Olympiad problems

1999 Estonia National Olympiad, 4

$32$ stones, with pairwise different weights, and lever scales without weights are given. How to determine by $35$ scaling, which stone is the heaviest and which is the second by weight?

2011 IMO Shortlist, 1

Tags: weight , combinatorics

Let $n > 0$ be an integer. We are given a balance and $n$ weights of weight $2^0, 2^1, \cdots, 2^{n-1}$. We are to place each of the $n$ weights on the balance, one after another, in such a way that the right pan is never heavier than the left pan. At each step we choose one of the weights that has not yet been placed on the balance, and place it on either the left pan or the right pan, until all of the weights have been placed. Determine the number of ways in which this can be done. [i]Proposed by Morteza Saghafian, Iran[/i]

2010 Estonia Team Selection Test, 2

Tags: weight , combinatorics

Let $n$ be a positive integer. Find the largest integer $N$ for which there exists a set of $n$ weights such that it is possible to determine the mass of all bodies with masses of $1, 2, ..., N$ using a balance scale . (i.e. to determine whether a body with unknown mass has a mass $1, 2, ..., N$, and which namely).

Kvant 2023, M2749

Tags: weight , combinatorics

We have $n{}$ coins, one of which is fake, which differs in weight from the real ones and a two-pan scale which works correctly if the weights on the pans are different, but can show any outcome if the weights on the pans are equal. For what $n{}$ can we determine which coin is fake and whether it is lighter or heavier than the real coins, in at most $k{}$ weightings? [i]Proposed by A. Zaslavsky[/i]

2024 All-Russian Olympiad Regional Round, 11.6

Tags: weight , algebra , easy

Teacher has 100 weights with masses $1$ g, $2$ g, $\dots$, $100$ g. He wants to give 30 weights to Petya and 30 weights to Vasya so that no 11 Petya's weights have the same total mass as some 12 Vasya's weights, and no 11 Vasya's weights have the same total mass as some 12 Petya's weights. Can the teacher do that?

2014 German National Olympiad, 5

Tags: weight , combinatorics , coin

There are $9$ visually indistinguishable coins, and one of them is fake and thus lighter. We are given $3$ indistinguishable balance scales to find the fake coin; however, one of the scales is defective and shows a random result each time. Show that the fake coin can still be found with $4$ weighings.