Stay ahead of learning milestones! Enroll in a class over the summer!

G
Topic
First Poster
Last Poster
k a April Highlights and 2025 AoPS Online Class Information
jlacosta   0
Apr 2, 2025
Spring is in full swing and summer is right around the corner, what are your plans? At AoPS Online our schedule has new classes starting now through July, so be sure to keep your skills sharp and be prepared for the Fall school year! Check out the schedule of upcoming classes below.

WOOT early bird pricing is in effect, don’t miss out! If you took MathWOOT Level 2 last year, no worries, it is all new problems this year! Our Worldwide Online Olympiad Training program is for high school level competitors. AoPS designed these courses to help our top students get the deep focus they need to succeed in their specific competition goals. Check out the details at this link for all our WOOT programs in math, computer science, chemistry, and physics.

Looking for summer camps in math and language arts? Be sure to check out the video-based summer camps offered at the Virtual Campus that are 2- to 4-weeks in duration. There are middle and high school competition math camps as well as Math Beasts camps that review key topics coupled with fun explorations covering areas such as graph theory (Math Beasts Camp 6), cryptography (Math Beasts Camp 7-8), and topology (Math Beasts Camp 8-9)!

Be sure to mark your calendars for the following events:
[list][*]April 3rd (Webinar), 4pm PT/7:00pm ET, Learning with AoPS: Perspectives from a Parent, Math Camp Instructor, and University Professor
[*]April 8th (Math Jam), 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, 2025 MATHCOUNTS State Discussion
April 9th (Webinar), 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Learn about Video-based Summer Camps at the Virtual Campus
[*]April 10th (Math Jam), 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, 2025 MathILy and MathILy-Er Math Jam: Multibackwards Numbers
[*]April 22nd (Webinar), 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Competitive Programming at AoPS (USACO).[/list]
Our full course list for upcoming classes is below:
All classes run 7:30pm-8:45pm ET/4:30pm - 5:45pm PT unless otherwise noted.

Introductory: Grades 5-10

Prealgebra 1 Self-Paced

Prealgebra 1
Sunday, Apr 13 - Aug 10
Tuesday, May 13 - Aug 26
Thursday, May 29 - Sep 11
Sunday, Jun 15 - Oct 12
Monday, Jun 30 - Oct 20
Wednesday, Jul 16 - Oct 29

Prealgebra 2 Self-Paced

Prealgebra 2
Sunday, Apr 13 - Aug 10
Wednesday, May 7 - Aug 20
Monday, Jun 2 - Sep 22
Sunday, Jun 29 - Oct 26
Friday, Jul 25 - Nov 21

Introduction to Algebra A Self-Paced

Introduction to Algebra A
Monday, Apr 7 - Jul 28
Sunday, May 11 - Sep 14 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Wednesday, May 14 - Aug 27
Friday, May 30 - Sep 26
Monday, Jun 2 - Sep 22
Sunday, Jun 15 - Oct 12
Thursday, Jun 26 - Oct 9
Tuesday, Jul 15 - Oct 28

Introduction to Counting & Probability Self-Paced

Introduction to Counting & Probability
Wednesday, Apr 16 - Jul 2
Thursday, May 15 - Jul 31
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Wednesday, Jul 9 - Sep 24
Sunday, Jul 27 - Oct 19

Introduction to Number Theory
Thursday, Apr 17 - Jul 3
Friday, May 9 - Aug 1
Wednesday, May 21 - Aug 6
Monday, Jun 9 - Aug 25
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14
Tuesday, Jul 15 - Sep 30

Introduction to Algebra B Self-Paced

Introduction to Algebra B
Wednesday, Apr 16 - Jul 30
Tuesday, May 6 - Aug 19
Wednesday, Jun 4 - Sep 17
Sunday, Jun 22 - Oct 19
Friday, Jul 18 - Nov 14

Introduction to Geometry
Wednesday, Apr 23 - Oct 1
Sunday, May 11 - Nov 9
Tuesday, May 20 - Oct 28
Monday, Jun 16 - Dec 8
Friday, Jun 20 - Jan 9
Sunday, Jun 29 - Jan 11
Monday, Jul 14 - Jan 19

Intermediate: Grades 8-12

Intermediate Algebra
Monday, Apr 21 - Oct 13
Sunday, Jun 1 - Nov 23
Tuesday, Jun 10 - Nov 18
Wednesday, Jun 25 - Dec 10
Sunday, Jul 13 - Jan 18
Thursday, Jul 24 - Jan 22

