8.8, 9.8, 11.8 a) 99 boxes contain apples and oranges. Prove that we can choose 50 boxes in such a way that they contain at least half of all apples and half of all oranges. b) 100 boxes contain apples and oranges. Prove that we can choose 34 boxes in such a way that they contain at least a third of all apples and a third of all oranges. c) 100 boxes contain apples, oranges and bananas. Prove that we can choose 51 boxes in such a way that they contain at least half of all apples, and half of all oranges and half of all bananas. ([i]I. Bogdanov, G. Chelnokov, E. Kulikov[/i])

Five men and five women stand in a circle in random order. The probability that every man stands next to at least one woman is $\tfrac m n$, where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers. Find $m + n$.

Consider the set of all polynomials of degree less than or equal to $4$ with rational coefficients. a) Prove that it has a vector space structure over the field of numbers rational. b) Prove that the polynomials $1, x - 2, (x -2)^2, (x - 2)^3$ and $(x -2)^4$ form a base of this space. c) Express the polynomial $7 + 2x - 45x^2 + 3x^4$ in the previous base.

Let $ABC$ be a triangle. Suppose that the perpendicular bisector of $BC$ meets the circle of diameter $AB$ at a point $D$ at the opposite side of $BC$ with respect to $A$, and meets the circle through $A, C, D$ again at $E$. Prove that $\angle ACE=\angle BCD$. [i]Proposed by José Manuel Guerra and Victor Domínguez[/i]

Let $P(x)$ and $Q(x)$ be arbitrary polynomials with real coefficients, and let $d$ be the degree of $P(x)$. Assume that $P(x)$ is not the zero polynomial. Prove that there exist polynomials $A(x)$ and $B(x)$ such that: (i) both $A$ and $B$ have degree at most $d/2$ (ii) at most one of $A$ and $B$ is the zero polynomial. (iii) $\frac{A(x)+Q(x)B(x)}{P(x)}$ is a polynomial with real coefficients. That is, there is some polynomial $C(x)$ with real coefficients such that $A(x)+Q(x)B(x)=P(x)C(x)$.

Let $ R$ be a finite commutative ring. Prove that $ R$ has a multiplicative identity element $ (1)$ if and only if the annihilator of $ R$ is $ 0$ (that is, $ aR\equal{}0, \;a\in R $ imply $ a\equal{}0$).

Let $v \in \mathbb{R}^2$ a vector of length 1 and $A$ a $2 \times 2$ matrix with real entries such that: (i) The vectors $A v, A^2 v$ y $A^3 v$ are also of length 1. (ii) The vector $A^2 v$ isn't equal to $\pm v$ nor to $\pm A v$. Prove that $A^t A=I_2$.

Let $a_{ij}$ $i=1,2,3$; $j=1,2,3$ be real numbers such that $a_{ij}$ is positive for $i=j$ and negative for $i\neq j$. Prove the existence of positive real numbers $c_{1}$, $c_{2}$, $c_{3}$ such that the numbers \[a_{11}c_{1}+a_{12}c_{2}+a_{13}c_{3},\qquad a_{21}c_{1}+a_{22}c_{2}+a_{23}c_{3},\qquad a_{31}c_{1}+a_{32}c_{2}+a_{33}c_{3}\] are either all negative, all positive, or all zero. [i]Proposed by Kiran Kedlaya, USA[/i]

We attach to the vertices of a regular hexagon the numbers $1$, $0$, $0$, $0$, $0$, $0$. Now, we are allowed to transform the numbers by the following rules: (a) We can add an arbitrary integer to the numbers at two opposite vertices. (b) We can add an arbitrary integer to the numbers at three vertices forming an equilateral triangle. (c) We can subtract an integer $t$ from one of the six numbers and simultaneously add $t$ to the two neighbouring numbers. Can we, just by acting several times according to these rules, get a cyclic permutation of the initial numbers? (I. e., we started with $1$, $0$, $0$, $0$, $0$, $0$; can we now get $0$, $1$, $0$, $0$, $0$, $0$, or $0$, $0$, $1$, $0$, $0$, $0$, or $0$, $0$, $0$, $1$, $0$, $0$, or $0$, $0$, $0$, $0$, $1$, $0$, or $0$, $0$, $0$, $0$, $0$, $1$ ?)

Let $m$ and $n$ be two positive integers for which $m<n$. $n$ distinct points $X_1,\ldots , X_n$ are in the interior of the unit disc and at least one of them is on its border. Prove that we can find $m$ distinct points $X_{i_1},\ldots , X_{i_m}$ so that the distance between their center of gravity and the center of the circle is at least $\frac{1}{1+2m(1- 1/n)}$.

Let $a_{i}$ and $b_{i}$ ($i=1,2, \cdots, n$) be rational numbers such that for any real number $x$ there is: \[x^{2}+x+4=\sum_{i=1}^{n}(a_{i}x+b)^{2}\] Find the least possible value of $n$.

Students $ A $ and $ B $ play according to the following rules: student $ A $ selects a vector $ \overrightarrow{a_1} $ of length 1 in the plane, then student $ B $ gives the number $ s_1 $, equal to $ 1 $ or $ - $1; then the student $ A $ chooses a vector $ \overrightarrow{a_1} $ of length $ 1 $, and in turn the student $ B $ gives a number $ s_2 $ equal to $ 1 $ or $ -1 $ etc. $ B $ wins if for a certain $ n $ vector $ \sum_{j=1}^n \varepsilon_j \overrightarrow{a_j} $ has a length greater than the number $ R $ determined before the start of the game. Prove that student $B$ can achieve a win in no more than $R^2 + 1$ steps regardless of partner $A$'s actions.

