This website contains problems from math contests. Problems and corresponding tags were obtained from the Art of Problem Solving website.

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Found problems: 183

Prove that if $A$ is a commutative finite ring with at least two elements and $n$ is a positive integer, then there exists a polynomial of degree $n$ with coefficients in $A$ which does not have any roots in $A$.
Define the operator " $ * $ " on $ \mathbb{R} $ as $ x*y=x+y+xy. $ [b]a)[/b] Show that $ \mathbb{R}\setminus\{ -1\} , $ along with the operator above, is isomorphic with $ \mathbb{R}\setminus\{ 0\} , $ with the usual multiplication. [b]b)[/b] Determine all finite semigroups of $ \mathbb{R} $ under " $ *. $ " Which of them are groups? [b]c)[/b] Prove that if $ H\subset_{*}\mathbb{R} $ is a bounded semigroup, then $ H\subset [-2, 0]. $
Let $n\geq 1$ be an integer. Find all rings $(A,+,\cdot)$ such that all $x\in A\setminus\{0\}$ satisfy $x^{2^{n}+1}=1$.
Call a polynomial positive reducible if it can be written as a product of two nonconstant polynomials with positive real coefficients. Let $ f(x)$ be a polynomial with $ f(0)\not\equal{}0$ such that $ f(x^n)$ is positive reducible for some natural number $ n$. Prove that $ f(x)$ itself is positive reducible. [L. Redei]
For a finite group $G$ we denote by $n(G)$ the number of elements of the group and by $s(G)$ the number of subgroups of it. Decide whether the following statements are true or false. a) For every $a>0$ the is a finite group $G$ with $\frac{n(G)}{s(G)}<a.$ b) For every $a>0$ the is a finite group $G$ with $\frac{n(G)}{s(G)}>a.$
Prove that the polynomial \[ f(x) \equal{} \frac {x^n \plus{} x^m \minus{} 2}{x^{\gcd(m,n)} \minus{} 1}\] is irreducible over $ \mathbb{Q}$ for all integers $ n > m > 0$.
Let be a ring $ A. $ Denote with $ N(A) $ the subset of all nilpotent elements of $ A, $ with $ Z(A) $ the center of $ A, $ and with $ U(A) $ the units of $ A. $ Prove: [b]a)[/b] $ Z(A)=A\implies N(A)+U(A)=U(A) . $ [b]b)[/b] $ \text{card} (A)\in\mathbb{N}\wedge a+U(A)\subset U(A)\implies a\in N(A) . $
Denote by $S_n$ the group of permutations of the sequence $(1,2,\dots,n).$ Suppose that $G$ is a subgroup of $S_n,$ such that for every $\pi\in G\setminus\{e\}$ there exists a unique $k\in \{1,2,\dots,n\}$ for which $\pi(k)=k.$ (Here $e$ is the unit element of the group $S_n.$) Show that this $k$ is the same for all $\pi \in G\setminus \{e\}.$
Prove that the group morphisms $f: (\mathbb{C},+)\to(\mathbb{C},+)$ for which there exists a positive $\lambda$ such that $|f(z)| \leq \lambda |z|$ for all $z\in\mathbb{C}$, have the form \[ f(z) = \alpha z + \beta \overline{z} \] for some complex $\alpha$, $\beta$. [i]Cristinel Mortici[/i]
Let $ A $ be a ring that is not a division ring, and such that any non-unit of it is idempotent. Show that: [b]a)[/b] $ \left( U(A) +A\setminus\left( U(A)\cup \{ 0\} \right) \right)\cap U(A) =\emptyset . $ [b]b)[/b] Every element of $ A $ is idempotent.
Let $n\geq 3$ be an integer and $S_{n}$ the permutation group. $G$ is a subgroup of $S_{n}$, generated by $n-2$ transpositions. For all $k\in\{1,2,\ldots,n\}$, denote by $S(k)$ the set $\{\sigma(k) \ : \ \sigma\in G\}$. Show that for any $k$, $|S(k)|\leq n-1$.
Let $ G $ be the set of matrices of the form $ \begin{pmatrix} a&b\\0&1 \end{pmatrix} , $ with $ a,b\in\mathbb{Z}_7,a\neq 0. $ [b]a)[/b] Verify that $ G $ is a group. [b]b)[/b] Show that $ \text{Hom}\left( (G,\cdot) ; \left( \mathbb{Z}_7,+ \right) \right) =\{ 0\} $
Let $ \Gamma$ be a variety of monoids such that not all monoids of $ \Gamma$ are groups. Prove that if $ A \in \Gamma$ and $ B$ is a submonoid of $ A$, there exist monoids $ S \in \Gamma$ and $ C$ and epimorphisms $ \varphi : S \rightarrow A, \;\varphi_1 : S \rightarrow C$ such that $ ((e)\varphi_1^{\minus{}1})\varphi\equal{}B$ ($ e$ is the identity element of $ C$). [i]L. Marki[/i]
Let be a group and two coprime natural numbers $ m,n. $ Show that if the applications $ G\ni x\mapsto x^{m+1},x^{n+1} $ are surjective endomorphisms, then the group is commutative.
