Selected Proposed Problems

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Selected Proposed Problems

Krit Boonsiriseth

Updated May 22, 2020

Here are some problems I have proposed in the past.

1 “Official” contests
Problem 1 (ELMO 2018 P2).
Consider infinite sequences a1 , a2 , . . . of positive integers satisfying a1 = 1 and

an | ak + ak+1 + · · · + ak+n−1

for all positive integers k and n. For a given positive integer m, find the maximum possible
value of a2m .
Problem 2 (ELMO 2018 Shortlist C2).
We say that a positive integer n is m-expressible if it is possible to get n from some m digits
and the six operations +, −, ×, ÷, exponentiation ∧ , and concatenation ⊕. For example, 5625
is 3-expressible (in two ways): both 5 ⊕ (5∧ 4) and (7 ⊕ 5)∧ 2 yield 5625.
Does there exist a positive integer N such that all positive integers with N digits are (N −1)-
expressible?
Problem 3 (Thailand IMO Camp 2016, Ashes 2018 P2).
Determine all functions f : N0 → N0 such that

f f (m) (n) = n + 2f (m)

for all m, n ∈ N0 such that n > m.


Problem 4 (HMMT 2020 Team #7).
Positive real numbers x and y satisfy

· · · |x| − y − x · · · − y − x = · · · |y| − x − y · · · − x − y

where there are 2019 absolute value signs | · | on each side. Determine, with proof, all possible
values of xy .

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Problem 5 (HMIC 2020/5).
A triangle and a circle are in the same plane. Show that the area of the intersection of the
triangle and the circle is at most one third of the area of the triangle plus one half of the area
of the circle.

2 InfinityDots MO
Problem 6 (Posted as a sample for InfinityDots MO).
Let S be a set of n positive integers, and f a bijection on S. Show that
X √
f i (i) > 2n − 2n.
i∈S

Problem 7 (InfinityDots MO P4).


Given an acute triangle 4ABC with circumcircle ω and circumcenter O. The symmedian
through A intersects ω again at S 6= A. Point F is on AC such that BF ⊥ AS, and point G
is on ray BF such that BF × BG = BC 2 . Finally, let P be the point such that BGCP is a
parallelogram. Prove that OS bisects CP .
Note: The symmedian is the reflection of the median over the internal angle bisector.
Problem 8 (InfinityDots MO P5).
Suppose that we draw t straight lines through an n × n table such that for each unit square U
in the table, at least one line passes through the interior of U .

Prove that t > (2 − 2)n.
Problem 9 (InfinityDots MO P6).
Given a polynomial P ∈ R[x] with odd degree. A real number x is called orbiting if the sequence

x, P (x), P (P (x)), . . .

is bounded. Show that if every orbiting number is rational then there are finitely many (or
zero) orbiting numbers.
Problem 10 (InfinityDots MO 2 P2).
Determine all bijections f : Z → Z satisfying

f f (m+n) (mn) = f (m)f (n)

for all integers m, n.


Note: f 0 (n) = n, and for any positive integer k, f k (n) means f applied k times to n, and
f −k (n) means f −1 applied k times to n.
Problem 11 (InfinityDots MO 2 P5).

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Let c1 , c2 , . . . , ck be integers. Consider sequences {an } of integers satisfying

an = c1 an−1 + c2 an−2 + · · · + ck an−k

for all n > k +1. Prove that there is a choice of initial terms a1 , a2 , . . . , ak not all zero satisfying:
there is an integer b such that p divides ap − b for all primes p.
Problem 12 (InfinityDots MO 2 P6).
Ana has an n × n lattice grid of points, and Banana has some positive integers a1 , a2 , . . . , ak
which sum to exactly n2 . Banana challenges Ana to partition the n2 points in the lattice grid
into sets S1 , S2 , . . . , Sk so that for all i ∈ {1, 2, . . . , k},

(i) |Si | = ai , and

(ii) the set Si has an axis of symmetry.

Prove that Ana can always fulfill Banana’s challenge.


Note: a line ` is said to be an axis of symmetry of a set S if the reflection of S over ` is precisely
S itself.
Problem 13 (InfinityDots MO 3 P1).
A set of two distinct coprime integers {x, y} is said to be a Pythagorean if and only if x2 + y 2
is an integer square. Given a Pythagorean, in each move, one can either

(i) change the sign of a number in the Pythagorean, or

(ii) add an integer k to both elements in the Pythagorean so that it is still a Pythagorean.

