Olympiad problems

1999 Cono Sur Olympiad, 3

There are $1999$ balls in a row, some are red and some are blue (it could be all red or all blue). Under every ball we write a number equal to the sum of the amount of red balls in the right of this ball plus the sum of the amount of the blue balls that are in the left of this ball. In the sequence of numbers that we get with this balls we have exactly three numbers that appears an odd number of times, which numbers could these three be?

2015 Czech-Polish-Slovak Junior Match, 2

Tags: number theory , sum , perfect square

Decide if the vertices of a regular $30$-gon can be numbered by numbers $1, 2,.., 30$ in such a way that the sum of the numbers of every two neighboring to be a square of a certain natural number.

2010 Junior Balkan Team Selection Tests - Romania, 2

Tags: sum , absolute value , algebra , inequalities

Let $a_1, a_2, ..., a_n$ real numbers such that $a_1 + a_2 + ... + a_n = 0$ and $| a_1 | + | a_2 | + ... + | a_n | = 1$. Show that: $| a _ 1 + 2 a _ 2 + ... + n a _ n | \le \frac {n-1} {2}$.

2014 Hanoi Open Mathematics Competitions, 15

Tags: maximum , inequalities , sum , algebra

Let $a_1,a_2,...,a_9 \ge - 1$ and $a^3_1+a^3_2+...+a^3_9= 0$. Determine the maximal value of $M = a_1 + a_2 + ... + a_9$.

1995 Abels Math Contest (Norwegian MO), 3

Tags: sum , natural , algebra

Show that there exists a sequence $x_1,x_2,...$ of natural numbers in which every natural number occurs exactly once, such that the sums $\sum_{i=1}^n \frac{1}{x_i}$, $n = 1,2,3,...$, include all natural numbers.

1991 Chile National Olympiad, 5

Tags: algebra , fibonacci , sum , number theory

The sequence $(a_k)$, $k> 0$ is Fibonacci, with $a_0 = a_1 = 1$. Calculate the value of $$\sum_{j = 0}^{\infty} \frac{a_j}{2^j}$$

1948 Moscow Mathematical Olympiad, 141

Tags: number theory , sum , reciprocal

The sum of the reciprocals of three positive integers is equal to $1$. What are all the possible such triples?

2000 Singapore Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: sum , number theory

Let $n$ be any integer $\ge 2$. Prove that $\sum 1/pq = 1/2$, where the summation is over all integers$ p, q$ which satisfy $0 < p < q \le n$,$ p + q > n$, $(p, q) = 1$.

2016 Costa Rica - Final Round, F2

Tags: algebra , sum , radical

Sea $f: R^+ \to R$ defined as $$f (x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt[3]{x^2 + 6x + 9} + \sqrt[3]{x^2 + 4x + 3} + \sqrt[3]{x^2 + 2x + 1}}$$ Calculate $$f (1) + f (2) + f (3) + ... + f (2016).$$

2023 Germany Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: set , sum , elements of set , combinatorics

Let $A$ be a non-empty set of integers with the following property: For each $a \in A$, there exist not necessarily distinct integers $b,c \in A$ so that $a=b+c$. (a) Proof that there are examples of sets $A$ fulfilling above property that do not contain $0$ as element. (b) Proof that there exist $a_1,\ldots,a_r \in A$ with $r \ge 1$ and $a_1+\cdots+a_r=0$. (c) Proof that there exist pairwise distinct $a_1,\ldots,a_r$ with $r \ge 1$ and $a_1+\cdots+a_r=0$.

1957 Moscow Mathematical Olympiad, 372

Tags: combinatorics , number theory , sum

Given $n$ integers $a_1 = 1, a_2,..., a_n$ such that $a_i \le a_{i+1} \le 2a_i$ ($i = 1, 2, 3,..., n - 1$) and whose sum is even. Find whether it is possible to divide them into two groups so that the sum of numbers in one group is equal to the sum of numbers in the other group.

2015 Romania Team Selection Test, 5

Tags: algebra , maximization , sum , inequalities

Given an integer $N \geq 4$, determine the largest value the sum $$\sum_{i=1}^{\left \lfloor{\frac{k}{2}}\right \rfloor+1}\left( \left \lfloor{\frac{n_i}{2}}\right \rfloor+1\right)$$ may achieve, where $k, n_1, \ldots, n_k$ run through the integers subject to $k \geq 3$, $n_1 \geq \ldots\geq n_k\geq 1$ and $n_1 + \ldots + n_k = N$.

2004 Switzerland Team Selection Test, 1

Tags: combinatorics , sum , subset

Let $S$ be the set of all n-tuples $(X_1,...,X_n)$ of subsets of the set $\{1,2,..,1000\}$, not necessarily different and not necessarily nonempty. For $a = (X_1,...,X_n)$ denote by $E(a)$ the number of elements of $X_1\cup ... \cup X_n$. Find an explicit formula for the sum $\sum_{a\in S} E(a)$

2014 Gulf Math Olympiad, 4

Tags: combinatorics , sum , chessboard

The numbers from $1$ to $64$ must be written on the small squares of a chessboard, with a different number in each small square. Consider the $112$ numbers you can make by adding the numbers in two small squares which have a common edge. Is it possible to write the numbers in the squares so that these $112$ sums are all different?