Let $A$ be the set of all binary sequences of length $n$ and denote $o =(0, 0, \ldots , 0) \in A$. Define the addition on $A$ as $(a_1, \ldots , a_n)+(b_1, \ldots , b_n) =(c_1, \ldots , c_n)$, where $c_i = 0$ when $a_i = b_i$ and $c_i = 1$ otherwise. Suppose that $f\colon A \to A$ is a function such that $f(0) = 0$, and for each $a, b \in A$, the sequences $f(a)$ and $f(b)$ differ in exactly as many places as $a$ and $b$ do. Prove that if $a$ , $b$, $c \in A$ satisfy $a+ b + c = 0$, then $f(a)+ f(b) + f(c) = 0$.

Find the flux of the vector field $\overrightarrow{r}/r^3$ through the surface \[(x-1)^2+y^2+z^2=2\]

Is there an infinite sequence of real numbers $a_1,a_2,a_3,\dots$ such that \[a_1^m+a_2^m+a_3^m+\cdots=m\] for every positive integer $m?$

A right that passes through the incircle $ I$ of the triangle $ \Delta ABC$ intersects the side $ AB$ and $ CA$ in $ P$, respective $ Q$. We denote $ BC\equal{}a\ , \ AC\equal{}b\ ,\ AB\equal{}c$ and $ \frac{PB}{PA}\equal{}p\ ,\ \frac{QC}{QA}\equal{}q$. i) Prove that: \[ a(1\plus{}p)\cdot \overrightarrow{IP}\equal{}(a\minus{}pb)\overrightarrow{IB}\minus{}pc\overrightarrow{IC}\] ii) Show that $ a\equal{}bp\plus{}cq$. iii) If $ a^2\equal{}4bcpq$, then the rights $ AI\ ,\ BQ$ and $ CP$ are concurrents.

Let $k$ and $N$ be positive real numbers which satisfy $k\leq N$. For $1\leq i \leq k$, there are subsets $A_i$ of $\{1,2,3,\ldots,N\}$ that satisfy the following property. For arbitrary subset of $\{ i_1, i_2, \ldots , i_s \} \subset \{ 1, 2, 3, \ldots, k \} $, $A_{i_1} \triangle A_{i_2} \triangle ... \triangle A_{i_s}$ is not an empty set. Show that a subset $\{ j_1, j_2, .. ,j_t \} \subset \{ 1, 2, ... ,k \} $ exist that satisfies $n(A_{j_1} \triangle A_{j_2} \triangle \cdots \triangle A_{j_t}) \geq k$. ($A \triangle B=A \cup B-A \cap B$)

Given a point $O$ inside triangle $ABC$ . Prove that $$S_A * \overrightarrow{OA} + S_B * \overrightarrow{OB} + S_C * \overrightarrow{OC} = \overrightarrow{0}$$ where $S_A, S_B, S_C$ denote areas of triangles $BOC, COA, AOB$ respectively.

Show that for any vectors $a, b$ in Euclidean space, \[|a \times b|^3 \leq \frac{3 \sqrt 3}{8} |a|^2 |b|^2 |a-b|^2\] Remark. Here $\times$ denotes the vector product.

What is the biggest shadow that a cube of side length $1$ can have, with the sun at its peak? Note: "The biggest shadow of a figure with the sun at its peak" is understood to be the biggest possible area of the orthogonal projection of the figure on a plane.

Let $ O$ be an interior point of the triangle $ ABC$. Prove that there exist positive integers $ p,q$ and $ r$ such that \[ |p\cdot\overrightarrow{OA} \plus{} q\cdot\overrightarrow{OB} \plus{} r\cdot\overrightarrow{OC}|<\frac{1}{2007}\]

Consider the plane vectors $\overrightarrow{OA_1},\overrightarrow{OA_2},\dots ,\overrightarrow{OA_n}$ with $n\geq 3$. Suppose that the inequality $$\big|\overrightarrow{OA_1}+\overrightarrow{OA_2}+\dots +\overrightarrow{OA_n}\big|\geq \big|\pm\overrightarrow{OA_1}\pm\overrightarrow{OA_2}\pm\dots \pm\overrightarrow{OA_n}\big|$$ takes place for all choiches of the $\pm$ signs. Show that there exists a line $\ell$ through $O$ such that all points $A_1,A_2,\dots ,A_n$ are all on one side of $\ell$. [i]Cristi Săvescu[/i]

Given a point $X$ and $n$ vectors $\overrightarrow{x_i}$ with sum zero in the plane. For each permutation of the vectors we form a set of $n$ points, by starting at $X$ and adding the vectors in order. For example, with the original ordering we get $X_1$ such that $XX_1 = \overrightarrow{x_1}, X_2$ such that $X_1X_2 = \overrightarrow{x_2}$ and so on. Show that for some permutation we can find two points $Y, Z$ with angle $\angle YXZ = 60^o $, so that all the points lie inside or on the triangle $XYZ$.

Consider the set of all triangles $ OPQ$ where $ O$ is the origin and $ P$ and $ Q$ are distinct points in the plane with nonnegative integer coordinates $ (x,y)$ such that $ 41x\plus{}y \equal{} 2009$. Find the number of such distinct triangles whose area is a positive integer.

Let $ P_1,P_2,P_3,P_4$ be points on the unit sphere. Prove that $ \sum_{i\neq j}\frac1{|P_i\minus{}P_j|}$ takes its minimum value if and only if these four points are vertices of a regular pyramid.