Intermediate Counting & Probability
Wednesday, May 21 - Sep 17
Sunday, Jun 22 - Nov 2

Intermediate Number Theory
Friday, Apr 11 - Jun 27
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Wednesday, Jun 18 - Sep 3

Precalculus
Wednesday, Apr 9 - Sep 3
Friday, May 16 - Oct 24
Sunday, Jun 1 - Nov 9
Monday, Jun 30 - Dec 8

Advanced: Grades 9-12

Olympiad Geometry
Tuesday, Jun 10 - Aug 26

Calculus
Tuesday, May 27 - Nov 11
Wednesday, Jun 25 - Dec 17

Group Theory
Thursday, Jun 12 - Sep 11

Contest Preparation: Grades 6-12

MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Basics
Wednesday, Apr 16 - Jul 2
Friday, May 23 - Aug 15
Monday, Jun 2 - Aug 18
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Advanced
Friday, Apr 11 - Jun 27
Sunday, May 11 - Aug 10
Tuesday, May 27 - Aug 12
Wednesday, Jun 11 - Aug 27
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

AMC 10 Problem Series
Friday, May 9 - Aug 1
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Tuesday, Jun 17 - Sep 2
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Monday, Jun 23 - Sep 15
Tues & Thurs, Jul 8 - Aug 14 (meets twice a week!)

AMC 10 Final Fives
Sunday, May 11 - Jun 8
Tuesday, May 27 - Jun 17
Monday, Jun 30 - Jul 21

AMC 12 Problem Series
Tuesday, May 27 - Aug 12
Thursday, Jun 12 - Aug 28
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 21
Wednesday, Aug 6 - Oct 22

AMC 12 Final Fives
Sunday, May 18 - Jun 15

F=ma Problem Series
Wednesday, Jun 11 - Aug 27

WOOT Programs
Visit the pages linked for full schedule details for each of these programs!


MathWOOT Level 1
MathWOOT Level 2
ChemWOOT
CodeWOOT
PhysicsWOOT

Programming

Introduction to Programming with Python
Thursday, May 22 - Aug 7
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14 (1:00 - 2:30 pm ET/10:00 - 11:30 am PT)
Tuesday, Jun 17 - Sep 2
Monday, Jun 30 - Sep 22

Intermediate Programming with Python
Sunday, Jun 1 - Aug 24
Monday, Jun 30 - Sep 22

USACO Bronze Problem Series
Tuesday, May 13 - Jul 29
Sunday, Jun 22 - Sep 1

Physics

Introduction to Physics
Wednesday, May 21 - Aug 6
Sunday, Jun 15 - Sep 14
Monday, Jun 23 - Sep 15

Physics 1: Mechanics
Thursday, May 22 - Oct 30
Monday, Jun 23 - Dec 15

Relativity
Sat & Sun, Apr 26 - Apr 27 (4:00 - 7:00 pm ET/1:00 - 4:00pm PT)
Mon, Tue, Wed & Thurs, Jun 23 - Jun 26 (meets every day of the week!)
0 replies
jlacosta
Apr 2, 2025
0 replies
k i Adding contests to the Contest Collections
dcouchman   1
N Apr 5, 2023 by v_Enhance
Want to help AoPS remain a valuable Olympiad resource? Help us add contests to AoPS's Contest Collections.

Find instructions and a list of contests to add here: https://artofproblemsolving.com/community/c40244h1064480_contests_to_add
1 reply
dcouchman
Sep 9, 2019
v_Enhance
Apr 5, 2023
k i Zero tolerance
ZetaX   49
N May 4, 2019 by NoDealsHere
Source: Use your common sense! (enough is enough)
Some users don't want to learn, some other simply ignore advises.
But please follow the following guideline:


To make it short: ALWAYS USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF POSTING!
If you don't have common sense, don't post.


More specifically:

For new threads:


a) Good, meaningful title:
The title has to say what the problem is about in best way possible.
If that title occured already, it's definitely bad. And contest names aren't good either.
That's in fact a requirement for being able to search old problems.