Show that starting from each Pythagorean, it is possible to reach any Pythagorean in a finite
number of moves.
Problem 14 (InfinityDots MO 3 P2).
Let a1 , a2 , a3 , . . . be a nonincreasing sequence of positive real numbers such that

an > a2n + a2n+1 for all n > 1.

Show that there exist infinitely many positive integers m such that

2m · am > (4m − 3) · a2m−1 .

Problem 15 (InfinityDots MO 3 P3, co-written with Thana Somsirivattana).


In a scalene triangle ABC, the incircle ω has center I and touches side BC at D. A circle Ω
passes through B and C and intersects ω at two distinct points. The common tangents to ω
and Ω intersect at T , and line AT intersects Ω at two distinct points K and L. Prove that
either KI bisects ∠AKD or LI bisects ∠ALD.

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Problem 16 (InfinityDots MO 3 P5).
Is there a nonempty finite set S of points on the plane that form at least |S|2 harmonic quadri-
laterals?
Note: a quadrilateral ABCD is harmonic if it is cyclic and AB · CD = BC · DA.
Problem 17 (InfinityDots JMO P2).
Find all pairs (a, b) of positive integers such that (a + 1)b−1 + (a − 1)b+1 = 2ab .
Problem 18 (InfinityDots JMO P3).
There is a calculator with a display and two buttons: −1/x and x + 1. The display is capable
of displaying precisely any arbitrary rational numbers. The buttons, when pressed, will change
the value x displayed to the value of the term on the button. (The −1/x button cannot be
pressed when x = 0.)
At first, the calculator displays 0. You accidentally drop the calculator on the floor, resulting
in the two buttons being pressed a total of N times in some order. Prove that you can press
the buttons at most 3N times to get the display to show 0 again.
Note: partial credit will be given for showing a bound of cN for a constant c > 3.
Problem 19 (InfinityDots JMO P6).
Determine all positive reals r such that, for any triangle ABC, we can choose points D, E, F
trisecting the perimeter of the triangle into three equal-length sections so that the area of
4DEF is exactly r times that of 4ABC.

3 Miscellaneous
Problem 20 (for a high school competition in Thailand; probably well-known though).
Alice throws a fair coin repeatedly until the difference between the number of heads and the
number of tails is exactly 4. What is the expected number of throws Alice made?
Problem 21 (for a high school competition in Thailand).
Define a sequence of integers {an } by a1 = 0, a2 = 1 and

an+1 = 11an − 30an−1 for all n ≥ 2.

1 1 1 1
Also, for every positive integer n let Sn = 11n + 12n + 13n + ··· + 30n
Evaluate ∞
P
n=1 an Sn .

Problem 22 (“Magic Wheels”, written for a high school competition in Thailand; crudely
translated).
A crazy physicist discovered a type of matter called the abc-wheels. An abc-wheel consists of
some constituent abc-particles, simply denoted by a, b or c, arranged in a circle without two
consecutive particles of the same type. In the laboratory the physicist found that, when left
alone, the abc-wheel will undergo a transformation consisting of three steps:

• Between each pair of constituent particles, a new particle different from both particles in

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the pair will spawn.

• All old constituent particles disintegrate.

• Consecutive new particles that are of the same type combines into one.

b a c a
c a
b c c
a b
b a b
c c a
b a
a b c c
Before transformation → After the second step → After transformation

Knowing this transformative property of abc-wheels, the physicist determined that certain
abc-wheels will eventually collapse into a single abc-particle; these are dubbed magic wheels.

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1. Determine whether each of these abc-wheels are magic wheels.

a a a a b a c
b c b c b c a b
a a c c b c
c b c a
b b a b c b
a a b b
c c c a a a
b c c a a b c

(a) [2 pt] (b) [2 pt] (c) [3 pt] (d) [3 pt] (e) [3 pt]

After many experiments with abc-wheels, the physicist wanted to know how many abc-wheels
are magic wheels. Let {xn } denote the number of magic wheels with n constituent particles.
Note: two abc-wheels are considered the same if it is possible to rotate one to create the other,
but reflection is not allowed.

2. Find xn for each of the following values of n

(a) [2 pt] n = 2 (c) [4 pt] n = 6 (e) [6 pt] n = 12


(b) [3 pt] n = 4 (d) [5 pt] n = 9 (f) [7 pt] n = 20

3. (a) [7 pt] Determine the remainder left when x2018 is divided by 2018.
(b) [12 pt] Determine the remainder left when x5122 is divided by 2561.

4. [8 pt] Estimate log10 x2018 . Points will be awarded if the estimation is correct to ±5%.

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