent to the two circles, intersecting $\omega_1$ at $A$ and $\omega_2$ at $B$. Line $m$ passes through $P$ and is tangent to both circles. If line $m$ intersects line $\ell$ at point $Q$, calculate the length of $P Q$. [u]Set 5[/u] [b]Z21.[/b] Sen picks a random $1$ million digit integer. Each digit of the integer is placed into a list. The probability that the last digit of the integer is strictly greater than twice the median of the digit list is closest to $\frac{1}{a}$, for some integer $a$. What is $a$? [b]Z22.[/b] Let $6$ points be evenly spaced on a circle with center $O$, and let $S$ be a set of $7$ points: the $6$ points on the circle and $O$. How many equilateral polygons (not self-intersecting and not necessarily convex) can be formed using some subset of $S$ as vertices? [b]Z23.[/b] For a positive integer $n$, define $r_n$ recursively as follows: $r_n = r^2_{n-1} + r^2_{n-2} + ... + r^2_0$,where $r_0 = 1$. Find the greatest integer less than $$\frac{r_2}{r^2_1}+\frac{r_3}{r^2_2}+ ...+\frac{r_{2023}}{r^2_{2022}}.$$ [b]Z24.[/b] Arnav starts at $21$ on the number line. Every minute, if he was at $n$, he randomly teleports to $2n^2$, $n^2$, or $\frac{n^2}{4}$ with equal chance. What is the probability that Arnav only ever steps on integers? [b]Z25.[/b] Let $ABCD$ be a rectangle inscribed in circle $\omega$ with $AB = 10$. If $P$ is the intersection of the tangents to $\omega$ at $C$ and $D$, what is the minimum distance from $P$ to $AB$? PS. You should use hide for answers. D.1-15 / Z.1-8 problems have been collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c3h2916240p26045561]here [/url]and D.16-30/Z.9-14, 17, 26-30 [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c3h2916250p26045695]here[/url]. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

Let n be an integer which is greater than 1, not divisible by 1997. Let $ a_m\equal{}m\plus{}\frac{mn}{1997}$ for all m=1,2,..,1996 $ b_m\equal{}m\plus{}\frac{1997m}{n}$ for all m=1,2,..,n-1 We arrange the terms of two sequence $ (a_i), (b_j)$ in the ascending order to form a new sequence $ c_1\le c_2\le ...\le c_{1995\plus{}n}$ Prove that $ c_{k\plus{}1}\minus{}c_k<2$ for all k=1,2,...,1994+n

The sequence $(a_n)$ is defined by $a_0 = 0$ and $a_{n+1} = [\sqrt[3]{a_n +n}]^3$ for $n \ge 0$. (a) Find $a_n$ in terms of $n$. (b) Find all $n$ for which $a_n = n$.

Let the sequence $\{a_n\}_{n \geq 1}$ be defined by \[ a_1 = 1, \quad a_{n+1} = a_n + \frac{1}{\sqrt[2024]{a_n}} \quad \text{for } n \geq 1, \, n \in \mathbb{N} \] Prove that \[ a_n^{2025} >n^{2024} \] for all positive integers $n \geq 2$. $\textbf{Proposed by Prajit Adhikari, Nepal.}$

In a five term arithmetic sequence, the first term is $2020$ and the last term is $4040.$ Find the second term of the sequence. [i]Proposed by Ada Tsui[/i]

Let $N \ge 1$ be a positive integer and $k$ be an integer such that $1 \le k \le N$. Define the recurrence $x_n = \frac{x_{n-1} + x_{n-2} +... + x_{n-N}}{N}$ for $n > N$ and $x_k = 1$, $x_1 = x_2 = ... = x_{k-1} =x_{k+1} =.. = x_N = 0$. As $n$ approaches infinity, $x_n$ approaches some value. What is this value?

Do there exist two bounded sequences $a_1, a_2,\ldots$ and $b_1, b_2,\ldots$ such that for each positive integers $n$ and $m>n$ at least one of the two inequalities $|a_m-a_n|>1/\sqrt{n},$ and $|b_m-b_n|>1/\sqrt{n}$ holds?

The second and fourth terms of a geometric sequence are $ 2$ and $ 6$. Which of the following is a possible first term? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \minus{}\!\sqrt3 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \minus{}\!\frac{2\sqrt3}{3} \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \minus{}\!\frac{\sqrt3}{3} \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \sqrt3 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 3$

For all positive integers $m$ and $k$ with $m\ge k$, define $a_{m,k}=\binom{m}{k-1}-3^{m-k}$. Determine all sequences of real numbers $\{x_1, x_2, x_3, \ldots\}$, such that each positive integer $n$ satisfies the equation \[a_{n,1}x_1+ a_{n,2}x_2+ \cdots + a_{n,n}x_n = 0\]

Let $f(x) = \frac{1}{1+x}$ where $x$ is a positive real number, and for any positive integer $n$, let $g_n(x) = x + f(x) + f(f(x)) + ... + f(f(... f(x)))$, the last term being $f$ composed with itself $n$ times. Prove that (i) $g_n(x) > g_n(y)$ if $x > y > 0$. (ii) $g_n(1) = \frac{F_1}{F_2}+\frac{F_2}{F_3}+...+\frac{F_{n+1}}{F_{n+2}}$ , where $F_1 = F_2 = 1$ and $F_{n+2} = F_{n+1} +F_n$ for $n \ge 1$.

Let $n > 1$ be an integer. In a circular arrangement of $n$ lamps $L_0, \ldots, L_{n-1},$ each of of which can either ON or OFF, we start with the situation where all lamps are ON, and then carry out a sequence of steps, $Step_0, Step_1, \ldots .$ If $L_{j-1}$ ($j$ is taken mod $n$) is ON then $Step_j$ changes the state of $L_j$ (it goes from ON to OFF or from OFF to ON) but does not change the state of any of the other lamps. If $L_{j-1}$ is OFF then $Step_j$ does not change anything at all. Show that: (i) There is a positive integer $M(n)$ such that after $M(n)$ steps all lamps are ON again, (ii) If $n$ has the form $2^k$ then all the lamps are ON after $n^2-1$ steps, (iii) If $n$ has the form $2^k + 1$ then all lamps are ON after $n^2 - n + 1$ steps.