Two lines parallel to the $x$-axis cut the graph of $y=ax^3+bx^2+cx+d$ in points $A,C,E$ and $B,D,F$ respectively, in that order from left to right. Prove that the length of the projection of the segment $CD$ onto the $x$-axis equals the sum of the lengths of the projections of $AB$ and $EF$.

Prove that for any real numbers $1 \leq \sqrt{x} \leq y \leq x^2$, the following system of equations has a real solution $(a, b, c)$: \[a+b+c = \frac{x+x^2+x^4+y+y^2+y^4}{2}\] \[ab+ac+bc = \frac{x^3 + x^5 + x^6 + y^3 + y^5 + y^6}{2}\] \[abc=\frac{x^7+y^7}{2}\]

Let $r_1$, $r_2$, $\ldots$, $r_{20}$ be the roots of the polynomial $x^{20}-7x^3+1$. If \[\dfrac{1}{r_1^2+1}+\dfrac{1}{r_2^2+1}+\cdots+\dfrac{1}{r_{20}^2+1}\] can be written in the form $\tfrac mn$ where $m$ and $n$ are positive coprime integers, find $m+n$.

Let $ r$, $ s$, and $ t$ be the three roots of the equation \[ 8x^3\plus{}1001x\plus{}2008\equal{}0.\]Find $ (r\plus{}s)^3\plus{}(s\plus{}t)^3\plus{}(t\plus{}r)^3$.

The polynomial $P(x) = x^3 - 6x - 2$ has three real roots, $\alpha$, $\beta$, and $\gamma$. Depending on the assignment of the roots, there exist two different quadratics $Q$ such that the graph of $y=Q(x)$ pass through the points $(\alpha,\beta)$, $(\beta,\gamma)$, and $(\gamma,\alpha)$. What is the larger of the two values of $Q(1)$?

Find the sum of the real roots of the polynomial \[ \prod_{k=1}^{100} \left( x^2-11x+k \right) = \left( x^2-11x+1 \right)\left( x^2-11x+2 \right)\dots\left(x^2-11x+100\right). \][i]Proposed by Evan Chen[/i]

Prove there exists a constant $k_0$ such that for any $k\ge k_0$, the equation \[a^{2n}+b^{4n}+2013=ka^nb^{2n}\] has no positive integer solutions $a,b,n$. [i]Proposed by István Pink.[/i]

Let $P(x)=x^n+a_{n-1}x^{n-1}+\cdots+a_0$ be a polynomial of degree $n\geq 3.$ Knowing that $a_{n-1}=-\binom{n}{1}$ and $a_{n-2}=\binom{n}{2},$ and that all the roots of $P$ are real, find the remaining coefficients. Note that $\binom{n}{r}=\frac{n!}{(n-r)!r!}.$

Let the roots of $x^2-3x+1=0$ be $r$ and $s$. Then the expression $r^2+s^2$ is: $ \textbf{(A)}\ \text{a positive integer} \qquad\textbf{(B)}\ \text{a positive fraction greater than 1}\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ \text{a positive fraction less than 1}$ $\textbf{(D)}\ \text{an irrational number}\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ \text{an imaginary number}$

Let $ a,$ $ b,$ $ c,$ $ d,$ and $ e$ be distinct integers such that \[ (6 \minus{} a)(6 \minus{} b)(6 \minus{} c)(6 \minus{} d)(6 \minus{} e) \equal{} 45. \]What is $ a \plus{} b \plus{} c \plus{} d \plus{} e?$ $ \textbf{(A)}\ 5 \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 17 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 25 \qquad \textbf{(D)}\ 27 \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 30$

The sum of all real $x$ such that $(2^{x} - 4)^{3} + (4^{x} - 2)^{3} = (4^{x} + 2^{x} - 6)^{3}$ is $ \textbf{(A)}\ 3/2\qquad\textbf{(B)}\ 2\qquad\textbf{(C)}\ 5/2\qquad\textbf{(D)}\ 3\qquad\textbf{(E)}\ 7/2 $

Find all pairs of positive integers $ a,b$ such that \begin{align*} b^2 + b+ 1 & \equiv 0 \pmod a \\ a^2+a+1 &\equiv 0 \pmod b . \end{align*}

Let $ a\geq 2$ be a real number; with the roots $ x_{1}$ and $ x_{2}$ of the equation $ x^2\minus{}ax\plus{}1\equal{}0$ we build the sequence with $ S_{n}\equal{}x_{1}^n \plus{} x_{2}^n$. [b]a)[/b]Prove that the sequence $ \frac{S_{n}}{S_{n\plus{}1}}$, where $ n$ takes value from $ 1$ up to infinity, is strictly non increasing. [b]b)[/b]Find all value of $ a$ for the which this inequality hold for all natural values of $ n$ $ \frac{S_{1}}{S_{2}}\plus{}\cdots \plus{}\frac{S_{n}}{S_{n\plus{}1}}>n\minus{}1$

