Among all the numbers representable as $36^k - 5^l$ ($k$ and $l$ are natural numbers) find the smallest. Prove that it is really the smallest.

Consider functions $f$ from the whole numbers (non-negative integers) to the whole numbers that have the following properties: $\bullet$ For all $x$ and $y$, $f(xy) = f(x)f(y)$, $\bullet$ $f(30) = 1$, and $\bullet$ for any $n$ whose last digit is $7$, $f(n) = 1$. Obviously, the function whose value at $n$ is $ 1$ for all $n$ is one such function. Are there any others? If not, why not, and if so, what are they?

Let $f(x)$ be a cubic polynomial with roots $x_1 , x_2$ and $x_3.$ Assume that $f(2x)$ is divisible by $f'(x)$ and compute the ratio $x_1 : x_2: x_3 .$

Let $m,n$ be naturals satisfying $n \geq m \geq 2$ and let $S$ be a set consisting of $n$ naturals. Prove that $S$ has at least $2^{n-m+1}$ distinct subsets, each whose sum is divisible by $m$. (The zero set counts as a subset).

Show that if the faces of a tetrahedron have the same area, then they are congruent.

Let $N$ be the set of all non-negative integers and for each $n \in N$ denote $n'= n +1$. The function $A : N^3 \to N$ is defined as follows: (i) $A(0, m, n) = m'$ for all $m, n \in N$ (ii) $A(k', 0, n) =\left\{ \begin{array}{ll} n & if \, \, k = 0 \\ 0 & if \, \,k = 1, \\ 1 & if \, \, k > 1 \end{array} \right.$ for all $k, n \in N$ (iii) $A(k', m', n) = A(k, A(k',m,n), n)$ for all $k,m, n \in N$. Compute $A(5, 3, 2)$. (H. Nestra)

Find all the pairs $(x,y)$ of positive integers that satisfy the equation $x^2-xy+2x-3y=2013$.

The sides $x$ and $y$ of a scalene triangle satisfy $x + \frac{2\Delta }{x}=y+ \frac{2\Delta }{y}$ , where $\Delta$ is the area of the triangle. If $x = 60, y = 63$, what is the length of the largest side of the triangle?

Alice and Bob play a game on a 6 by 6 grid. On his or her turn, a player chooses a rational number not yet appearing in the grid and writes it in an empty square of the grid. Alice goes first and then the players alternate. When all squares have numbers written in them, in each row, the square with the greatest number in that row is colored black. Alice wins if she can then draw a line from the top of the grid to the bottom of the grid that stays in black squares, and Bob wins if she can't. (If two squares share a vertex, Alice can draw a line from one to the other that stays in those two squares.) Find, with proof, a winning strategy for one of the players.

6. Let $f(p)$ denote the number of ordered tuples $\left(x_{1}, x_{2}, \ldots, x_{p}\right)$ of nonnegative integers satisfying $\sum_{i=1}^{p} x_{i}=2022$, where $x_{i} \equiv i(\bmod p)$ for all $1 \leq i \leq p$. Find the remainder when $\sum_{p \in \mathcal{S}} f(p)$ is divided by 1000, where $\mathcal{S}$ denotes the set of all primes less than 2022 .

Prove that if an infinite, noncommutative group $ G$ contains a proper normal subgroup with a commutative factor group, then $ G$ also contains an infinite proper normal subgroup. [i]B. Csakany[/i]

Let $ABCD$ be a trapezium $AB // CD,$ $M$ and $N$ are fixed points on $AB,$ $P$ is a variable point on $CD$. $E = DN \cap AP$, $F = DN \cap MC$, $G = MC \cap PB$, $DP = \lambda \cdot CD$. Find the value of $\lambda$ for which the area of quadrilateral $PEFG$ is maximum.

Let $p$ be a natural number greater than or equal to $2$ and let $(M, \cdot)$ be a finite monoid such that $a^p \ne a$, for any $a\in M \backslash \{e\}$, where $e$ is the identity element of $M$. Show that $(M, \cdot)$ is a group.

Let $n$ be a positive integer. A 4-by-$n$ rectangle is divided into $4n$ unit squares in the usual way. Each unit square is colored black or white. Suppose that every white unit square shares an edge with at least one black unit square. Prove that there are at least $n$ black unit squares.

In Cartesian space, let $\Omega = \{(a, b, c) : a, b, c$ are integers between $1$ and $30\}$. A point of $\Omega$ is said to be [i]visible [/i] from the origin if the segment that joins said point with the origin does not contain any other elements of $\Omega$. Find the number of points of $\Omega$ that are [i]visible [/i] from the origin.

