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Contests & Programs AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
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Contests & Programs AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
AMC and other contests, summer programs, etc.
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k a My Retirement & New Leadership at AoPS
rrusczyk   1571
N Mar 26, 2025 by SmartGroot
I write today to announce my retirement as CEO from Art of Problem Solving. When I founded AoPS 22 years ago, I never imagined that we would reach so many students and families, or that we would find so many channels through which we discover, inspire, and train the great problem solvers of the next generation. I am very proud of all we have accomplished and I’m thankful for the many supporters who provided inspiration and encouragement along the way. I'm particularly grateful to all of the wonderful members of the AoPS Community!

I’m delighted to introduce our new leaders - Ben Kornell and Andrew Sutherland. Ben has extensive experience in education and edtech prior to joining AoPS as my successor as CEO, including starting like I did as a classroom teacher. He has a deep understanding of the value of our work because he’s an AoPS parent! Meanwhile, Andrew and I have common roots as founders of education companies; he launched Quizlet at age 15! His journey from founder to MIT to technology and product leader as our Chief Product Officer traces a pathway many of our students will follow in the years to come.

Thank you again for your support for Art of Problem Solving and we look forward to working with millions more wonderful problem solvers in the years to come.

And special thanks to all of the amazing AoPS team members who have helped build AoPS. We’ve come a long way from here:IMAGE
1571 replies
rrusczyk
Mar 24, 2025
SmartGroot
Mar 26, 2025
k a March Highlights and 2025 AoPS Online Class Information
jlacosta   0
Mar 2, 2025
March is the month for State MATHCOUNTS competitions! Kudos to everyone who participated in their local chapter competitions and best of luck to all going to State! Join us on March 11th for a Math Jam devoted to our favorite Chapter competition problems! Are you interested in training for MATHCOUNTS? Be sure to check out our AMC 8/MATHCOUNTS Basics and Advanced courses.

Are you ready to level up with Olympiad training? Registration is open with early bird pricing available for our WOOT programs: MathWOOT (Levels 1 and 2), CodeWOOT, PhysicsWOOT, and ChemWOOT. What is WOOT? WOOT stands for Worldwide Online Olympiad Training and is a 7-month high school math Olympiad preparation and testing program that brings together many of the best students from around the world to learn Olympiad problem solving skills. Classes begin in September!

Do you have plans this summer? There are so many options to fit your schedule and goals whether attending a summer camp or taking online classes, it can be a great break from the routine of the school year. Check out our summer courses at AoPS Online, or if you want a math or language arts class that doesn’t have homework, but is an enriching summer experience, our AoPS Virtual Campus summer camps may be just the ticket! We are expanding our locations for our AoPS Academies across the country with 15 locations so far and new campuses opening in Saratoga CA, Johns Creek GA, and the Upper West Side NY. Check out this page for summer camp information.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the following events:
[list][*]March 5th (Wednesday), 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, HCSSiM Math Jam 2025. Amber Verser, Assistant Director of the Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics, will host an information session about HCSSiM, a summer program for high school students.
[*]March 6th (Thursday), 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Free Webinar on Math Competitions from elementary through high school. Join us for an enlightening session that demystifies the world of math competitions and helps you make informed decisions about your contest journey.
[*]March 11th (Tuesday), 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, 2025 MATHCOUNTS Chapter Discussion MATH JAM. AoPS instructors will discuss some of their favorite problems from the MATHCOUNTS Chapter Competition. All are welcome!
[*]March 13th (Thursday), 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Free Webinar about Summer Camps at the Virtual Campus. Transform your summer into an unforgettable learning adventure! From elementary through high school, we offer dynamic summer camps featuring topics in mathematics, language arts, and competition preparation - all designed to fit your schedule and ignite your passion for learning.[/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.