Examples:
Bad titles:
- "Hard"/"Medium"/"Easy" (if you find it so cool how hard/easy it is, tell it in the post and use a title that tells us the problem)
- "Number Theory" (hey guy, guess why this forum's named that way¿ and is it the only such problem on earth¿)
- "Fibonacci" (there are millions of Fibonacci problems out there, all posted and named the same...)
- "Chinese TST 2003" (does this say anything about the problem¿)
Good titles:
- "On divisors of a³+2b³+4c³-6abc"
- "Number of solutions to x²+y²=6z²"
- "Fibonacci numbers are never squares"


b) Use search function:
Before posting a "new" problem spend at least two, better five, minutes to look if this problem was posted before. If it was, don't repost it. If you have anything important to say on topic, post it in one of the older threads.
If the thread is locked cause of this, use search function.

Update (by Amir Hossein). The best way to search for two keywords in AoPS is to input
[code]+"first keyword" +"second keyword"[/code]
so that any post containing both strings "first word" and "second form".


c) Good problem statement:
Some recent really bad post was:
[quote]$lim_{n\to 1}^{+\infty}\frac{1}{n}-lnn$[/quote]
It contains no question and no answer.
If you do this, too, you are on the best way to get your thread deleted. Write everything clearly, define where your variables come from (and define the "natural" numbers if used). Additionally read your post at least twice before submitting. After you sent it, read it again and use the Edit-Button if necessary to correct errors.


For answers to already existing threads:


d) Of any interest and with content:
Don't post things that are more trivial than completely obvious. For example, if the question is to solve $x^{3}+y^{3}=z^{3}$, do not answer with "$x=y=z=0$ is a solution" only. Either you post any kind of proof or at least something unexpected (like "$x=1337, y=481, z=42$ is the smallest solution). Someone that does not see that $x=y=z=0$ is a solution of the above without your post is completely wrong here, this is an IMO-level forum.
Similar, posting "I have solved this problem" but not posting anything else is not welcome; it even looks that you just want to show off what a genius you are.

e) Well written and checked answers:
Like c) for new threads, check your solutions at least twice for mistakes. And after sending, read it again and use the Edit-Button if necessary to correct errors.



To repeat it: ALWAYS USE YOUR COMMON SENSE IF POSTING!


Everything definitely out of range of common sense will be locked or deleted (exept for new users having less than about 42 posts, they are newbies and need/get some time to learn).

The above rules will be applied from next monday (5. march of 2007).
Feel free to discuss on this here.
49 replies
ZetaX
Feb 27, 2007
NoDealsHere
May 4, 2019
gcd (a^n+b,b^n+a) is constant
EthanWYX2009   80
N a few seconds ago by santhoshn
Source: 2024 IMO P2
Determine all pairs $(a,b)$ of positive integers for which there exist positive integers $g$ and $N$ such that
$$\gcd (a^n+b,b^n+a)=g$$holds for all integers $n\geqslant N.$ (Note that $\gcd(x, y)$ denotes the greatest common divisor of integers $x$ and $y.$)

Proposed by Valentio Iverson, Indonesia
80 replies
EthanWYX2009
Jul 16, 2024
santhoshn
a few seconds ago
Benelux fe
ErTeeEs06   7
N 2 minutes ago by Rayanelba
Source: BxMO 2025 P1
Does there exist a function $f:\mathbb{R}\to \mathbb{R}$ such that $$f(x^2+f(y))=f(x)^2-y$$for all $x, y\in \mathbb{R}$?
7 replies
ErTeeEs06
an hour ago
Rayanelba
2 minutes ago
AZE JBMO TST
IstekOlympiadTeam   6
N 11 minutes ago by Namisgood
Source: AZE JBMO TST
Find all non-negative solutions to the equation $2013^x+2014^y=2015^z$
6 replies
IstekOlympiadTeam
May 2, 2015
Namisgood
11 minutes ago
$5^t + 3^x4^y = z^2$
Namisgood   1
N 37 minutes ago by skellyrah
Source: JBMO shortlist 2017
Solve in nonnegative integers the equation $5^t + 3^x4^y = z^2$
1 reply
Namisgood
an hour ago
skellyrah
37 minutes ago
4 var inequality
sqing   0
38 minutes ago
Source: Own
Let $ a,b,c,d\geq -1 $ and $ a+b+c+d=2. $ Prove that$$ab+bc+cd\leq \frac{13}{4}$$$$ab+bc+cd-d\leq \frac{17}{4}$$$$ ab+bc+cd+2d \leq \frac{37}{4}$$$$ab+bc+cd+2da \leq 5$$$$ab+bc+cd-da \leq 6$$$$a +ab-bc+cd+ d \leq 8$$
0 replies
1 viewing
sqing
38 minutes ago
0 replies
easy geo
ErTeeEs06   1
N an hour ago by wassupevery1
Source: BxMO 2025 P3
Let $ABC$ be a triangle with incentre $I$ and circumcircle $\Omega$. Let $D, E, F$ be the midpoints of the arcs $\stackrel{\frown}{BC}, \stackrel{\frown}{CA}, \stackrel{\frown}{AB}$ of $\Omega$ not containing $A, B, C$ respectively. Let $D'$ be the point of $\Omega$ diametrically opposite to $D$. Show that $I, D'$ and the midpoint $M$ of $EF$ lie on a line.
1 reply
ErTeeEs06
an hour ago
wassupevery1
an hour ago
IMO 2009, Problem 5
orl   88
N an hour ago by fearsum_fyz
Source: IMO 2009, Problem 5
Determine all functions $ f$ from the set of positive integers to the set of positive integers such that, for all positive integers $ a$ and $ b$, there exists a non-degenerate triangle with sides of lengths
\[ a, f(b) \text{ and } f(b + f(a) - 1).\]
(A triangle is non-degenerate if its vertices are not collinear.)

