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k a May Highlights and 2025 AoPS Online Class Information
jlacosta   0
May 1, 2025
May is an exciting month! National MATHCOUNTS is the second week of May in Washington D.C. and our Founder, Richard Rusczyk will be presenting a seminar, Preparing Strong Math Students for College and Careers, on May 11th.

Are you interested in working towards MATHCOUNTS and don’t know where to start? We have you covered! If you have taken Prealgebra, then you are ready for MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Basics. Already aiming for State or National MATHCOUNTS and harder AMC 8 problems? Then our MATHCOUNTS/AMC 8 Advanced course is for you.

Summer camps are starting next month at the Virtual Campus in math and language arts that are 2 - to 4 - weeks in duration. Spaces are still available - don’t miss your chance to have an enriching summer experience. 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 upcoming events:
[list][*]May 9th, 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, Casework 2: Overwhelming Evidence — A Text Adventure, a game where participants will work together to navigate the map, solve puzzles, and win! All are welcome.
[*]May 19th, 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET, What's Next After Beast Academy?, designed for students finishing Beast Academy and ready for Prealgebra 1.
[*]May 20th, 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Mathcamp 2025 Qualifying Quiz Part 1 Math Jam, Problems 1 to 4, join the Canada/USA Mathcamp staff for this exciting Math Jam, where they discuss solutions to Problems 1 to 4 of the 2025 Mathcamp Qualifying Quiz!
[*]May 21st, 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET, Mathcamp 2025 Qualifying Quiz Part 2 Math Jam, Problems 5 and 6, Canada/USA Mathcamp staff will discuss solutions to Problems 5 and 6 of the 2025 Mathcamp Qualifying Quiz![/list]
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All classes run 7:30pm-8:45pm ET/4:30pm - 5:45pm PT unless otherwise noted.

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0 replies
jlacosta
May 1, 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
Number theory for people who love theory
Assassino9931   2
N 5 minutes ago by MathLuis
Source: Bulgaria RMM TST 2019
Prove that there is no positive integer $n$ such that $2^n + 1$ divides $5^n-1$.
2 replies
+1 w
Assassino9931
Jul 31, 2024
MathLuis
5 minutes ago
RMM 2021 Problem 3
VicKmath7   14
N 24 minutes ago by hectorleo123
Source: RMM 2021/3
A number of $17$ workers stand in a row. Every contiguous group of at least $2$ workers is a $\textit{brigade}$. The chief wants to assign each brigade a leader (which is a member of the brigade) so that each worker’s number of assignments is divisible by $4$. Prove that the number of such ways to assign the leaders is divisible by $17$.

Mikhail Antipov, Russia
14 replies
VicKmath7
Oct 13, 2021
hectorleo123
24 minutes ago
2021 KMO 1st round Gauss Combinatoric Problem
kwan2010   3
N an hour ago by MathIQ.
Find the number of functions that satisfy both of the following conditions.
(i) f(1)≤f(2)≤...≤f(9)
(ii) The number of elements in the range of the composition function f∘f is 7.

The answer is Click to reveal hidden text
3 replies
kwan2010
Feb 16, 2025
MathIQ.
an hour ago
IMO Shortlist 2014 G6
hajimbrak   30
N an hour ago by awesomeming327.
Let $ABC$ be a fixed acute-angled triangle. Consider some points $E$ and $F$ lying on the sides $AC$ and $AB$, respectively, and let $M$ be the midpoint of $EF$ . Let the perpendicular bisector of $EF$ intersect the line $BC$ at $K$, and let the perpendicular bisector of $MK$ intersect the lines $AC$ and $AB$ at $S$ and $T$ , respectively. We call the pair $(E, F )$ $\textit{interesting}$, if the quadrilateral $KSAT$ is cyclic.
Suppose that the pairs $(E_1 , F_1 )$ and $(E_2 , F_2 )$ are interesting. Prove that $\displaystyle\frac{E_1 E_2}{AB}=\frac{F_1 F_2}{AC}$
Proposed by Ali Zamani, Iran
30 replies
hajimbrak
Jul 11, 2015
awesomeming327.
an hour ago
sum of 4 primes with 5 <p <q <r <s <p + 10 is divisible by 60
parmenides51   4
N an hour ago by MathIQ.
Source: 2019 Austrian Mathematical Olympiad Junior Regional Competition , Problem 4
Let $p, q, r$ and $s$ be four prime numbers such that $$5 <p <q <r <s <p + 10.$$Prove that the sum of the four prime numbers is divisible by $60$.

(Walther Janous)
4 replies
parmenides51
Dec 18, 2020
MathIQ.
an hour ago
2player game, adding numbers, whoever reaches no >= 2019 wins
parmenides51   2
N 2 hours ago by MathIQ.
Source: 2019 Austrian Mathematical Olympiad Junior Regional Competition , Problem 3
Alice and Bob are playing a year number game.
There will be two game numbers $19$ and $20$ and one starting number from the set $\{9, 10\}$ used. Alice chooses independently her game number and Bob chooses the starting number. The other number is given to Bob. Then Alice adds her game number to the starting number, Bob adds his game number to the result, Alice adds her number of games to the result, etc. The game continues until the number $2019$ is reached or exceeded.
Whoever reaches the number $2019$ wins. If $2019$ is exceeded, the game ends in a draw.
$\bullet$ Show that Bob cannot win.
$\bullet$ What starting number does Bob have to choose to prevent Alice from winning?