2013 India PRMO, 16

Tags: root , sum , algebra

Let $f(x) = x^3 - 3x + b$ and $g(x) = x^2 + bx -3$, where $b$ is a real number. What is the sum of all possible values of $b$ for which the equations $f(x)$ = 0 and $g(x) = 0$ have a common root?

1923 Eotvos Mathematical Competition, 2

Tags: binomial coefficient , binomial , sum , algebra

If $$s_n = 1 + q + q^2 +... + q^n$$ and $$ S_n = 1 +\frac{1 + q}{2}+ \left( \frac{1 + q}{2}\right)^2 +... + \left( \frac{1 + q}{2}\right)^n,$$ prove that $${n + 1 \choose 1}+{n + 1 \choose 2} s_1 + {n + 1 \choose 3} s_2 + ... + {n + 1 \choose n + 1} s_n = 2^nS_n$$

2002 Silk Road, 3

Tags: board , number theory , combinatorics , sum

In each unit cell of a finite set of cells of an infinite checkered board, an integer is written so that the sum of the numbers in each row, as well as in each column, is divided by $2002$. Prove that every number $\alpha$ can be replaced by a certain number $\alpha'$ , divisible by $2002$ so that $|\alpha-\alpha'| <2002$ and the sum of the numbers in all rows, and in all columns will not change.

1985 Tournament Of Towns, (104) 1

Tags: geometric inequality , convex , diagonal , sum , perimeter

We are given a convex quadrilateral and point $M$ inside it . The perimeter of the quadrilateral has length $L$ while the lengths of the diagonals are $D_1$ and $D_2$. Prove that the sum of the distances from $M$ to the vertices of the quadrilateral are not greater than $L + D_1 + D_2$ . (V. Prasolov)

2016 Dutch IMO TST, 2

Tags: algebra , arithmetic sequence , sum

For distinct real numbers $a_1,a_2,...,a_n$, we calculate the $\frac{n(n-1)}{2}$ sums $a_i +a_j$ with $1 \le i < j \le n$, and sort them in ascending order. Find all integers $n \ge 3$ for which there exist $a_1,a_2,...,a_n$, for which this sequence of $\frac{n(n-1)}{2}$ sums form an arithmetic progression (i.e. the dierence between consecutive terms is constant).

1983 Swedish Mathematical Competition, 1

Tags: sum , algebra

The positive integers are grouped as follows: $1, 2+3, 4+5+6, 7+8+9+10,\dots$. Find the value of the $n$-th sum.

2002 Swedish Mathematical Competition, 1

Tags: algebra , sum , combinatorics

$268$ numbers are written around a circle. The $17$th number is $3$, the $83$rd is $4$ and the $144$th is $9$. The sum of every $20$ consecutive numbers is $72$. Find the $210$th number.

1995 Spain Mathematical Olympiad, 1

Tags: perimeter , minimum , sum , combinatorics , algebra

Consider all sets $A$ of one hundred different natural numbers with the property that any three elements $a,b,c \in A$ (not necessarily different) are the sides of a non-obtuse triangle. Denote by $S(A)$ the sum of the perimeters of all such triangles. Compute the smallest possible value of $S(A)$.

1986 All Soviet Union Mathematical Olympiad, 419

Tags: geometry , octagon , sum , perimeter , square

Two equal squares, one with red sides, another with blue ones, give an octagon in intersection. Prove that the sum of red octagon sides lengths is equal to the sum of blue octagon sides lengths.

Kyiv City MO 1984-93 - geometry, 1993.8.4

Tags: sum , diameter , geometry

The diameter of a circle of radius $R$ is divided into $4$ equal parts. The point $M$ is taken on the circle. Prove that the sum of the squares of the distances from the point $M$ to the points of division (together with the ends of the diameter) does not depend on the choice of the point $M$. Calculate this sum.

2011 BAMO, 5

Tags: combinatorics , sum , pascal triangle

Does there exist a row of Pascal’s Triangle containing four distinct values $a,b,c$ and $d$ such that $b = 2a$ and $d = 2c$? Recall that Pascal’s triangle is the pattern of numbers that begins as follows [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/2/1/050e56f0f1f1b2a9c78481f03acd65de50c45b.png[/img] where the elements of each row are the sums of pairs of adjacent elements of the prior row. For example, $10 =4+6$. Also note that the last row displayed above contains the four elements $a = 5,b = 10,d = 10,c = 5$, satisfying $b = 2a$ and $d = 2c$, but these four values are NOT distinct.