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: 623

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 $n$.
$f: \mathbb R^{n}\longrightarrow\mathbb R^{n}$ is a bijective map, that Image of every $n-1$-dimensional affine space is a $n-1$-dimensional affine space. 1) Prove that Image of every line is a line. 2) Prove that $f$ is an affine map. (i.e. $f=goh$ that $g$ is a translation and $h$ is a linear map.)
Let $ P $ be a point on the side $ AB $ of the triangle $ ABC. $ The parallels through $ P $ of the medians $ AA_1,BB_1 $ intersect $ BC,AC $ at $ R,Q, $ respectively. Show that $ P, $ the middlepoint of $ RQ $ and the centroid of $ ABC $ are collinear.
$ O $ is the circumcentre of $ ABC $ and $ A_1\neq A $ is the point on $ AO $ and the circumcircle of $ ABC. $ The centers of mass of $ ABC, A_1BC $ are $ G,G_1, $ respectively, and $ P $ is the intersection of $ AG_1 $ with $ OG. $ Show that $ \frac{PG}{PO}=\frac{2}{3} . $ [i]Gabriel Popa, Paul Georgescu[/i]
Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ matrix with strictly positive elements and two vectors $u,v\in\mathbb{R}^n$, also with strictly positive elements, such that $$Au=v\text{ and }Av=u.$$ Prove that $u=v$.
A projectile moves in a resisting medium. The resisting force is a function of the velocity and is directed along the velocity vector. The equation $x=f(t)$ (where $f(t)$ is not constant) gives the horizontal distance in terms of the time $t$. Show that the vertical distance $y$ is given by $$y=-gf(t) \int \frac{dt}{f'(t)} + g \int \frac{f(t)}{f'(t)} \, dt +Af(t)+B$$ where $A$ and $B$ are constants and $g$ is the acceleration due to gravity.
On sides $AB, BC$ and $CA$ of triangle $ABC$ are located points $P, M$ and $K$, respectively, so that $AM, BK$ and $CP$ intersect in one point and the sum of the vectors $\overrightarrow{AM}, \overrightarrow{BK}$ and $\overrightarrow{CP}$ equals $ \overrightarrow{0}$. Prove that $K, M$ and $P$ are midpoints of the sides of triangle $ABC$ on which they are located.
Last year, Master Cheung is famous for multi-rotation. This year, he comes to DAMO to make noodles for sweeping monk. One day, software engineer Xiao Li talks with Master Cheung about his job. Xiao Li mainly researches and designs the algorithm to adjust the paramter of different kinds of products. These paramters can normally be obtainly by minimising loss function $f$ on $\mathbb{R}^n$. In the recent project of Xiao Li, this loss function is obtained by other topics. For safety consideration and technique reasons, this topic makes Xiao Li difficult to find the interal details of the function. They only provide a port to calculate the value of $f(\text x)$ for any $\text x\in\mathbb{R}^n$. Therefore, Xiao Li must only use the value of the function to minimise $f$. Also, every times calculating the value of $f$ will use a lot of calculating resources. It is good to know that the dimension $n$ is not very high (around $10$). Also, colleague who provides the function tells Xiao Li to assume $f$ is smooth first. This problem reminds Master Cheung of his antique radio. If you want to hear a programme from the radio, you need to turn the knob of the radio carefully. At the same time, you need to pay attention to the quality of the radio received, until the quality is the best. In this process, no one knows the relationship between the angle of turning the knob and the quality of the radio received. Master Cheung and Xiao Li realizes that minimising $f$ is same as adjusting the machine with multiple knobs: Assume every weight of $\text x$ is controlled by a knob. $f(\text x)$ is a certain performance of the machine. We only need to adjust every knobs again and again and observes the value of $f$ in the same time. Maybe there is hope to find the best $\text x$. As a result, two people suggest an iteration algorithm (named Automated Forward/Backward Tuning, $\text{AFBT}$, to minimise $f$. In $k$-th iteration, the algorithm adjusts the individual weight of $\text{x}_k$ to $2n$ points $\{\text x_k\pm t_k\text e^i:i=1,...,n\}$, where $t_k$ is the step size; then, make $y_k$ be the smallest one among the value of the