Junior Problems

J547. Find all primes p such that

2p+2 − 1
p
is a prime.

Proposed by Adrian Andreescu, University of Texas at Dallas, USA

J548. Let a, b, c, x, y be positive real numbers such that x + y = 1. Prove that

s s s
a3 b3 c3
+ + ≥ a + b + c.
xa + yb xb + yc xc + ya

Proposed by Mircea Becheanu, Canada

J549. Let a, b, c be positive real numbers. Prove that

b+c c+a a+b 9 1 1 1
2
+ 2 + 2 − ≥ + +
a b c a+b+c a b c

Proposed by Adrian Andreescu, University of Texas at Dallas, USA

J550. Let a, b, c be real numbers with a, b ≤ c, such that abc = 1 and ab + bc + ca = 0. Find the greatest real
number k such that
|a + b| ≥ k|c|.

Proposed by Ayashi Jain, Gurgaon, Haryana, India

J551. Let ABCD be a square and let M be a point on side CD. The lines AM and BD intersect in E . The
perpendicular in E on AM intersects BC in N and AN intersects BD in F . Let K be the intersection
point of EN and F M . Prove that AK is perpendicular to M N .

Proposed by Mircea Becheanu, Canada

J552. Let x, y, z be positive real numbers with xy + xz + yz + xyz = 4. Prove that

√ p √  p
2 x+1+ y+1+ z + 1 ≤ 3 (x + 1) (y + 1) (z + 1).

Proposed by Mihaela Berindeanu, Bucharest, România

Mathematical Reflections 2 (2021) 1

 Senior Problems

S547. Let a and b be postive real numbers less than 2 such that ab = 2. Solve in real numbers the equation
4(x2 + ax + b)(x2 + bx + a) + a3 + b3 = 9.

Proposed by Adrian Andreescu, University of Texas at Dallas, USA

S548. Let a, b, c, d be nonnegative real numbers such that a + b + c + d = 10. Prove that
6a + 2ab + abc + abcd ≤ 96.

Proposed by An Zhenping, Xianyang Normal University, China

S549. Let a, b, c be positive real numbers such that a + b + c + abc = 4. Prove that
√ √ √ p p p
a bc + b ca + c ab ≤ 1 + 4a − a2 + 1 + 4b − b2 + 1 + 4c − c2 ≤ ab + bc + ca + 3.

Proposed by Nguyen Viet Hung, Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam

S550. Let a, b, c be positive real numbers. Prove that

p p p √ √ √
a2 + 2ab + b2 + 2bc + c2 + 2ca ≥ 3ab + 3bc + 3ca.

Proposed by Titu Andreescu, University of Texas at Dallas, USA

S551. Let a, b, c be the side lengths of a triangle with inradius r and circumradius R. Prove that
R √ √ a2 + b2 + c2
+ (1 + 5) ≥ (3 + 5) · .
r ab + bc + ca
When does equality hold?

Proposed by Marius St nean, Zal u, România

S552. Find all triangles ABC with AB = 8 for which there is an interior point P such that P B = 5,
P C, AC, BC is an arithmetic sequence with common dierence 2 and ∠BP C = 2∠BAC .

Proposed by Titu Andreescu, University of Texas at Dallas, USA

Mathematical Reflections 2 (2021) 2

 Undergraduate Problems

U547. Let a, b, c, d be real numbers such that all solutions to the equation
x5 + ax4 + bx3 + cx2 + dx + 1022 = 0

are real numbers less than −1. Pove that a + c < b + d.

Proposed by Titu Andreescu, University of Texas at Dallas, USA

U548. Evaluate π
Z2
dx
1 + tann x
0

where n is a positive integer.

Proposed by Nguyen Viet Hung, Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam

U549. Evaluate ∞
X 4n − 1
n2 (2n
− 1)2
n=1

Proposed by Toyesh Prakash Sharma, St.C.F. Andrews School, Agra, India

U550. Let n n−1

fn (x) = (x2 − x + 1)(x4 − x2 + 1)(x8 − x4 + 1) · · · (x2 − x2 + 1).
Prove that for |x| < 1
1 4
< lim fn (x) ≤ .
3 n→∞ 3

Proposed by Nguyen Viet Hung, Hanoi University of Science, Vietnam

U551. Let P (x) = a0 + a1 x + · · · + ad xd be a polynomial with positive coecients such that a2k > 9ak−1 ak+1 ,
for all k = 1, . . . , d − 1. Prove that P (x) has d distinct real roots.

Proposed by Navid Safaei, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

U552. Find all polynomials P (x) with real coecients for which
√
P (P (a + b)) − 4abP (a + b) + 4a2 b2 ≥ P (a2 ) + P (b2 ) ≥ P (a2 + b2 ) − P ( 2ab).

Proposed by Karthik Vedula, James S. Rickards High School, Tallahassee, USA

Mathematical Reflections 2 (2021) 3

 Olympiad Problems

O547. Let a, b, c be the side lengths of a triangle and let R and r be the circumradius and inradius, respectively.
Prove that:  2  2  2
a b c 17r 11
+ + + ≥ .
b+c c+a a+b 18R 9

Proposed by Titu Andreescu, USA and Marius St nean, România

O548. Let m, n, p ≥ 2 be positive integers. Find the number of n × p matrices with entries in the set
{1, 2, . . . , m} such that every element of the matrix is distinct from its row and column neighbors.

Proposed by Mircea Becheanu, Canada

O549. Let ABC be a triangle. Prove that

   
cos A cos B cos C 7 R r 19 1 R R
2 + 2 + 2 ≥ + − ≥ 21 − 10 ≥ .
sin A sin B sin C 4 r R 8 16 r r

(An improvement of inequality S544.)

Proposed by Marius St nean, Zal u, România

O550. Let ABC be a triangle. Incircle with radius r touches BC at D. Point X lies inside angle BAC and
outside triangle and satises the following conditions:
1 r
BD · BX = CD · CX and tan ∠CXB = .
2 BC
Prove that X lies on the A-excircle.

Proposed by Dominik Burek, Krakow, Poland

O551. Let ABC be a triangle and let ∆ be its area. Prove that
B−C C −A A−B √
a(s − a) cos + b(s − b) cos + c(s − c) cos ≥ 2 3∆.
4 4 4

Proposed by An Zhenping, Xianyang Normal University, China

O552. Let ABC be a triangle with incenter I . The incircle is tangent to BC , CA, AB at points D, E , F ,
respectively. Denote by A1 , B1 , C1 the orthocenters of the triangles AEF , BF D, CDE , respectively.
(1) Prove that circle (DB1 C1 ) passes through the foot of the altitude from A of triangle ABC .
(2) Prove that circles (DB1 C1 ), (EC1 A1 ), (F A1 B1 ) have a common point and this point is the Feuerbach
point of triangle ABC .

Proposed by Dong Luu, Hanoi National University of Education, Vietnam

Mathematical Reflections 2 (2021) 4