Various Problems

Some of these are quite difficult! I can't guarantee that they are in order of difficulty; in fact, I'm rather sure they aren't. Try a few; next week, I'll go over some of them, have hints for the others, and cover some more advanced ideas.


14 (Manhattan (Kansas) Math Olympiad 1999) In the sequence 77#77 every term is equal to the product of the previous two terms plus 1. Prove that there are no terms in the sequence which are divisible by 4.


15 (Leningrad Math Olympiad 1988 Grade 10 Main Round) The functions 12#12 and 54#54 are defined on the real axis so that they satisfy the following condition: for any real numbers 13#13 and 14#14, 78#78. Find an explicit expression for the function 79#79.


16 (Leningrad Math Olympiad 1987 Grade 10 Elimination Round) The continuous functions 80#80 satisfy the following condition 81#81 for every 82#82. It is known that 18#18 is an increasing function. Prove that there exists an 83#83 such that 84#84.


17 (Leningrad Math Olympiad 1987 Grade 9 Elimination Round) Let 85#85 be a sequence of natural numbers such that 86#86 and 87#87 for any natural number 88#88. Prove that if 89#89 and 90#90 are divisible by 1999, then 21#21 is odd.


18 (Leningrad Math Olympiad 1988 Grade 10 Elimination Round) The function 91#91 is continuous and 92#92 for all real 13#13. It is known that 93#93. Find 94#94.


19 (Leningrad Math Olympiad 1990 Grade 11 Elimination Round) A continuous function 95#95 satisifes equality 96#96 for all real 13#13. Prove that 18#18 is constant.


20 (Leningrad Math Olympiad 1991 Grades 9-10 Elimination Round) Does there exist a function 97#97 such that for any natural number 13#13,

98#98

Here 99#99 is applied 100#100 times.


21 (Leningrad Math Olympiad 1989 Grade 9 Elimination Round) A sequence of real numbers 1#1 has the property that 101#101 for any natural number 102#102. Prove that this sequence contains infinitely many postitive terms and infinitely many negative terms.


22 (Leningrad Math Olympiad 1989 Grade 10 Elimination Round) A sequence of real numbers 1#1 has the property that 103#103 for all 51#51 and 21#21. Prove that this sequence is an arithmetic progression.


23 (Leningrad Math Olympiad 1991 Grade 11 Elimination Round) The finite sequence 104#104 is called 20#20-balanced if any sum of the form 105#105 is the same for any 106#106. Prove that if a sequence with 50 members is 107#107 for 108#108, then all its members are equal to 0.


24 (Int. Math Olympiad 1977) Let 49#49 be a function defined on the set of all positive integers and having all its values in the same set. Prove that if 109#109 for each positive integer 21#21, then 110#110 for each 21#21.


25 (Int. Math Olympiad 1976). A sequence 111#111 is defined by 112#112, 113#113, 114#114 for 115#115. Prove that for positive integers 21#21,

116#116

where 117#117 denotes the greatest integer less than or equal to 13#13.


26 (Bratislava Correspondence Seminar, Fall 1999 3rd series): Find all functions 95#95 that satisfy: 118#118 for all real 13#13.


27 (Bratislava Correspondence Seminar, Fall 1999 3rd series): Let 119#119 be the elements of the Fibonacci sequence (that is, 120#120 and 121#121 for all positive integers 21#21). Prove that if 122#122 is a a polynomial of degree 998 for which 123#123 for 124#124, then 125#125.


28 (Bratislava Correspondence Seminar, Fall 1998 3rd series): For a function 126#126, the following statement is true:

127#127

Prove that for all 128#128, 129#129.


29 (Bratislava Correspondence Seminar, Fall 1998 3rd series -- but I'm sure this problem is not original): 95#95 is continuous and 130#130 for all real 13#13. Prove that 131#131 for all real 13#13.


30 (British Math Olympiad 1999). Any positive integer 51#51 can be written uniquely in base 3 as a string of 0s, 1s, and 2s (not beginning with a zero). For example:

132#132

Let 133#133 denote the sum of the cubes of the digits of the base 3 form of 51#51; thus, for instance 134#134. For any fixed positive integer 21#21, define the sequence 135#135 by:

136#136

Show there is a positive integer 137#137 for which 138#138 is in the set 139#139.


31 (British Math Olympiad 1999) Consider all functions 18#18 from the positive integers to the positive integers such that:

(i) for each positive integer 51#51 there is a unique positive integer 21#21 such that 140#140.
(ii) for each positive integer 21#21, we have either 141#141 is either 142#142 or 143#143.
Find the set of positive integers 20#20 such that 144#144 for some function 18#18 with properties (i) and (ii).


32 (Putnam, 1999, problem A-6) The sequence 145#145 is defined by 2#2, 146#146, 147#147, and for 148#148,

149#149

Show that, for all 21#21, 9#9 is an integer multiple of 21#21.


33 (Putnam 1990) Let 150#150, 151#151, 152#152 and for 8#8,

153#153

The first few terms are 2, 3, 6, 14, 40, 152, 784, 5158, 40576, 363392. Find, with proof, a formula for 154#154 of the form 155#155 where 156#156 and 157#157 are well-known sequences.


34 (Putnam 1980) For which real numbers 158#158 does the sequence defined by the initial condition 159#159 and the recursion 160#160 have 161#161 for all 162#162?


35 (USAMO 1993) Consider functions 163#163 which satisfy:

  1. 164#164 for all 13#13 in 165#165,
  2. 166#166,
  3. 167#167 whenever 13#13, 14#14, and 168#168 are all in 165#165.
Find, with proof, the smallest constant 169#169 such that 170#170 for every function 18#18 satisfying the three conditions and every 13#13 in 165#165.


36 (USAMO 1993) Let 158#158, 171#171 be odd positive integers. Define the sequence 172#172 by putting 173#173, 174#174, and by letting 172#172 for 8#8 be the greatest odd divisor of 175#175. Show that 172#172 is constant for 21#21 sufficiently large and determine the eventual value as a function of 158#158 and 171#171.


37 (India, 1998) Let 176#176 be a positive integer such that 177#177 is prime. Choose 178#178 from 179#179 for 180#180. Suppose that the 178#178 are not all equal, and let 12#12 be a polynomial such that 181#181 for 180#180. Prove that the degree of 12#12 is at least 176#176.