Proposed by Bruno Le Floch, France
88 replies
orl
Jul 16, 2009
fearsum_fyz
an hour ago
powers of 2
ErTeeEs06   0
an hour ago
Source: BxMO 2025 P4
Let $a_0, a_1, \ldots, a_{10}$ be integers such that, for each $i \in \{0,1,\ldots,2047\}$, there exists a subset $S \subseteq \{0,1,\ldots,10\}$ with
\[
\sum_{j \in S} a_j \equiv i \pmod{2048}.
\]Show that for each $i \in \{0,1,\ldots,10\}$, there is exactly one $j \in \{0,1,\ldots,10\}$ such that $a_j$ is divisible by $2^i$ but not by $2^{i+1}$.

Note: $\sum_{j \in S} a_j$ is the summation notation, for instance, $\sum_{j \in \{2,5\}} a_j = a_2 + a_5$, while for the empty set $\varnothing$, one defines $\sum_{j \in \varnothing} a_j = 0$.
0 replies
ErTeeEs06
an hour ago
0 replies
Intersections are concyclic
Pompombojam   0
an hour ago
Source: Xueersi Grade 9 Program
In parallelogram $ABCD$, $\angle BAD \neq 90^{\circ}$. Construct a circle with center $B$ and radius $BA$, intersecting the extensions of $AB$ and $CB$ at $E$ and $F$ respectively. Construct a circle with center $D$ and radius $DA$, intersecting the extensions of $AD$ and $CD$ at $M$ and $N$. Let $G$ be the intersection of $EN$ and $FM$, $T$ be the intersection of $AG$ and $ME$, $P$ ($\neq N$) be the intersection of $EN$ and the circle with center $D$, and $Q$ ($\neq F$) be the intersection of $MF$ and the circle with center $B$. Show that $G$, $P$, $T$ and $Q$ are concyclic.
0 replies
Pompombojam
an hour ago
0 replies
Math camp combi
ErTeeEs06   0
an hour ago
Source: BxMO 2025 P2
Let $N\geq 2$ be a natural number. At a mathematical olympiad training camp the same $N$ courses are organised every day. Each student takes exactly one of the $N$ courses each day. At the end of the camp, every student has takes each course exactly once, and any two students took the same course on at least one day, but took different courses on at least one other day. What is, in terms of $N$, the largest possible number of students at the camp?
0 replies
ErTeeEs06
an hour ago
0 replies
NT Tourism
B1t   4
N an hour ago by Primeniyazidayi
Source: Mongolian TST 2025 P2
Let $a, n$ be natural numbers such that
\[
\frac{a^n - 1}{(a - 1)^n + 1}
\]is a natural number.