function of thosse points. Then check if $\text y_k$ sufficiently makes $f$ decrease; then, take $\text x_{k+1}=\text y_k$, then make the step size doubled. Otherwise, make $\text x_{k+1}=\text x_k$ and makes the step size decrease in half. In the algorithm, $\text e^i$ is the $i$-th coordinate vector in $\mathbb{R}^n$. The weight of $i$-th is $1$. Others are $0$; $\mathbf{1}(\cdot)$ is indicator function. If $f(\text x_k)-f(\text y_k)$ is at least the square of $t_k$, then take the value of $\mathbf{1}(f(\text k)-f(y_k)\ge t^2_k)$ as $1$. Otherwise, take it as $0$. $\text{AFBT}$ algorithm Input $\text{x}_0\in \mathbb{R}^n$, $t_0>0$. For $k=0, 1, 2, ...$, perform the following loop: 1: #Calculate loss function. 2: $s_k:=\mathbb{1}[f(\text{x}_k)-f(\text{y}_k)\ge t^2_k]$ #Is it sufficiently decreasing? Yes: $s_k=1$; No: $s_k=0$. 3: $\text{x}_{k+1}:=(1-s_k)\text{x}_k+s_k\text{y}_k$ #Update the point of iteration. 4: $t_{k+1}:=2^{2S_k-1}t_k$ #Update step size. $s_k=1$: Step size doubles; $s_k=0$: Step size decreases by half. Now, we made assumption to the loss function $f:\mathbb{R}^n\to \mathbb{R}$. Assumption 1. Let $f$ be a convex function. For any $\text{x}, \text{y}\in \mathbb{R}^n$ and $\alpha \in [0, 1]$, we have $f((1-\alpha)\text{x}+\text{y})\le (1-\alpha)f(\text{x})+\alpha f(\text{y})$. Assumption 2. $f$ is differentiable on $\mathbb{R}^n$ and $\nabla f$ is L-Lipschitz continuous on $\mathbb{R}^n$. Assumption 3. The level set of $f$ is bounded. For any $\lambda\in\mathbb{R}$, set $\{\text x\in \mathbb{R}^n:f(\text x)\le \lambda\}$ is all bounded. Based on assumption 1 and 2, we can prove that $\left\langle \nabla f(\text x),\text y-\text x \right\rangle \le f(\text y)-f(\text x)\le \left\langle \nabla f(\text x),\text y-\text x\right\rangle+\frac{L}{2}||\text x-\text y||^2$ You can refer to any convex analysis textbook for more properties of convex function. Prove that under the assumption 1-3, for $AFBT$, $\lim_{k \to \infty}f(\text{x}_k)=f^*$
Complex numbers $|z_1|=2,|z_2|=3$, and the intersection angle between the vectors corresponding to $z_1,z_2$ is $60^{\circ}$, then $\frac{|z_1+z_2|}{|z_1-z_2|}=$________.
Point $O$ is the origin of a space. Points $A_1, A_2,\dots, A_n$ have nonnegative coordinates. Prove the following inequality: $$|\overrightarrow{OA_1}|+|\overrightarrow {OA_2}|+\dots+|\overrightarrow {OA_n}|\leq \sqrt{3}|\overrightarrow {OA_1}+\overrightarrow{OA_2}+\dots+\overrightarrow{OA_n}|$$ [I]Proposed by A. Khrabrov[/i]
[asy] real t=pi/12;real u=8*t; real cu=cos(u);real su=sin(u); draw(unitcircle); draw((cos(-t),sin(-t))--(cos(13*t),sin(13*t))); draw((cu,su)--(cu,-su)); label("A",(cos(13*t),sin(13*t)),W); label("B",(cos(-t),sin(-t)),E); label("C",(cu,su),N); label("D",(cu,-su),S); label("E",(cu,sin(-t)),NE); label("2",((cu-1)/2,sin(-t)),N); label("6",((cu+1)/2,sin(-t)),N); label("3",(cu,(sin(-t)-su)/2),E); //Credit to Zimbalono for the diagram[/asy] Chords $AB$ and $CD$ in the circle above intersect at $E$ and are perpendicular to each other. If segments $AE$, $EB$, and $ED$ have measures $2$, $3$, and $6$ respectively, then the length of the diameter of the circle is $\textbf{(A) }4\sqrt{5}\qquad\textbf{(B) }\sqrt{65}\qquad\textbf{(C) }2\sqrt{17}\qquad\textbf{(D) }3\sqrt{7}\qquad \textbf{(E) }6\sqrt{2}$
Let $n$ be a positive integer. Let $S$ be a subset of points on the plane with these conditions: $i)$ There does not exist $n$ lines in the plane such that every element of $S$ be on at least one of them. $ii)$ for all $X \in S$ there exists $n$ lines in the plane such that every element of $S - {X} $ be on at least one of them. Find maximum of $\mid S\mid$. [i]Proposed by Erfan Salavati[/i]
Let $M$ be a connected, compact $C^{\infty}$-differentiable manifold, and denote the vector space of smooth real functions on $M$ by $C^{\infty}(M)$. Let the subspace $V\le C^{\infty}(M)$ be invariant under $C^{\infty}$-diffeomorphisms of $M$, that is, let $f\circ h\in V$ for every $f\in V$ and for every $C^{\infty}$-diffeomorphism $h\colon M\rightarrow M$. Prove that if $V$ is different from the subspaces $\{ 0\}$ and $C^{\infty}(M)$ then $V$ only contains the constant functions.
