A $5\times 5$ board is covered by eight hooks (a three unit square figure, shown in the picture) so that one unit square remains free. Determine all squares of the board that can remain free after such covering. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/6/8/a8c4e47ba137b904bd28c01c1d2cb765824e6a.png[/img]

A table consists of $17 \times 17$ squares. In each square one positive integer from $1$ to $17$ is written, every such number is written in exactly $17$ squares. Prove that there is a row or a column of the table that contains at least $5$ different numbers.

No matter how two copies of a convex polygon are placed inside a square, they always have a common point. Prove that no matter how three copies of the same polygon are placed inside this square, they also have a common point.

From a squared sheet of paper of size $29 \times 29, 99$ pieces, each a $2\times 2$ square, are cut off (all cutting is along the lines bounding the squares). Prove that at least one more piece of size $2\times 2$ may be cut from the remaining part of the sheet. (S Fomin, Leningrad)

Every unit square of a $n \times n$ board is colored either red or blue so that among all 2 $\times 2$ squares on this board all possible colorings of $2 \times 2$ squares with these two colors are represented (colorings obtained from each other by rotation and reflection are considered different). a) Find the least possible value of $n$. b) For the least possible value of $n$ find the least possible number of red unit squares

Each of the $16$ squares in a $4 \times 4$ table contains a number. For any square, the sum of the numbers in the squares sharing a common side with the chosen square is equal to $1$. Determine the sum of all $16$ numbers in the table. (R Zhenodarov)

In an $8 \times 8$ grid, $n$ disks, numbered $1$ to $n$ are stacked, with random order, in a pile in the bottom left comer. The disks can be moved one at a time to a neighbouring cell either to the right or top. The aim to move all the disks to the cell at the top right comer and stack them in the order $1,2,...,n$ from the bottom. Each cell, except the bottom left and top right cell, can have at most one disk at any given time. Find the largest value of $n$ so that the aim can be achieved.

Given a table $4\times 4$. a) Find, how $7$ stars can be put in its fields in such a way, that erasing of two arbitrary lines and two columns will always leave at list one of the stars. b) Prove that if there are less than $7$ stars, You can always find two columns and two rows, such, that if you erase them, no star will remain in the table.

Consider a table of cyclic permutations ($n\ge2$) \[ \begin{matrix} 1, & 2, & \ldots, & n-1, & n \\ 2, & 3, & \ldots, & n, & 1, \\ \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \vdots \\ n, & 1, & \ldots, & n-2, & n-1. \end{matrix} \] Then multiply each number of the first row by that number of the $k$-th row that is in the same column. Sum all these products and denote $s_k$ the result (e.g. $s_2=1\cdot2+2\cdot3+\cdots+(n-1)\cdot n+n\cdot1$). a) Find a recursive relation for $s_k$ in terms of $s_{k-1}$ and determine the explicit formula for $s_k$. b) Determine both an index $k$ and the value of $s_k$ such that the sum $s_k$ is minimal.

In every unit square of a$ n \times n$ table ($n \ge 11$) a real number is written, such that the sum of the numbers in any $10 \times 10$ square is positive and the sum of the numbers in any $11\times 11$ square is negative. Determine all possible values for $n$

A $17 \times 17$ square is cut out of a sheet of graph paper. Each cell of this square has one of thenumbers from $1$ to $70$. Prove that there are $4$ distinct squares whose centers $A, B, C, D$ are the vertices of a parallelogramsuch that $AB // CD$, moreover, the sum of the numbers in the squares with centers $A$ and $C$ is equal to that in the squares with centers $B$ and $D$.

Peter marks several cells on a $5\times 5$ board. Basil wins if he can cover all marked cells with three-cell corners. The corners must be inside the board and not overlap. What is the least number of cells Peter should mark to prevent Basil from winning? (Cells of the corners must coincide with the cells of the board).

Each entry in an $n\times n$ table is either $+$ or $-$. At each step, one can choose a row or a column and reverse all signs in it. From the initial position, it is possible to obtain the table in which all signs are $+$. Prove that this can be accomplished in at most $n$ steps.