Find all positive integers $p$ for which there exists a positive integer $n$ such that $p^n+3^n~|~p^{n+1}+3^{n+1}.$

The line $l$ passing through the orthocenter $H$ of a triangle $ABC$ $(BC>AB)$ and parallel to $AC$ meets $AB$ and $BC$ at points $D$ and $E$ respectively. The line passing through the circumcenter of the triangle and parallel to the median $BM$ meets $l$ at point $F$. Prove that the length of segment $HF$ is three times greater than the difference of $FE$ and $DH$ Proposed by: A.Mardanov, K.Mardanova

Suppose $f(x)=x^2+a$. Define $f^1(x)=f(x)$, $f^n(x)=f(f^{n-1}(x))$, $n=2, 3, \cdots$, and let $M=\{a\in\mathbb{R}| |f^n(0)|\le 2, \text{for any } n\in\mathbb{N}\} $. Prove that $M=[-2, \frac{1}{4}]$.

Given $f(z) = z^2-19z$, there are complex numbers $z$ with the property that $z$, $f(z)$, and $f(f(z))$ are the vertices of a right triangle in the complex plane with a right angle at $f(z)$. There are positive integers $m$ and $n$ such that one such value of $z$ is $m+\sqrt{n}+11i$. Find $m+n$.

If $ f(x) \equal{} 5x^2 \minus{} 2x \minus{} 1$, then $ f(x \plus{} h) \minus{} f(x)$ equals: $ \textbf{(A)}\ 5h^2 \minus{} 2h \qquad \textbf{(B)}\ 10xh \minus{} 4x \plus{} 2 \qquad \textbf{(C)}\ 10xh \minus{} 2x \minus{} 2 \\ \textbf{(D)}\ h(10x \plus{} 5h \minus{} 2) \qquad \textbf{(E)}\ 3h$

Given a finite sequence of real numbers $a_1,a_2,\dots ,a_n$ ($\ast$), we call a segment $a_k,\dots ,a_{k+l-1}$ of the sequence ($\ast$) a “[i]long[/i]”(Chinese dragon) and $a_k$ “[i]head[/i]” of the “[i]long[/i]” if the arithmetic mean of $a_k,\dots ,a_{k+l-1}$ is greater than $1988$. (especially if a single item $a_m>1988$, we still regard $a_m$ as a “[i]long[/i]”). Suppose that there is at least one “[i]long[/i]” among the sequence ($\ast$), show that the arithmetic mean of all those items of sequence ($\ast$) that could be “[i]head[/i]” of a certain “[i]long[/i]” individually is greater than $1988$.

Box $A$ contains black balls and box $B$ contains white balls. Take a certain number of balls from $A$ and place them in $B$. Then take the same number of balls from $B$ and place them in $A$. Is the number of white balls in $A$ then greater, equal to, or less than the number of black balls in $B$?

[u]Round 1 [/u] [b]p1.[/b] In the convex quadrilateral $ABCD$ with diagonals $AC$ and $BD$, you know that angle $BAC$ is congruent to angle $CBD$, and that angle $ACD$ is congruent to angle $ADB$. Show that angle $ABC$ is congruent to angle $ADC$. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/5/d/41cd120813d5541dc73c5d4a6c86cc82747fcc.png[/img] [b]p2.[/b] In how many different ways can you place $12$ chips in the squares of a $4 \times 4$ chessboard so that (a) there is at most one chip in each square, and (b) every row and every column contains exactly three chips. [b]p3.[/b] Students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were split into pairs consisting of one student from each house. The pairs of students were sent to Honeydukes to get candy for Father's Day. For each pair of students, either the Hufflepuff student brought back twice as many pieces of candy as the Ravenclaw student or the Ravenclaw student brought back twice as many pieces of candy as the Hufflepuff student. When they returned, Professor Trelawney determined that the students had brought back a total of $1000$ pieces of candy. Could she have possibly been right? Why or why not? Assume that candy only comes in whole pieces (cannot be divided into parts). [b]p4.[/b] While you are on a hike across Deception Pass, you encounter an evil troll, who will not let you across the bridge until you solve the following puzzle. There are six stones, two colored red, two colored yellow, and two colored green. Aside from their colors, all six stones look and feel exactly the same. Unfortunately, in each colored pair, one stone is slightly heavier than the other. Each of the lighter stones has the same weight, and each of the heavier stones has the same weight. Using a balance scale to make TWO measurements, decide which stone of each color is the lighter one. [b]p5.[/b] Alex, Bob and Chad are playing a table tennis tournament. During each game, two boys are playing each other and one is resting. In the next game the boy who lost a game goes to rest, and the boy who was resting plays the winner. By the end of tournament, Alex played a total of $10$ games, Bob played $15$ games, and Chad played $17$ games. Who lost the second game? [u]Round 2 [/u] [b]p6.[/b] Consider a set of finitely many points on the plane such that if we choose any three points $A,B,C$ from the set, then the area of the triangle $ABC$ is less than $1$. Show that all of these points can be covered by a triangle whose area is less than $4$. [b]p7.[/b] A palindrome is a number that is the same when read forward and backward. For example, $1771$ and $23903030932$ are palindromes. Can the number obtained by writing the numbers from $1$ to $n$ in order be a palindrome for some $n > 1$ ? (For example, if $n = 11$, the number obtained is $1234567891011$, which is not a palindrome.) PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].

