Found problems: 110
2016 Postal Coaching, 5
Is it possible to define an operation $\star$ on $\mathbb Z$ such that[list=a][*] for any $a, b, c$ in $\mathbb Z, (a \star b) \star c = a \star (b \star c)$ holds;
[*] for any $x, y$ in $\mathbb Z, x \star x \star y = y \star x \star x=y$?[/list]
2007 USAMO, 3
Let $S$ be a set containing $n^{2}+n-1$ elements, for some positive integer $n$. Suppose that the $n$-element subsets of $S$ are partitioned into two classes. Prove that there are at least $n$ pairwise disjoint sets in the same class.
1985 Miklós Schweitzer, 10
Show that any two intervals $A, B\subseteq \mathbb R$ of positive lengths can be countably disected into each other, that is, they can be written as countable unions $A=A_1\cup A_2\cup\ldots\,$ and $B=B_1\cup B_2\cup\ldots\,$ of pairwise disjoint sets, where $A_i$ and $B_i$ are congruent for every $i\in \mathbb N$ [Gy. Szabo]
2017 China Team Selection Test, 3
Suppose $S=\{1,2,3,...,2017\}$,for every subset $A$ of $S$,define a real number $f(A)\geq 0$ such that:
$(1)$ For any $A,B\subset S$,$f(A\cup B)+f(A\cap B)\leq f(A)+f(B)$;
$(2)$ For any $A\subset B\subset S$, $f(A)\leq f(B)$;
$(3)$ For any $k,j\in S$,$$f(\{1,2,\ldots,k+1\})\geq f(\{1,2,\ldots,k\}\cup \{j\});$$
$(4)$ For the empty set $\varnothing$, $f(\varnothing)=0$.
Confirm that for any three-element subset $T$ of $S$,the inequality $$f(T)\leq \frac{27}{19}f(\{1,2,3\})$$ holds.
2012 India Regional Mathematical Olympiad, 6
Let $S$ be the set $\{1, 2, ..., 10\}$. Let $A$ be a subset of $S$.
We arrange the elements of $A$ in increasing order, that is, $A = \{a_1, a_2, ...., a_k\}$ with $a_1 < a_2 < ... < a_k$.
Define [i]WSUM [/i] for this subset as $3(a_1 + a_3 +..) + 2(a_2 + a_4 +...)$ where the first term contains the odd numbered terms and the second the even numbered terms.
(For example, if $A = \{2, 5, 7, 8\}$, [i]WSUM [/i] is $3(2 + 7) + 2(5 + 8)$.)
Find the sum of [i]WSUMs[/i] over all the subsets of S.
(Assume that WSUM for the null set is $0$.)
2010 Contests, 3
Let $I_1, I_2, I_3$ be three open intervals of $\mathbb{R}$ such that none is contained in another. If $I_1\cap I_2 \cap I_3$ is non-empty, then show that at least one of these intervals is contained in the union of the other two.
1992 Putnam, B1
Let $S$ be a set of $n$ distinct real numbers. Let $A_{S}$ be the set of numbers that occur as averages of two distinct
elements of $S$. For a given $n \geq 2$, what is the smallest possible number of elements in $A_{S}$?
2016 VJIMC, 2
Let $X$ be a set and let $\mathcal{P}(X)$ be the set of all subsets of $X$. Let $\mu: \mathcal{P}(X) \to \mathcal{P}(X)$ be a map with the property that $\mu(A \cup B) = \mu(A) \cup \mu(B)$ whenever $A$ and $B$ are disjoint subsets of $X$. Prove that there exists $F \subset X$ such that $\mu(F) = F$.
2009 Serbia National Math Olympiad, 3
Determine the largest positive integer $n$ for which there exist pairwise different sets $\mathbb{S}_1 , ..., \mathbb{S}_n$ with the following properties:
$1$) $|\mathbb{S}_i \cup \mathbb{S}_j | \leq 2004$ for any two indices $1 \leq i, j\leq n$, and
$2$) $\mathbb{S}_i \cup \mathbb{S}_j \cup \mathbb{S}_k = \{ 1,2,...,2008 \}$ for any $1 \leq i < j < k \leq n$
[i]Proposed by Ivan Matic[/i]
1964 Putnam, B2
Let $S$ be a set of $n>0$ elements, and let $A_1 , A_2 , \ldots A_k$ be a family of distinct subsets such that any two have a non-empty intersection. Assume that no other subset of $S$ intersects all of the $A_i.$ Prove that $ k=2^{n-1}.$