Two people play a game on a $9 \times 9$ board. They move alternately. On each move, the first player draws a cross in an empty cell, and the second player draws a nought in an empty cell. When all $81$ cells are filled, the number $K$ of rows and columns in which there are more crosses and the number $H$ of rows and columns in which there are more noughts are counted. The score for the first player is the difference $B = K- H$. Find a value of $B$ such that the first player can guarantee a score of at least $B$, while the second player can hold the first player's score to at most B, regardless how the opponent plays. (A Kanel)

Initially, all the squares of an $8\times 8$ grid are white. You start by choosing one of the squares and coloring it gray. After that, you may color additional squares gray one at a time, but you may only color a square gray if it has exactly $1$ or $3$ gray neighbors at that moment (where a neighbor is a square sharing an edge). For example, the configuration below (of a smaller $3\times 4$ grid) shows a situation where six squares have been colored gray so far. The squares that can be colored at the next step are marked with a dot. Is it possible to color all the squares gray? Justify your answer. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/1/c/d50ab269f481e4e516dace06a991e6b37f2a85.png[/img]

Nine numbers are arranged in a square table: $a_1 \,\,\, a_2 \,\,\,a_3$ $b_1 \,\,\,b_2 \,\,\,b_3$ $c_1\,\,\, c_2 \,\,\,c_3$ . It is known that the six numbers obtained by summing the rows and columns of the table are equal: $a_1 + a_2 + a_3 = b_1 + b_2 + b_3 = c_1 + c_2 + c_3 = a_1 + b_1 + c_1 = a_2 + b_2 + c_2 = a_3 + b_3 + c_3$ . Prove that the sum of products of numbers in the rows is equal to the sum of products of numbers in the columns: $a_1 b_1 c_1 + a_2 b_2c_2 + a_3b_3c_3 = a_1a_2a_3 + b_1 b_2 b_3 + c_1 c_2c_3$ . (V Proizvolov)

Let $n$ be a positive integer. In how many ways can an $n \times n$ table be filled with integers from $0$ to $5$ such that a) the sum of each row is divisible by $2$ and the sum of each column is divisible by $3$ b) the sum of each row is divisible by $2$, the sum of each column is divisible by $3$ and the sum of each of the two diagonals is divisible by $6$?

In a $3n \times 3n$ grid, each square is either black or red. Each red square not on the edge of the grid has exactly five black squares among its eight neighbor squares.. On every black square that not at the edge of the grid, there are exactly four reds in the adjacent squares box. How many black and how many red squares are in the grid?

Each field of the $1987\times 1987$ board is filled with numbers, which absolute value is not greater than one. The sum of all the numbers in every $2\times 2$ square equals $0$. Prove that the sum of all the numbers is not greater than $1987$.

A number is placed in each cell of an $n \times n$ board so that the following holds: (A) the cells on the boundary all contain 0; (B) other cells on the main diagonal are each1 greater than the mean of the numbers to the left and right; (C) other cells are the mean of the numbers to the left and right. Show that (B) and (C) remain true if ''left and right'' is replaced by ''above and below''.

a) $r_1, r_2, ... , r_{100}, c_1, c_2, ... , c_{100}$ are distinct reals. The number $r_i + c_j$ is written in position $i, j$ of a $100 \times 100$ array. The product of the numbers in each column is $1$. Show that the product of the numbers in each row is $-1$. b) $r_1, r_2, ... , r_{2n}, c_1, c_2, ... , c_{2n}$ are distinct reals. The number $r_i + c_j$ is written in position $i, j$ of a $2n \times 2n$ array. The product of the numbers in each column is the same. Show that the product of the numbers in each row is also the same.

All the fields of a square $n\times n$ (n>2) table are filled with $+1$ or $-1$ according to the rules: [i]At the beginning $-1$ are put in all the boundary fields. The number put in the field in turn (the field is chosen arbitrarily) equals to the product of the closest, from the different sides, numbers in its row or in its column. [/i] a) What is the minimal b) What is the maximal possible number of $+1$ in the obtained table?

Consider a $10 \times 10$ grid. On every move, we colour $4$ unit squares that lie in the intersection of some two rows and two columns. A move is allowed if at least one of the $4$ squares is previously uncoloured. What is the largest possible number of moves that can be taken to colour the whole grid?

The numbers $1, 2, 3, ... , 64$ are written in the cells of an $8 \times 8$ board (in some order, one per cell). Show that at least four $2 \times 2$ squares have sum greater than $100$.

Find the greatest number of depicted pieces composed of $4$ unit squares that can be placed without overlapping on an $n \times n$ grid (where n is a positive integer) in such a way that it is possible to move from some corner to the opposite corner via uncovered squares (moving between squares requires a common edge). The shapes can be rotated and reflected. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/b/d/f2978a24fdd737edfafa5927a8d2129eb586ee.png[/img]