A $ 4\times 4$ table is divided into $ 16$ white unit square cells. Two cells are called neighbors if they share a common side. A [i]move[/i] consists in choosing a cell and the colors of neighbors from white to black or from black to white. After exactly $ n$ moves all the $ 16$ cells were black. Find all possible values of $ n$.
Let $O$ be the circumcenter of triangle $ABC$ and let $A_1,B_1,C_1$ be the midpoints of arcs $BC, CA,AB$ respectively. If $I$ is the incenter of triangle $ABC$, prove that $$\overrightarrow{OI}= \overrightarrow{OA_1}+ \overrightarrow{OB_1}+ \overrightarrow{OC_1}.$$
Let $n$ be an integer greater than 2, and $P_1, P_2, \cdots , P_n$ distinct points in the plane. Let $\mathcal S$ denote the union of all segments $P_1P_2, P_2P_3, \dots , P_{n-1}P_{n}$. Determine if it is always possible to find points $A$ and $B$ in $\mathcal S$ such that $P_1P_n \parallel AB$ (segment $AB$ can lie on line $P_1P_n$) and $P_1P_n = kAB$, where (1) $k = 2.5$; (2) $k = 3$.
Divide a $ 2\times 4 $ rectangle into $ 8 $ unit squares to obtain a set of $ 15 $ vertices denoted by $ \mathcal{M} . $ Find the points $ A\in\mathcal{M} $ that have the property that the set $ \mathcal{M}\setminus \{ A\} $ can form $ 7 $ pairs $ \left( A_1,B_1\right) ,\left( A_2,B_2\right) ,\ldots ,\left( A_7,B_7\right)\in\mathcal{M}\times\mathcal{M} $ such that $$ \overrightarrow{A_1B_1} +\overrightarrow{A_2B_2} +\cdots +\overrightarrow{A_7B_7} =\overrightarrow{O} . $$
Let $ABCD$ be a convex quadrilateral and points $E$ and $F$ on sides $AB,CD$ such that \[\tfrac{AB}{AE}=\tfrac{CD}{DF}=n\] If $S$ is the area of $AEFD$ show that ${S\leq\frac{AB\cdot CD+n(n-1)AD^2+n^2DA\cdot BC}{2n^2}}$
Squares $ BCA_{1}A_{2}$ , $ CAB_{1}B_{2}$ , $ ABC_{1}C_{2}$ are outwardly drawn on sides of triangle $ \triangle ABC$. If $ AB_{1}A'C_{2}$ , $ BC_{1}B'A_{2}$ , $ CA_{1}C'B_{2}$ are parallelograms then prove that: (i) Lines $ BC$ and $ AA'$ are orthogonal. (ii)Triangles $ \triangle ABC$ and $ \triangle A'B'C'$ have common centroid
In a triangle $ABC$, let $D$ and $E$ be the midpoints of $AC$ and $BC$ respectively. The distance from the midpoint of $BD$ to the midpoint of $AE$ is $4.5$. What is the length of side $AB$?
For every $n\geq 3$, determine all the configurations of $n$ distinct points $X_1,X_2,\ldots,X_n$ in the plane, with the property that for any pair of distinct points $X_i$, $X_j$ there exists a permutation $\sigma$ of the integers $\{1,\ldots,n\}$, such that $\textrm{d}(X_i,X_k) = \textrm{d}(X_j,X_{\sigma(k)})$ for all $1\leq k \leq n$. (We write $\textrm{d}(X,Y)$ to denote the distance between points $X$ and $Y$.) [i](United Kingdom) Luke Betts[/i]
Let $A_1A_2 \dots A_n$ be a polygon (not necessarily regular) with $n$ sides. Suppose there is a translation that maps each point $A_i$ to a point $B_i$ in the same plane. For convenience, define $A_0 = A_n$ and $B_0 = B_n$. Prove that \[ \sum_{i=1}^{n} (A_{i-1} B_{i})^2 = \sum_{i=1}^{n} (B_{i-1} A_{i})^2 \, . \]
$ OA, OB, OC, OD$ are 4 rays in space such that the angle between any two is the same. Show that for a variable ray $ OX,$ the sum of the cosines of the angles $ XOA, XOB, XOC, XOD$ is constant and the sum of the squares of the cosines is also constant.
Consider a triangle $ ABC $ having incenter $ I $ and inradius $ r. $ Let $ D $ be the tangency of $ ABC $ 's incircle with $ BC, $ and $ E $ on the line $ BC $ such that $ AE $ is perpendicular to $ BC, $ and $ M\neq E $ on the segment $ AE $ such that $ AM=r. $ [b]a)[/b] Give an idenity for $ \frac{BD}{DC} $ involving only the lengths of the sides of the triangle. [b]b)[/b] Prove that $ AB \cdot \overrightarrow{IC} +BC\cdot \overrightarrow{IA} +CA\cdot \overrightarrow{IB} =0. $ [b]c)[/b] Show that $ MI $ passes through the middle of the side $ BC. $ [i]Cătălin Zârnă[/i]