1. Prove that $(a - 1)^n + 1$ is odd.
2. Let $q$ be a prime divisor of $(a - 1)^n + 1$.
Prove that
\[
    a^{(q - 1)/2} \equiv 1 \pmod{q}.
    \]3. Prove that if a is prime and $a \equiv 1 \pmod{4}$, then
\[
    2^{(a - 1)/2} \equiv 1 \pmod{a}.
    \]
4 replies
B1t
6 hours ago
Primeniyazidayi
an hour ago
Heptagon in Taiwan TST!!!
Hakurei_Reimu   1
N an hour ago by CrazyInMath
Source: 2025 Taiwan TST Round 3 Independent Study 2-G
Let $ABCDEFG$ be a regular heptagon with its center $O$. $H$ is the orthocenter of triangle $CDF$, $I$ is the incenter of triangle $ABD$. Let $M$ be the midpoint of $IG$ and $X$ be the intersection point of $OH$ and $FG$. Assume $P$ is the circumcenter of triangle $BCI$. Prove that $CF, MP, XB$ concur at a single point.

Proposed by HakureiReimu.
1 reply
Hakurei_Reimu
4 hours ago
CrazyInMath
an hour ago
Perpendicular if and only if Centre
shobber   3
N an hour ago by Tonne
Source: Pan African 2004
Let $ABCD$ be a cyclic quadrilateral such that $AB$ is a diameter of it's circumcircle. Suppose that $AB$ and $CD$ intersect at $I$, $AD$ and $BC$ at $J$, $AC$ and $BD$ at $K$, and let $N$ be a point on $AB$. Show that $IK$ is perpendicular to $JN$ if and only if $N$ is the midpoint of $AB$.
3 replies
shobber
Oct 4, 2005
Tonne
an hour ago
Concurrent lines
MathChallenger101   2
N 2 hours ago by pigeon123
Let $A B C D$ be an inscribed quadrilateral. Circles of diameters $A B$ and $C D$ intersect at points $X_1$ and $Y_1$, and circles of diameters $B C$ and $A D$ intersect at points $X_2$ and $Y_2$. The circles of diameters $A C$ and $B D$ intersect in two points $X_3$ and $Y_3$. Prove that the lines $X_1 Y_1, X_2 Y_2$ and $X_3 Y_3$ are concurrent.
2 replies
MathChallenger101
Feb 8, 2025
pigeon123
2 hours ago
European Mathematical Cup 2016 senior division problem 1
steppewolf   11
N Apr 15, 2025 by MuradSafarli
Is there a sequence $a_{1}, . . . , a_{2016}$ of positive integers, such that every sum
$$a_{r} + a_{r+1} + . . . + a_{s-1} + a_{s}$$(with $1 \le r \le s \le 2016$) is a composite number, but:
a) $GCD(a_{i}, a_{i+1}) = 1$ for all $i = 1, 2, . . . , 2015$;
b) $GCD(a_{i}, a_{i+1}) = 1$ for all $i = 1, 2, . . . , 2015$ and $GCD(a_{i}, a_{i+2}) = 1$ for all $i = 1, 2, . . . , 2014$?
$GCD(x, y)$ denotes the greatest common divisor of $x$, $y$.

Proposed by Matija Bucić
11 replies
steppewolf
Dec 31, 2016
MuradSafarli
Apr 15, 2025
European Mathematical Cup 2016 senior division problem 1
G H J
G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
steppewolf
351 posts
#1 • 3 Y
Y by Lukaluce, amar_04, Adventure10
Is there a sequence $a_{1}, . . . , a_{2016}$ of positive integers, such that every sum
$$a_{r} + a_{r+1} + . . . + a_{s-1} + a_{s}$$(with $1 \le r \le s \le 2016$) is a composite number, but:
a) $GCD(a_{i}, a_{i+1}) = 1$ for all $i = 1, 2, . . . , 2015$;
b) $GCD(a_{i}, a_{i+1}) = 1$ for all $i = 1, 2, . . . , 2015$ and $GCD(a_{i}, a_{i+2}) = 1$ for all $i = 1, 2, . . . , 2014$?
$GCD(x, y)$ denotes the greatest common divisor of $x$, $y$.