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0 replies
jlacosta
Mar 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
When is this well known sequence periodic?
Assassino9931   0
19 minutes ago
Source: Bulgaria Spring Mathematical Competition 2025 12.2
Determine all values of $a_0$ for which the sequence of real numbers with $a_{n+1}=3a_n - 4a_n^3$ for all $n\geq 0$ is periodic from the beginning.
0 replies
Assassino9931
19 minutes ago
0 replies
Minimize this in any way you like
Assassino9931   0
21 minutes ago
Source: Bulgaria Spring Mathematical Competition 2025 12.1
In terms of the real numbers $a$ and $b$ determine the minimum value of $$ \sqrt{(x+a)^2+1}+\sqrt{(x+1-a)^2+1}+\sqrt{(x+b)^2+1}+\sqrt{(x+1-b)^2+1}$$as well as all values of $x$ which attain it.
0 replies
Assassino9931
21 minutes ago
0 replies
Polynomials and their shift with all real roots and in common
Assassino9931   0
24 minutes ago
Source: Bulgaria Spring Mathematical Competition 2025 11.4
We call two non-constant polynomials friendly if each of them has only real roots, and every root of one polynomial is also a root of the other. For two friendly polynomials \( P(x), Q(x) \) and a constant \( C \in \mathbb{R}, C \neq 0 \), it is given that \( P(x) + C \) and \( Q(x) + C \) are also friendly polynomials. Prove that \( P(x) \equiv Q(x) \).
0 replies
Assassino9931
24 minutes ago
0 replies
They copied their problem!
pokmui9909   8
N 25 minutes ago by Hip1zzzil
Source: FKMO 2025 P1
Sequence $a_1, a_2, a_3, \cdots$ satisfies the following condition.

(Condition) For all positive integer $n$, $\sum_{k=1}^{n}\frac{1}{2}\left(1 - (-1)^{\left[\frac{n}{k}\right]}\right)a_k=1$ holds.

For a positive integer $m = 1001 \cdot 2^{2025}$, compute $a_m$.
8 replies
pokmui9909
Yesterday at 10:03 AM
Hip1zzzil
25 minutes ago
Inspired by Ruji2018252
sqing   0
28 minutes ago
Source: Own
Let $ a,b,c,d $ be reals such that $  a^2+b^2=4,c^2+d^2=9 $ and $ ad+bc\ge  6.$ Prove that
$$ 0\leq abcd \leq 9$$$$-\frac{13}{2}\leq  ab+cd \leq \frac{13}{2}$$$$-5\leq a+bc+d  \leq \frac{169}{24}$$$$7 \leq a+b^2+c^2+d^2 \leq \frac{53}{4}$$$$6 \leq  a^2+bc+d^2   \leq 13$$$$ 9-2\sqrt 2 \leq a+b +c^2+d^2  \leq 9+2\sqrt 2$$
0 replies
sqing
28 minutes ago
0 replies
Merlin freezing Morgana in a grid
Assassino9931   0
28 minutes ago
Source: Bulgaria Spring Mathematical Competition 2025 11.3
The evil sorceress Morgana lives in a square-shaped palace divided into a \(101 \times 101\) grid of rooms, each initially at a temperature of \(20^\circ\)C. Merlin attempts to freeze Morgana by casting a spell that permanently sets the central cell's temperature to \(0^\circ\)C.

At each subsequent nanosecond, the following steps occur in order:
1. For every cell except the central one, the new temperature is computed as the arithmetic mean of the temperatures of its adjacent cells (those sharing a side).
2. All new temperatures (except the central cell) are updated simultaneously to the calculated values.

Morgana can freely move between rooms but will freeze if all room temperatures drop below \(10^{-2025}\) degrees. The ice spell lasts for \(10^{75}\) nanoseconds, after which temperatures revert to their initial values.

