Let $n \ge 2$ be an integer. Let $a$ be the greatest positive integer such that $2^a | 5^n - 3^n$. Let $b$ be the greatest positive integer such that $2^b \le n$. Prove that $a \le b + 3$.

Let $k$ be a positive integer. The little one and the magician on the skywalk play a game. Initially, there are $N = 2^k$ distinct balls line up in a row, with each of the ball covered by a cup. On each turn, the little one chooses two cups, then the magician can either swap the balls in the two cups, or do a fake move so that the balls in the two cups stay the same. The little one cannot distinguish whether the magician fakes a move on not, nor can she observe the balls inside the cups. After $M = k \times 2^{k-1}$ turns, the magician opens all cups so the little one can check the ball in each of the cups. If the little one can identify whether the magician fakes a move or not for each of the $M$ turns, then the little one win. Prove that the little one has a winning strategy. [i] Proposed by usjl[/i]

There are three number-transforming machines. We input the pair $(a_1, a_2)$, and the machine returns $(b_1, b_2)$. We denote this transformation as $(a_1, a_2) \to (b_1, b_2)$. (a) The first machine can perform two transformations: - $(a, b) \to (a - 1, b - 1)$ - $(a, b) \to (a + 13, b + 5)$ If the input pair is $(5,2)$, is it possible to obtain the pair $(20,22)$ after a series of transformations? (b) The second machine can perform two transformations: - $(a, b) \to (a - 1, b - 1)$ - $(a, b) \to (2a, 2b)$ If the input pair is $(15,10)$, is it possible to obtain the pair $(27,23)$ after a series of transformations? (c) The third machine can perform two transformations: - $(a, b) \to (a - 2, b + 2)$ - $(a, b) \to (2a - b + 1, 2b - 1 - a)$ If the input pair is $(5,8)$, is it possible to obtain the pair $(13,17)$ after a series of transformations?

Triangle $AMC$ is isoceles with $AM = AC$. Medians $\overline{MV}$ and $\overline{CU}$ are perpendicular to each other, and $MV=CU=12$. What is the area of $\triangle AMC?$ [asy] draw((-4,0)--(4,0)--(0,12)--cycle); draw((-2,6)--(4,0)); draw((2,6)--(-4,0)); draw((-2,6)--(2,6)); label("M", (-4,0), W); label("C", (4,0), E); label("A", (0, 12), N); label("V", (2, 6), NE); label("U", (-2, 6), NW); draw(rightanglemark((-2,6),(0,4),(-4,0),17)); [/asy] $\textbf{(A) } 48 \qquad \textbf{(B) } 72 \qquad \textbf{(C) } 96 \qquad \textbf{(D) } 144 \qquad \textbf{(E) } 192$

$4.$ On a table there are notes of values: $1$, $2$, $5$, $10$, $20$ ,$50$, $100$, $200$, $500$, $1000$, $2000$ and $5000$ (the number of any of these notes can be any non-negative integer). Two players , First and Second play a game in turns (First plays first). With one move a player can take any one note of value higher than $1$ , and replace it with notes of less value. The value of the chosen note is equal to the sum of the values of the replaced notes. The loser is the player which can not play any more moves. Which player has the winning strategy?

Say that two sets of positive integers $S, T$ are $\emph{k-equivalent}$ if the sum of the $i$th powers of elements of $S$ equals the sum of the $i$th powers of elements of $T$, for each $i= 1, 2, \ldots, k$. Given $k$, prove that there are infinitely many numbers $N$ such that $\{1,2,\ldots,N^{k+1}\}$ can be divided into $N$ subsets, all of which are $k$-equivalent to each other.

Show that triangle $ABC$ is right-angled if its angles satisfy the ratio $\cos^2A + \cos ^2B +\ cos ^2C=1$.

Determine all positive integers $n$ less than $2024$ such that for all positive integers $x$, the greatest common divisor of $9x + 1$ and $nx+1$ is $1$.

Let $a$ and $b$ be nonzero real numbers such that $\tfrac{1}{3a}+\tfrac{1}{b}=2011$ and $\tfrac{1}{a}+\tfrac{1}{3b}=1$. What is the quotient when $a+b$ is divided by $ab$?

The perpendicular bisector of $AB$ of an acute $\Delta ABC$ intersects $BC$ and the continuation of $AC$ in points $P$ and $Q$ respectively. $M$ and $N$ are the middle points of side $AB$ and segment $PQ$ respectively. If the lines $AB$ and $CN$ intersect in point $D$, prove that $\Delta ABC$ and $\Delta DCM$ have a common orthocenter.

We have a $n\times n$ table and we’ve written numbers $0,+1 \ or \ -1$ in each $1\times1$ square such that in every row or column, there is only one $+1$ and one $-1$. Prove that by swapping the rows with each other and the columns with each other finitely, we can swap $+1$s with $-1$s.

For a positive integer $n$, there are $n$ positive reals $a_1 \ge a_2 \ge a_3 \cdots \ge a_n$. For all positive reals $b_1, b_2, \cdots b_n$, prove the following inequality. $$\frac{a_1b_1+a_2b_2 + \cdots +a_nb_n}{a_1+a_2+ \cdots a_n} \le \text{max}\{ \frac{b_1}{1}, \frac{b_1+b_2}{2}, \cdots, \frac{b_1+b_2+ \cdots +b_n}{n} \}$$

Find all functions $f:\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ such that for all real $x, y$, the following relation holds: $$(x+y) \cdot f(x+y)= f(f(x)+y) \cdot f(x+f(y)).$$ [i]Proposed by Vadym Koval (Ukraine)[/i]

The line $l$ intersects the extension of $AB$ in $D$ ($D$ is nearer to $B$ than $A$) and the extension of $AC$ in $E$ ($E$ is nearer to $C$ than $A$) of triangle $ABC$. Suppose that reflection of line $l$ to perpendicular bisector of side $BC$ intersects the mentioned extensions in $D'$ and $E'$ respectively. Prove that if $BD+CE=DE$, then $BD'+CE'=D'E'$.

Let a city be in the form of a square grid which has $n \times n$ cells, each of which contain a skyscraper . At first the $m$ skyscrapers burn, but the fire spreads: everyone skyscraper that has at least two burning neighboring houses (by neighboring houses we mean only houses that border the house along a street, not just at a corner) immediately gets fire. Prove that when in the end the whole city burns down, of must have been $m \ge n$. [hide=original wording in German] Eine Stadt habe die Form eines quadratischen Gitters, welches n × n Zellen habe, von denen jede ein Hochhaus enthalte. Anfangs brennen m der Hochh¨auser, doch der Brand pflanzt sich fort: Jedes Hochhaus, das mindestens zwei brennende Nachbarh¨auser hat (unter Nachbarh¨ausern verstehen wir dabei nur H¨auser, die entlang einer Straße an das Haus angrenzen, nicht nur an einer Ecke), f¨angt sofort Feuer. Man beweise: Wenn am Ende die gesamte Stadt abgebrannt ist,muss m ≥ n gewesen sein.[/hide]

Show that a given natural number $A$ is the square of a natural number if and only if for any natural number $n$, at least one of the differences \[(A + 1)^2 - A, (A + 2)^2 - A, (A + 3)^2 - A, \cdots , (A + n)^2 - A\] is divisible by $n$.

Let $x,y,z$ be positive real numbers such that $x+y+z=1$ Prove that always $\left( 1+\frac1x\right)\times\left(1+\frac1y\right)\times\left(1 +\frac1z\right)\ge 64$ When does equality hold?