Evaluate $$ \lim_{x\to \infty} \left( \frac{a^x -1}{x(a-1)} \right)^{1\slash x},$$ where $a>0$ and $a\ne 1.$

Two distinct, real, infinite geometric series each have a sum of $1$ and have the same second term. The third term of one of the series is $1/8,$ and the second term of both series can be written in the form $\frac{\sqrt{m}-n}{p},$ where $m,$ $n,$ and $p$ are positive integers and $m$ is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find $100m+10n+p.$

Suppose a sequence of reals $\{a_n\}_{n\geq 0}$ satisfies $a_0 = 0$, $\frac{100}{101} <a_{100}<1$, and $$2a_n - a_{n-1} -a_{n+1} \leq 2 (1-a_n )^3$$ for every $n\geq 1$. (1) Define a sequence $b_n = a_n - \frac{n}{n+1}$. Prove that $b_n\leq b_{n+1}$ for any $n\geq 100$. (2) Determine whether infinite series $\sum_{n=1}^\infty \frac{a_n}{n^2}$ converges or diverges.

Let $c_i$ denote the $i$th composite integer so that $\{c_i\}=4,6,8,9,...$ Compute \[\prod_{i=1}^{\infty} \dfrac{c^{2}_{i}}{c_{i}^{2}-1}\] (Hint: $\textstyle\sum^\infty_{n=1} \tfrac{1}{n^2}=\tfrac{\pi^2}{6}$)

Find (i) $\lim_{n\to \infty} \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{\sqrt{n^2 +i^{2}}}$. (ii) $\lim_{n\to \infty} \sum_{i=1}^{n} \frac{1}{\sqrt{n^2 +i}}$. (iii) $\lim_{n\to \infty} \sum_{i=1}^{n^{2}} \frac{1}{\sqrt{n^2 +i}}$.

The infinite geometric series of positive reals $a_1, a_2, \dots$ satisfies \[ 1 = \sum_{n=1}^\infty a_n = -\frac{1}{2013} + \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \text{GM}(a_1, a_2, \dots, a_n) = \frac{1}{N} + a_1 \] where $\text{GM}(x_1, x_2, \dots, x_k) = \sqrt[k]{x_1x_2\cdots x_k}$ denotes the geometric mean. Compute $N$. [i]Proposed by Aaron Lin[/i]

Let $\sigma(n)$ be the number of positive divisors of $n$, and let $\operatorname{rad} n$ be the product of the distinct prime divisors of $n$. By convention, $\operatorname{rad} 1 = 1$. Find the greatest integer not exceeding \[ 100\left(\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{\sigma(n)\sigma(n \operatorname{rad} n)}{n^2\sigma(\operatorname{rad} n)}\right)^{\frac{1}{3}}. \][i]Proposed by Michael Kural[/i]

If $P$ is the product of $n$ quantities in Geometric Progression, $S$ their sum, and $S'$ the sum of their reciprocals, then $P$ in terms of $S$, $S'$, and $n$ is $\textbf{(A) }(SS')^{\frac{1}{2}n}\qquad\textbf{(B) }(S/S')^{\frac{1}{2}n}\qquad\textbf{(C) }(SS')^{n-2}\qquad\textbf{(D) }(S/S')^n\qquad \textbf{(E) }(S/S')^{\frac{1}{2}(n-1)}$

A straight line connects City A at $(0, 0)$ to City B, 300 meters away at $(300, 0)$. At time $t=0$, a bullet train instantaneously sets out from City A to City B while another bullet train simultaneously leaves from City B to City A going on the same train track. Both trains are traveling at a constant speed of $50$ meters/second. Also, at $t=0$, a super y stationed at $(150, 0)$ and restricted to move only on the train tracks travels towards City B. The y always travels at 60 meters/second, and any time it hits a train, it instantaneously reverses its direction and travels at the same speed. At the moment the trains collide, what is the total distance that the y will have traveled? Assume each train is a point and that the trains travel at their same respective velocities before and after collisions with the y

The geometric series $ a \plus{} ar \plus{} ar^{2} \plus{} ...$ has a sum of $ 7$, and the terms involving odd powers of $ r$ have a sum of $ 3$. What is $ a \plus{} r$? $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac {4}{3}\qquad \textbf{(B)}\ \frac {12}{7}\qquad \textbf{(C)}\ \frac {3}{2}\qquad \textbf{(D)}\ \frac {7}{3}\qquad \textbf{(E)}\ \frac {5}{2}$

[b]2.[/b] Show that the series $\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac{1}{n}sin(asin(\frac{2n\pi}{N}))e^{bcos(\frac{2n\pi}{N})}$ is convergent for every positive integer N and any real numbers a and b. [b](S. 25)[/b]

The limit of the sum of an infinite number of terms in a geometric progression is $ \frac {a}{1 \minus{} r}$ where $ a$ denotes the first term and $ \minus{} 1 < r < 1$ denotes the common ratio. The limit of the sum of their squares is: $ \textbf{(A)}\ \frac {a^2}{(1 \minus{} r)^2} \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \frac {a^2}{1 \plus{} r^2} \qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \frac {a^2}{1 \minus{} r^2} \qquad\textbf{(D)}\ \frac {4a^2}{1 \plus{} r^2} \qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \text{none of these}$

Let $a_1,a_2,\dots$ and $b_1,b_2,\dots$ be sequences of positive real numbers such that $a_1=b_1=1$ and $b_n=b_{n-1}a_n-2$ for $n=2,3,\dots.$ Assume that the sequence $(b_j)$ is bounded. Prove that \[S=\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}\frac1{a_1\cdots a_n}\] converges, and evaluate $S.$

Fix two positive integers $a,k\ge2$, and let $f\in\mathbb{Z}[x]$ be a nonconstant polynomial. Suppose that for all sufficiently large positive integers $n$, there exists a rational number $x$ satisfying $f(x)=f(a^n)^k$. Prove that there exists a polynomial $g\in\mathbb{Q}[x]$ such that $f(g(x))=f(x)^k$ for all real $x$. [i]Victor Wang.[/i]

Assume that the complex numbers $a_1 , a_2, \ldots$ are all different from $0$, and that $|a_r - a_s| >1$ for $r\ne s.$ Show that the series $$\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{a_{n}^{3}}$$ converges.