Done with her new problems, Wendy takes a break from math. Still without any fresh reading material, she feels a bit antsy. She starts to feel annoyed that Michael's loose papers clutter the family van. Several of them are ripped, and bits of paper litter the floor. Tired of trying to get Michael to clean up after himself, Wendy spends a couple of minutes putting Michael's loose papers in the trash. "That seems fair to me," confirms Hannah encouragingly. While collecting Michael's scraps, Wendy comes across a corner of a piece of paper with part of a math problem written on it. There is a monic polynomial of degree $n$, with real coefficients. The first two terms after $x^n$ are $a_{n-1}x^{n-1}$ and $a_{n-2}x^{n-2}$, but the rest of the polynomial is cut off where Michael's page is ripped. Wendy barely makes out a little of Michael's scribbling, showing that $a_{n-1}=-a_{n-2}$. Wendy deciphers the goal of the problem, which is to find the sum of the squares of the roots of the polynomial. Wendy knows neither the value of $n$, nor the value of $a_{n-1}$, but still she finds a [greatest] lower bound for the answer to the problem. Find the absolute value of that lower bound.

Two different positive numbers $ a$ and $ b$ each differ from their reciprocals by 1. What is $ a \plus{} b$? \[ \textbf{(A) } 1 \qquad \textbf{(B) } 2 \qquad \textbf{(C) } \sqrt {5} \qquad \textbf{(D) } \sqrt {6} \qquad \textbf{(E) } 3 \]

Let $a,b,c$ be the roots of the cubic $x^3 + 3x^2 + 5x + 7$. Given that $P$ is a cubic polynomial such that $P(a)=b+c$, $P(b) = c+a$, $P(c) = a+b$, and $P(a+b+c) = -16$, find $P(0)$. [i]Author: Alex Zhu[/i]

Determine the maximum value of $m^2+n^2$, where $m$ and $n$ are integers in the range $1,2,\ldots,1981$ satisfying $(n^2-mn-m^2)^2=1$.

Let $f$ be a function for which $f\left(\frac x3\right)=x^2+x+1$. Find the sum of all values of $z$ for which $f(3z)=7$. $\text{(A)}\ -\frac13\qquad\text{(B)}\ -\frac19 \qquad\text{(C)}\ 0 \qquad\text{(D)}\ \frac59 \qquad\text{(E)}\ \frac53$

Find all positive reals $x,y,z $ such that \[2x-2y+\dfrac1z = \dfrac1{2014},\hspace{0.5em} 2y-2z +\dfrac1x = \dfrac1{2014},\hspace{0.5em}\text{and}\hspace{0.5em} 2z-2x+ \dfrac1y = \dfrac1{2014}.\]

Let $b$ and $c$ be real numbers and define the polynomial $P(x)=x^2+bx+c$. Suppose that $P(P(1))=P(P(2))=0$, and that $P(1) \neq P(2)$. Find $P(0)$.

For positive integer $k$, define integer sequence $\{ b_n \}, \{ c_n \} $ as follows: \[ b_1 = c_1 = 1 \] \[ b_{2n} = kb_{2n-1} + (k-1)c_{2n-1}, c_{2n} = b_{2n-1} + c_{2n-1} \] \[ b_{2n+1} = b_{2n} + (k-1)c_{2n}, c_{2n+1} = b_{2n} + kc_{2n} \] Let $a_k = b_{2014} $. Find the value of \[ \sum_{k=1}^{100} { (a_k - \sqrt{{a_k}^2-1} )^{ \frac{1}{2014}} }\]

There are 6 distinct values of $x$ strictly between $0$ and $\frac{\pi}{2}$ that satisfy the equation \[ \tan(15 x) = 15 \tan(x) . \] Call these 6 values $r_1$, $r_2$, $r_3$, $r_4$, $r_5$, and $r_6$. What is the value of the sum \[ \frac{1}{\tan^2 r_1} + \frac{1}{\tan^2 r_2} + \frac{1}{\tan^2 r_3} + \frac{1}{\tan^2 r_4} + \frac{1}{\tan^2 r_5} + \frac{1}{\tan^2 r_6} \, ? \]

A Mediterranean polynomial has only real roots and it is of the form \[ P(x) = x^{10}-20x^9+135x^8+a_7x^7+a_6x^6+a_5x^5+a_4x^4+a_3x^3+a_2x^2+a_1x+a_0 \] with real coefficients $a_0\ldots,a_7$. Determine the largest real number that occurs as a root of some Mediterranean polynomial. [i](Proposed by Gerhard Woeginger, Austria)[/i]

Let $P(x)=x^6-x^5-x^3-x^2-x$ and $a,b,c$ and $d$ be the roots of the equation $x^4-x^3-x^2-1=0$, then determine the value of $P(a)+P(b)+P(c)+P(d)$ (A)$5$ (B)$6$ (C)$7$ (D)$8$

Let $a,b,c$ be the roots of $x^3-9x^2+11x-1=0$, and let $s=\sqrt{a}+\sqrt{b}+\sqrt{c}$. Find $s^4-18s^2-8s$.