Proposed by Matija Bucić
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
ThE-dArK-lOrD
4071 posts
#2 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
We will show that for each $i=3,4,...,2016$, there exist sequence $a_1,a_2,...,a_i$ of positive integers such that $\sum_{t=r}^{t=s}{a_t}$ is composite number for all $1\leq r\leq s\leq i$ and $gcd(a_j,a_{j+1})=1$ for all $j=1,2,...,i-1$ and $gcd(a_j,a_{j+2})=1$ for all $j=1,2,...,i-2$

For $i=3$, we choose sequence $4,81,121$
Suppose there exist sequence $a_1,a_2,...,a_i$, then we choose $a_{i+1}=p^c$ where $p$ is prime number larger than $\Big( \sum_{t=1}^{t=i}{a_t}\Big)+1$ and $c$ is a positive integer such that $\prod_{t=1}^{t=i}{(q_t-1)}\mid c$ where $q_t$ is a prime divisor of $\Big( \sum_{l=t}^{l=i}{a_l}\Big) +1$ for all $t=1,2,...,i$
This value of $a_{i+1}$ will give us for all $t=1,2,...,i$, $\Big( \sum_{l=t}^{l=i}{a_l}\Big) +p^c\equiv_{q_t} \Big( \sum_{l=t}^{l=i}{a_l}\Big)+1\equiv_{q_t} 0 $ and $a_{i+1}>q_t$
And we clearly have $gcd(a_t,a_{i+1})=gcd(a_t,p^c)=1$ for all $t=1,2,...,i$
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by ThE-dArK-lOrD, Jan 1, 2017, 5:36 AM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Ankoganit
3070 posts
#3 • 2 Y
Y by PRO2000, Adventure10
The answer is yes, and prove that, it suffices to give an example satisfying the conditions in part (b); so we'll do just that.

Pick an odd prime $p$, and another bunch of odd primes (pairwise distinct and also distinct from $p$ ), say, $p_1,p_2,\cdots ,p_{2016},q_1,q_2,\cdots ,q_{2016}$. Now by virtue of CRT, choose a number $a_0$ such that:
\begin{align*}
a_0 &\equiv 1\pmod{2}\\
a_0 &\equiv 1\pmod{p}\\
&\text{and...}\\
a_0+2ip &\equiv 0\pmod{p_iq_i} \text{ for }i=1,2,3,\cdots ,2016.\end{align*}Now set $a_i=a_0+2ip$ for $i=1,2,\cdots ,2016$. We claim that this works. Indeed, since the $a_i$'s are in an arithmetic progression, we have $$a_{r} + a_{r+1} + . . . + a_{s-1} + a_{s}=\left(\frac{a_r+a_s}{2}\right)\cdot(s-r+1).$$Now $\frac{a_r+a_s}{2}$ is always an integer, because by construction, $a_0$ and hence all $a_i$'s are odd. For $r\ne s$, the above sum is obviously composite, and for $r=s$, the above sum reduces to $a_r$, which is composite because $p_rq_r|a_r$.

Now it remains to check that GCD condition. Fortunately, this is easy: $\gcd\left(a_i,a_{i+2}\right)=\gcd\left(a_i,a_i+4p\right)=\gcd\left(a_i,4p\right)$, which can't be $>1$ since we've been careful to set $a_i\equiv a_0\equiv 1\pmod{2}\text{ and }\pmod{ p}$. The case $\gcd\left(a_i,a_{i+1}\right)$ is similar, so we win. $\blacksquare$
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
muuratjann
56 posts
#4 • 2 Y
Y by Ankoganit, Adventure10
My solution at the contest
a) and b) $3^3;5^3$ and so on
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by muuratjann, Jan 2, 2017, 12:11 PM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Somebany
11 posts
#5 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
@muuratjann I think that your solution is incorrect because if you take $r=s$ then you have that sum is $a_{r}=1^3$ which is obviously incorrect since $1$ is not a composite number.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
sqing
41836 posts
#6 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
http://emc.mnm.hr/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/EMC_2016_Seniors_ENG_Solutions.pdf
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
muuratjann
56 posts
#7 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
Somebany wrote:
@muuratjann I think that your solution is incorrect because if you take $r=s$ then you have that sum is $a_{r}=1^3$ which is obviously incorrect since $1$ is not a composite number.

Starting from $3^3$
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
PRO2000
239 posts
#8 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Does this work for the part b):

Take $a_1=p_1^{2017}$ , then $a_2 \equiv 0 \pmod {p_2} $ , $a_2 \equiv 1 \pmod {a_1} $ and $a_2 \equiv -{a_1} \pmod {p_{1,2}} $ . Then inductively construct the $a_i$'s for $i \geq 3$ as follows.