An arrow is assigned to each edge of a polyhedron such that for each vertex, there is an arrow pointing towards that vertex and an arrow pointing away from that vertex. Prove that there exist at least two faces such that the arrows on their boundaries form a cycle.

[u]Round 1[/u] [b]p1.[/b] Nineteen witches, all of different heights, stand in a circle around a campfire. Each witch says whether she is taller than both of her neighbors, shorter than both, or in-between. Exactly three said “I am taller.” How many said “I am in-between”? [b]p2.[/b] Alex is writing a sequence of $A$’s and $B$’s on a chalkboard. Any $20$ consecutive letters must have an equal number of $A$’s and $B$’s, but any 22 consecutive letters must have a different number of $A$’s and $B$’s. What is the length of the longest sequence Alex can write?. [b]p3.[/b] A police officer patrols a town whose map is shown. The officer must walk down every street segment at least once and return to the starting point, only changing direction at intersections and corners. It takes the officer one minute to walk each segment. What is the fastest the officer can complete a patrol? [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/a/3/78814b37318adb116466ede7066b0d99d6c64d.png[/img] [b]p4.[/b] A zebra is a new chess piece that jumps in the shape of an “L” to a location three squares away in one direction and two squares away in a perpendicular direction. The picture shows all the moves a zebra can make from its given position. Is it possible for a zebra to make a sequence of $64$ moves on an $8\times 8$ chessboard so that it visits each square exactly once and returns to its starting position? [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/2/d/01a8af0214a2400b279816fc5f6c039320e816.png[/img] [b]p5.[/b] Ann places the integers $1, 2,..., 100$ in a $10 \times 10$ grid, however she wants. In each round, Bob picks a row or column, and Ann sorts it from lowest to highest (left-to-right for rows; top-to-bottom for columns). However, Bob never sees the grid and gets no information from Ann. After eleven rounds, Bob must name a single cell that is guaranteed to contain a number that is at least $30$ and no more than $71$. Can he find a strategy to do this, no matter how Ann originally arranged the numbers? [u]Round 2[/u] [b]p6.[/b] Evelyn and Odette are playing a game with a deck of $101$ cards numbered $1$ through $101$. At the start of the game the deck is split, with Evelyn taking all the even cards and Odette taking all the odd cards. Each shuffles her cards. On every move, each player takes the top card from her deck and places it on a table. The player whose number is higher takes both cards from the table and adds them to the bottom of her deck, first the opponent’s card, then her own. The first player to run out of cards loses. Card $101$ was played against card $2$ on the $10$th move. Prove that this game will never end. [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/8/1/aa16fe1fb4a30d5b9e89ac53bdae0d1bdf20b0.png[/img] [b]p7.[/b] The Vogon spaceship Tempest is descending on planet Earth. It will land on five adjacent buildings within a $10 \times 10$ grid, crushing any teacups on roofs of buildings within a $5 \times 1$ length of blocks (vertically or horizontally). As Commander of the Space Force, you can place any number of teacups on rooftops in advance. When the ship lands, you will hear how many teacups the spaceship breaks, but not where they were. (In the figure, you would hear $4$ cups break.) What is the smallest number of teacups you need to place to ensure you can identify at least one building the spaceship landed on? [img]https://cdn.artofproblemsolving.com/attachments/8/7/2a48592b371bba282303e60b4ff38f42de3551.png[/img] PS. You should use hide for answers. Collected [url=https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c5h2760506p24143309]here[/url].