Will Merlin succeed in freezing Morgana?
0 replies
Assassino9931
28 minutes ago
0 replies
Hard number theory
Hip1zzzil   14
N 28 minutes ago by Hip1zzzil
Source: FKMO 2025 P6
Positive integers $a, b$ satisfy both of the following conditions.
For a positive integer $m$, if $m^2 \mid ab$, then $m = 1$.
There exist integers $x, y, z, w$ that satisfies the equation $ax^2 + by^2 = z^2 + w^2$ and $z^2 + w^2 > 0$.
Prove that there exist integers $x, y, z, w$ that satisfies the equation $ax^2 + by^2 + n = z^2 + w^2$, for each integer $n$.
14 replies
Hip1zzzil
Today at 5:08 AM
Hip1zzzil
28 minutes ago
Product of cosines subject to product of sines
Assassino9931   0
31 minutes ago
Source: Bulgaria Spring Mathematical Competition 2025 11.2
Let $\alpha, \beta$ be real numbers such that $\sin\alpha\sin\beta=\frac{1}{3}$. Prove that the set of possible values of $\cos \alpha \cos \beta$ is the interval $\left[-\frac{2}{3}, \frac{2}{3}\right]$.
0 replies
Assassino9931
31 minutes ago
0 replies
Two-sided optimization of vertices of odd degree
Assassino9931   0
33 minutes ago
Source: Bulgaria Spring Mathematical Competition 2025 10.4
Initially $A$ selects a graph with \( 2221 \) vertices such that each vertex is incident to at least one edge. Then $B$ deletes some of the edges (possibly none) from the chosen graph. Finally, $A$ pays $B$ one lev for each vertex that is incident to an odd number of edges. What is the maximum amount that $B$ can guarantee to earn?
0 replies
Assassino9931
33 minutes ago
0 replies
2019 Polynomial problem
srnjbr   2
N 38 minutes ago by srnjbr
suppose t is a member of the interval (1,2). show that there exists a polynomial p with coefficients +-1 such that |p(t)-2019|<=1
2 replies
srnjbr
Mar 25, 2025
srnjbr
38 minutes ago
Challenge for the community
MTA_2024   23
N an hour ago by MTA_2024
This is a challenge to the whole AoPS community I bet you can't prove this basic inequality: $$(X_1+X_2+\cdots+X_n)(\dfrac{1}{X_1}+\dfrac{1}{X_2}+\cdots+\dfrac{1}{X_n})\geq n^2$$by $15$ different methods. The same inequality can be used twice but in different ways, dm me if you have any question about the rules.
Feelin good for this one.
23 replies
1 viewing
MTA_2024
Yesterday at 11:06 PM
MTA_2024
an hour ago
usamOOK geometry
KevinYang2.71   92
N 3 hours ago by Bardia7003
Source: USAMO 2025/4, USAJMO 2025/5
Let $H$ be the orthocenter of acute triangle $ABC$, let $F$ be the foot of the altitude from $C$ to $AB$, and let $P$ be the reflection of $H$ across $BC$. Suppose that the circumcircle of triangle $AFP$ intersects line $BC$ at two distinct points $X$ and $Y$. Prove that $C$ is the midpoint of $XY$.
92 replies
KevinYang2.71
Mar 21, 2025
Bardia7003
3 hours ago
did U silly this?
r00tsOfUnity   31
N 3 hours ago by Mathgloggers
Source: 2023 AIME I #10
There exists a unique positive integer $a$ for which the sum \[U=\sum_{n=1}^{2023}\left\lfloor\dfrac{n^{2}-na}{5}\right\rfloor\]is an integer strictly between $-1000$ and $1000$. For that unique $a$, find $a+U$.

(Note that $\lfloor x\rfloor$ denotes the greatest integer that is less than or equal to $x$.)
31 replies
r00tsOfUnity
Feb 8, 2023
Mathgloggers
3 hours ago
one nice!
MihaiT   0
6 hours ago
Given $m_1$ weights, each weighing $k_1$ and another $m_2$ weights with $k_2$ each. Write a algorithm that determines the ways in which a scale can be balanced with a weight $X$ on the left pan, and display the number of possible solutions. (The weights can be placed on both pans and the program starts with the numbers $m_1,k_1,m_2,k_2,X$. What will be displayed after three successive runs: 5,2,5,1,4 | 5,2,5,1,11 | 5,2,5,1,20?

One answer is possible:
a)10;5;0;
b)20;7;0;
c)20;7;1;
d)10;10;0;
e)10;7;0;
f)20;5;0,
0 replies
MihaiT
6 hours ago
0 replies
so what's an excircle?
Vfire   50
N Mar 26, 2025 by daijobu
Source: 2019 AIME I #11
In $\triangle ABC$, the sides have integers lengths and $AB=AC$. Circle $\omega$ has its center at the incenter of $\triangle ABC$. An excircle of $\triangle ABC$ is a circle in the exterior of $\triangle ABC$ that is tangent to one side of the triangle and tangent to the extensions of the other two sides. Suppose that the excircle tangent to $\overline{BC}$ is internally tangent to $\omega$, and the other two excircles are both externally tangent to $\omega$. Find the minimum possible value of the perimeter of $\triangle ABC$.
50 replies
Vfire
Mar 14, 2019
daijobu
Mar 26, 2025
so what's an excircle?
G H J
G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
Source: 2019 AIME I #11
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Archimedes15
1491 posts
#39 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
When you see the topic is "whats an excircle" and you almost answer that question and then you look at the post and you see the problem and you go "gosh darn"

doable but super hard.
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Grizzy
920 posts
#40 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
Nvr mind
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by Grizzy, Sep 4, 2019, 3:38 AM
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gary2003
1985 posts
#42
Y by
Yo in the wiki solution two how do you know Ia A and Ib are collinear?
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v_Enhance
6870 posts
#43 • 2 Y
Y by v4913, HamstPan38825
gary2003 wrote:
Yo in the wiki solution two how do you know Ia A and Ib are collinear?