Take $a_s \equiv 0 \pmod {p_s} $ , $a_s \equiv -{ a_1+a_2+\cdots+a_{s-1}} \pmod   {p_{k,s}} $ for $1 \leq k \leq {s-1}$ and $a_s \equiv 1 \pmod {a_{s-1} a_{s-2}} $ . This can be done by CRT as we can take sufficiently large $p_i$'s and $p_{k,i}$'s to ensure that they are pairwise coprime and also coprime to $a_{s-1}a_{s-2}$

Continue till $s=2016$.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by PRO2000, Feb 12, 2017, 10:53 AM
Reason: specified value of s
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Mathematicsislovely
245 posts
#9 • 1 Y
Y by amar_04
Claim:The sum of any $r\ge 1$ consecutive terms of a arithmetic progression whose each term is odd composite number is a composite number.
proof.If we take even number of consecutive terms then the sum is even.Now consider the sum of odd number of consecutive terms.Let the terms be $x,x+d,X+2d\dots x+(n-1)d$ where n is odd.Clearly the sum $ n[x+\frac{n-1}{2}d]$ is composite.$\blacksquare$

Claim:For all integer $n$ there is a arithmetic progression with $n$ terms such that the following holds:
  • Each term is a odd composite number.
  • GCD of any term of this AP is 1.
proof.Take $M\ge (2020n)!$.Consider the AP,
$M!+n!+1,M!+n!+1+(n!),M!+n!+1+2\times n!,\dots M!+n!+1+(n-1)n!$.
In short,the AP with first term $M!+n!+1$ and common difference $n!$ and first $n$ terms.

Obviously each term is odd composite.If a prime $p$ devides GCD of 2 terms,
say
$p|GCD(M!+n!+1+r(n!),M!+n!+1+s\times n!)\\
\implies p|(r-s)n!\\
\implies p|n!\\
\implies p|M!+n!+r(n!)\\
\implies p|1$.
A contradiction.
The third line follows from the fact that $p$ devides at least one of $|r-s|$ or $n!$ but in both cases,as $|r-s|<n$,$p|n!$.The 4th line follows from the fact that $n!|M!+n!+r(n!)$.
Hence GCD of any 2 term is 1.$\blacksquare$

Taking $n=2016$ by the above 2 claims both (a),(b) holds .$\blacksquare$
This post has been edited 6 times. Last edited by Mathematicsislovely, Oct 29, 2020, 9:20 AM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
Jalil_Huseynov
439 posts
#10
Y by
The answer is positive for both cases, so proving second one is enough.
Let $a_i=N!+2i+1$ for all $1\le i\le 2016$, where $N \geq 3+5+\cdots 4033$.
$\gcd(a_i,a_{i+1})=\gcd(a_i,a_{i+1}-a_i)=\gcd(a_i,2)=1$ and similarly $\gcd(a_i,a_{i+2})=\gcd(a_i,4)=1$.
And since $(2r+1)+(2r+3)+\cdots (2s+1)\mid N!$ for all $1 \le r \le s \le 2016$, we get $(2r+1)+(2r+3)+\cdots (2s+1)\mid a_{r} + a_{r+1} + . . . + a_{s-1} + a_s$ and since $2r+1\geq 3$ we are done!
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by Jalil_Huseynov, Nov 29, 2021, 3:14 PM
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
NumberzAndStuff
43 posts
#11
Y by
The answer is yes for both (a) and (b)
We prove this for all $n$. (Goal being $n=2016$)

For $n=1$ just take $a_1=4$ or anything similar.

Now for $n \rightarrow n+1$ we choose $n$ primes $p_{n,1}, p_{n,2}, \dots p_{n,n}$ such that they are all distinct and coprime to any subarray sum we have so far. Now we construct $a_{n+1}$ using $C.R.T$ such that:
\[ a_{n+1} \equiv -\sum_{i=j}^n a_i \mod p_{n,j}^2\]for all $1 \leq j \leq n$ and
\[ a_{n+1} \equiv 1 \mod a_na_{n-1} \]This is valid, since each of the squares are coprime to all elements, including $a_na_{n-1}$. Since each new subarray containing $a_{n+1}$ is divisible by some square, they will not be prime. Additionally, $a_{n+1}$ is coprime to both $a_n$ and $a_{n-1}$, so the construction is valid for $n+1$ and by induction for all $n$, including 2016
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
This post has been deleted. Click here to see post.
MuradSafarli
86 posts
#12
Y by
i think answer is yes.
My construction--->(1,3,5,7,9,11,.....,4033)
Z K Y
N Quick Reply
G
H
=
a