Let $n \geq 4$ be an even natural number and $G$ be a subgroup of $GL_2(\mathbb{C})$ with $|G| = n.$ Prove that there exists $H \leq G$ such that $\{ I_2 \} \neq H$ and $H \neq G$ such that $XYX^{-1} \in H, \: \forall X \in G$ and $\forall Y \in H$
Consider an odd prime $p$. A comutative ring $(A,+, \cdot)$ has the property that $ab=0$ implies $a^p=0$ or $b^p=0$. Moreover, $\underbrace{1+1+\cdots +1}_{p \textnormal{ times}} =0$. Take $x,y\in A$ such that there exist $m,n\geq 1$, $m\neq n$ with $x+y=x^my=x^ny$, and also $y$ is not invertible. \\ \\ $\textbf{(a)}$ Prove that $(a+b)^p=a^p+b^p$ and $(a+b)^{p^2}=a^{p^2}+b^{p^2}$ for all $a,b\in A$.\\ $\textbf{(b)}$ Prove that $x$ and $y$ are nilpotent.\\ $\textbf{(c)}$ If $y$ is invertible, does the conclusion that $x$ is nilpotent stand true? \\ \\ [i] (Bogdan Blaga)[/i]
Let $(G,\cdot)$ be a finite group with the identity element, $e$. The smallest positive integer $n$ with the property that $x^{n}= e$, for all $x \in G$, is called the [i]exponent[/i] of $G$. (a) For all primes $p \geq 3$, prove that the multiplicative group $\mathcal G_{p}$ of the matrices of the form $\begin{pmatrix}\hat 1 & \hat a & \hat b \\ \hat 0 & \hat 1 & \hat c \\ \hat 0 & \hat 0 & \hat 1 \end{pmatrix}$, with $\hat a, \hat b, \hat c \in \mathbb Z \slash p \mathbb Z$, is not commutative and has [i]exponent[/i] $p$. (b) Prove that if $\left( G, \circ \right)$ and $\left( H, \bullet \right)$ are finite groups of [i]exponents[/i] $m$ and $n$, respectively, then the group $\left( G \times H, \odot \right)$ with the operation given by $(g,h) \odot \left( g^\prime, h^\prime \right) = \left( g \circ g^\prime, h \bullet h^\prime \right)$, for all $\left( g,h \right), \, \left( g^\prime, h^\prime \right) \in G \times H$, has the [i]exponent[/i] equal to $\textrm{lcm}(m,n)$. (c) Prove that any $n \geq 3$ is the [i]exponent[/i] of a finite, non-commutative group. [i]Ion Savu[/i]
Given a ring $\left( A,+,\cdot \right)$ that meets both of the following conditions: (1) $A$ is not a field, and (2) For every non-invertible element $x$ of $ A$, there is an integer $m>1$ (depending on $x$) such that $x=x^2+x^3+\ldots+x^{2^m}$. Show that (a) $x+x=0$ for every $x \in A$, and (b) $x^2=x$ for every non-invertible $x\in A$.
$G$ is a group that order of each element of it Commutator group is finite. Prove that subset of all elemets of $G$ which have finite order is a subgroup og $G$.
Let $A$ be a finite ring and $a,b \in A,$ such that $(ab-1)b=0.$ Prove that $b(ab-1)=0.$
Show that for every prime $p$ and integer $n$, there is an irreducible polynomial of degree $n$ in $\mathbb{Z}_p[x]$ and use that to show there is a field of size $p^n$.
Let $G_1$ and $G_2$ be two finite groups such that for any finite group $H$, the number of group homomorphisms from $G_1$ to $H$ is equal to the number of group homomorphisms from $G_2$ to $H$. Prove that $G_1$ and $G_2$ are Isomorphic.
Prove that in an abelian ring $ A $ in which $ 1\neq 0, $ every element is idempotent if and only if the number of polynomial functions from $ A $ to $ A $ is equal to the square of the cardinal of $ A. $
Let $G$ be a group and let $a$ be a constant member of it. Prove that \[G_a = \{x | \exists n \in \mathbb Z , x=a^n\}\] Is a subgroup of $G.$
Let $G$ be a group such that every subgroup of $G$ is subnormal. Suppose that there exists $N$ normal subgroup of $G$ such that $Z(N)$ is nontrivial and $G/N$ is cyclic. Prove that $Z(G)$ is nontrivial. ($Z(G)$ denotes the center of $G$). [b]Note[/b]: A subgroup $H$ of $G$ is subnormal if there exist subgroups $H_1,H_2,\ldots,H_m=G$ of $G$ such that $H\lhd H_1\lhd H_2 \lhd \ldots \lhd H_m= G$ ($\lhd$ denotes normal subgroup).