Another Problem Set April 2020
Budhaditya Halder
April 2020
√
1. A line through a vertex of a cuts it in two similar triangles with 3 as the ratio between
correspondent sides. Find the angles of the given triangle.
2. We are given 1978 sets of size 40 each. The cardinality of the intersection of any two sets is
exactly 1. Prove that all the sets have a common element.
Hint: Assume the contrary, use PHP.
3. Let n ≥ 3 be an integer such that 4n + 1 is a prime number. Prove that 4n + 1 divides n2n − 1.
Hint: Fermat’s Little Theorem.
4. An infinite set B consisting of positive integers has the following property: for each a, b ∈ B
a−b
with a > b the number (a,b) ∈ B. Prove that B contains all positive integers. Here, (a, b) is the
greatest common divisor of numbers a and b.
Hint: Isn’t it sufficient to show 1∈ B?
5. Let f : Z → Z be a function such that for all integers x and y, the following holds:
f (f (x) − y) = f (y) − f (f (x)).
Show that f is bounded.
Hint: Try to show that f is even and then show f is periodic.
6. The points M and N are chosen on the angle bisector AL of a triangle ABC such that ∠ABM =
∠ACN = 23◦ . X is a point inside the triangle such that BX = CX and ∠BXC = 2∠BM L.
Find ∠M XN .
7. Suppose that the set {1, 2, · · · , 1998} has been partitioned into disjoint pairs {ai , bi } (1 ≤ i ≤
999) so that for all i, |ai − bi | equals 1 or 6. Prove that the sum
|a1 − b1 | + |a2 − b2 | + · · · + |a999 − b999 |
ends in the digit 9.
Hint: Check mod 5 and mod 2.
8. Prove that for each n ≥ 2, there is a set S of n integers such that (a − b)2 divides ab for every
distinct a, b ∈ S.
9. Let a1 , a2 , . . . , an (n > 3) be real numbers such that
a1 + a2 + · · · + an ≥ n and a21 + a22 + · · · + a2n ≥ n2 .
Prove that max(a1 , a2 , . . . , an ) ≥ 2.
10. Real numbers a 6= 0, b, c are given. Prove that there is a polynomial P (x) with real coefficients
such that the polynomial x2 + 1 divides the polynomial aP (x)2 + bP (x) + c.
Hint: Consider the quadratic ax2 + bx + c.
11. An integer n is called good if we can write
n = a1 + a2 + · · · + ak ,
where a1 , a2 , . . . , ak are positive integers (not necessarily distinct) satisfying
1 1 1
+ + ··· + = 1.
a1 a2 ak
Suppose that each k ∈ {33, 34, ..., 73} is good, prove that every integer ≥ 74 is good.
Hint: 21 + 12 = 1 = 12 + 13 + 16 ; Induction.
12. Does there are 2020 points on a circle of radius 1 such that the distance between any two is
rational?
Hint: Note that there are infinitely many primitive pythagoran triplets; use Ptloemy’s Theo-
rem.
13. Show that for any non-negative real numbers a, b, c, d such that a2 + b2 + c2 + d2 = 1, the
following inequality hold:
a + b + c + d − 1 ≥ 16abcd
Hint: AM-GM.
14. Suppose that each point on a plane is colored with one of the colors red or yellow. Show that
exist a convex pentagon with three right angles and all vertices are with same color.
Hint: Try to consider a p × q grid of points for some suitable p, q and then use PHP.
Qn−1
15. The sequence {an }n∈N is given in aPrecursive way with a1 = 1, an = i=1 ai + 1, for all n ≥ 2.
Determine the least M , such that m 1
n=1 an < M for all m ∈ N.
nP o
m 1
Hint: Focus on the sequence n=1 an
m≥1
16. Find all differentiable functions f : (0, ∞) → R such that
√
f (b) − f (a) = (b − a)f 0 ab ∀ a, b > 0
Hint: Try to form a simple differential equation.
3 3 3
17. If a, b, c > 0 and a + b + c = 1,then prove that a1 + 1b + 1c ≤ 3 + 2 · (a +b
abc
+c )
.
Hint: Simplify the given inequality and transform it into a well-known form.
yn+1 yn
18. Two sequences of positive integers, x1 , x2 , x3 , ... and y1 , y2 , y3 , .. are given, such that xn+1
> xn
√
for each n ≥ 1. Prove that there are infinitely many values of n such that yn > n.
19. Let f be a function satisfying the following three conditions for all positive integers n:
(a) f (n) is a positive integer,
(b) f (n + 1) > f (n),
(c) f (f (n)) = 3n.
Find f (2001).
20. Find all functions f : Z → Z satisfying the following two conditions:
(i) for all integers x we have f (f (x)) = x,
(ii) for all integers x and y such that x + y is odd, we have f (x) + f (y) ≥ x + y
Hint: Let b = max{a, f (a)} for some a. What can you say about the numbers f (b) and
min{a, f (a)}?
P.S.: There are solutions other than f (x) ≡ x