If you mean $I_b$, $I_c$, $A$, it is true because $I_b$ and $I_c$ lie on the external angle bisector of $\angle A$. This holds even without the condition that $AB=AC$. In the isosceles case, the external angle bisector is also parallel to $BC$.
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wolfpack
1274 posts
#44
Y by
chapter 4 egmo :D
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gary2003
1985 posts
#45
Y by
wolfpack wrote:
chapter 4 egmo :D

Whoops I shouldnt have stopped reading that book(sorry @v_Enhance)
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MarkBcc168
1594 posts
#46 • 2 Y
Y by celestialphoenix3768, sargamsujit
Here is a super-slick synthetic solution.

Let $\omega_a, \omega_b, \omega_c$ be the three excircles, and let $T_a, T_b, T_c$ be the tangency points of $\omega$ with $\omega_a, \omega_b, \omega_c$, respectively. Let $I$ be the incenter of $\triangle ABC$, and $I_a$ be the center of $\omega_a$.

By Monge's theorem on $\omega$, $\omega_a$, $\omega_c$, we obtain that $T_cT_a$ passes through the insimilicenter, $B$, of $\omega_a$ and $\omega_c$. Similarly, $C\in T_aT_b$.

Now, here is the key observation. Let $X$ be the reflection of $T_a$ across $BC$. Notice that the line $BX\parallel T_bT_a$ subtends equal angles to $BI$ and $AI$. Thus, it also subtends equal angles to $BI_a$ and $BC$. This means that $X$ is the excenter of $\triangle BI_aC$. Alternatively, one can also perform a direct angle chasing to arrive at this.

WLOG, let $BC=2$. Thus, in $\triangle BI_aC$, we have $r_a = 2h_a \implies 2 = 2(b+c-2)$, but $BI_a=I_aC$ so we find that $BI_a = 1.5$. Finally, let $\angle ABC = 2\theta$; thus, $\angle BI_aI = \theta$ or $\sin\theta = \tfrac{2}{3}$. Using trigonometric identity, we find that
$$\cos 2\theta = 1 - 2\sin^2\theta = \frac{1}{9},$$or $AB=AC=9$. Thus, the answer is $2+9+9=20$.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by MarkBcc168, Jan 14, 2021, 3:57 AM
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IAmTheHazard
5000 posts
#47
Y by
Here is a slightly different solution for people who are trignometrically and geometrically challenged and are thus unable to touch anything with a $\cos$ in it or notice that $I_B,A,_IC$ are collinear. Honestly, it's pretty clean and were it not for the 15 silly mistakes I made while doing this it's fairly quick as well:
Solution

Unfortunately, while doing this I made various mistakes such as thinking $(x+1)-x=2$...
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by IAmTheHazard, Jan 22, 2021, 1:38 PM
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samrocksnature
8791 posts
#48 • 1 Y
Y by Mango247
This is a MONSTER
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RandomlyQuestioning
408 posts
#49
Y by
@above it is, but it's a really good/satisfying problem
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Infinity-Mod-One
7 posts
#50
Y by
this has a horrifying diagram
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brainfertilzer
1831 posts
#51
Y by
bruh wth this took me like 30 minutes + 2 pages of bash.

solution
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by brainfertilzer, Sep 11, 2022, 7:13 PM
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Danielzh
481 posts
#52
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Me when I try to bash: $8a^4+20a^3b-4a^2b^2-4ab^3+b^4=0$ plugging in the answer doesn't even make sense lmao
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by Danielzh, Jul 7, 2023, 7:36 PM
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eg4334
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#53
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Definetly the hardest problem on this geo-infested AIME. Hard to call this geo when I didn't even draw a diagram.

The radius if it were internally tangent to $\omega_A$ would be $r+ 2 R_A$ where $R_A$ is the excircle radius and $r$ is the incircle. The radius if it were externally tangent to $\omega_B$ would be $II_B - R_B$. Dropping altitudes from $I, I_B$ to $AB$ we get that the distance is $\sqrt{(r+R_B)^2 + (b - 2(s-b))^2}$ using standard excircle and incircle tangency distance lemmas. Rearranging, $$((r+R_B) + 2R_A)^2 = (r+R_B)^2 + (a-b)^2$$. From here we use that $r = \frac{A}{s}$, $R_A = \frac{A}{s-a}$, $R_B = \frac{A}{s-b}$ which makes it into $$4s(s-a)(s-b)^2 \left( \frac{1}{(s-a)^2} + \frac{1}{s(s-a)} + \frac{1}{(s-a)(s-b)} \right) = (a-b)^2$$Using $s=b+\frac{a}{2}$, we can exhaustingly turn this into $9a=2b$ in which the answer of $\boxed{20}$ is apparent.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by eg4334, Jan 21, 2025, 2:06 AM
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daijobu
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#54
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Video Solution
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