(Richard Henner)
2 replies
parmenides51
Dec 18, 2020
MathIQ.
2 hours ago
60^o angle wanted, equilateral on a square
parmenides51   4
N 2 hours ago by MathIQ.
Source: 2019 Austrian Mathematical Olympiad Junior Regional Competition , Problem 2
A square $ABCD$ is given. Over the side $BC$ draw an equilateral triangle $BCS$ on the outside. The midpoint of the segment $AS$ is $N$ and the midpoint of the side $CD$ is $H$. Prove that $\angle NHC = 60^o$.
.
(Karl Czakler)
4 replies
parmenides51
Dec 18, 2020
MathIQ.
2 hours ago
(x^2 + y^2)/(x + y)= 10 diophantine
parmenides51   7
N 2 hours ago by MathIQ.
Source: 2019 Austrian Mathematical Olympiad Junior Regional Competition , Problem 1
Let $x$ and $y$ be integers with $x + y \ne 0$. Find all pairs $(x, y)$ such that $$\frac{x^2 + y^2}{x + y}= 10.$$
(Walther Janous)
7 replies
parmenides51
Dec 18, 2020
MathIQ.
2 hours ago
Serbian selection contest for the IMO 2025 - P2
OgnjenTesic   9
N 2 hours ago by hectorleo123
Source: Serbian selection contest for the IMO 2025
Let $ABC$ be an acute triangle. Let $A'$ be the reflection of point $A$ over the line $BC$. Let $O$ and $H$ be the circumcenter and the orthocenter of triangle $ABC$, respectively, and let $E$ be the midpoint of segment $OH$. Let $D$ and $L$ be the points where the reflection of line $AA'$ with respect to line $OA'$ intersects the circumcircle of triangle $ABC$, where point $D$ lies on the arc $BC$ not containing $A$. If \( M \) is a point on the line \( BC \) such that \( OM \perp AD \), prove that \( \angle MAD = \angle EAL \).

Proposed by Strahinja Gvozdić
9 replies
OgnjenTesic
Yesterday at 4:02 PM
hectorleo123
2 hours ago
collinear wanted, regular hexagon
parmenides51   3
N 2 hours ago by MathIQ.
Source: 2023 Austrian Mathematical Olympiad , Junior Regional Competition , Problem 2
Let $ABCDEF$ be a regular hexagon with sidelength s. The points $P$ and $Q$ are on the diagonals $BD$ and $DF$, respectively, such that $BP = DQ = s$. Prove that the three points $C$, $P$ and $Q$ are on a line.

(Walther Janous)
3 replies
parmenides51
Mar 26, 2024
MathIQ.
2 hours ago
(x + y)(y + z)(z + x)/{xyz} if (x+ y}/z=(y + z)/x=(z + x)/y
parmenides51   8
N 2 hours ago by MathIQ.
Source: 2023 Austrian Mathematical Olympiad, Junior Regional Competition , Problem 1
Let $x, y, z$ be nonzero real numbers with $$\frac{x + y}{z}=\frac{y + z}{x}=\frac{z + x}{y}.$$Determine all possible values of $$\frac{(x + y)(y + z)(z + x)}{xyz}.$$
(Walther Janous)
8 replies
parmenides51
Mar 26, 2024
MathIQ.
2 hours ago
a! + b! = 2^{c!}
parmenides51   7
N 2 hours ago by MathIQ.
Source: 2023 Austrian Mathematical Olympiad, Junior Regional Competition , Problem 4
Determine all triples $(a, b, c)$ of positive integers such that
$$a! + b! = 2^{c!}.$$
(Walther Janous)
7 replies
parmenides51
Mar 26, 2024
MathIQ.
2 hours ago
Geometric inequality with angles
Amir Hossein   7
N 2 hours ago by MathIQ.
Let $p, q$, and $r$ be the angles of a triangle, and let $a = \sin2p, b = \sin2q$, and $c = \sin2r$. If $s = \frac{(a + b + c)}2$, show that
\[s(s - a)(s - b)(s -c) \geq 0.\]
When does equality hold?
7 replies
Amir Hossein
Sep 1, 2010
MathIQ.
2 hours ago
IMO 2014 Problem 3
v_Enhance   103
N 2 hours ago by Mysteriouxxx
Source: 0
Convex quadrilateral $ABCD$ has $\angle ABC = \angle CDA = 90^{\circ}$. Point $H$ is the foot of the perpendicular from $A$ to $BD$. Points $S$ and $T$ lie on sides $AB$ and $AD$, respectively, such that $H$ lies inside triangle $SCT$ and \[
\angle CHS - \angle CSB = 90^{\circ}, \quad \angle THC - \angle DTC = 90^{\circ}. \] Prove that line $BD$ is tangent to the circumcircle of triangle $TSH$.
103 replies
v_Enhance
Jul 8, 2014
Mysteriouxxx
2 hours ago
Inclusion Exclusion Principle
chandru1   1
N Apr 2, 2025 by onofre.campos
How does one prove the identity $$1=\sum_{k=0}^{n}(-1)^{k}\binom{n}{k}2^{n-k}$$This easy via the binomial theorem for the quantity is just $(2-1)^{k}$, but how do we arrive at this using the I-E-P?
1 reply
chandru1
Dec 4, 2020
onofre.campos
Apr 2, 2025
Inclusion Exclusion Principle
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chandru1
674 posts
#1
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How does one prove the identity $$1=\sum_{k=0}^{n}(-1)^{k}\binom{n}{k}2^{n-k}$$This easy via the binomial theorem for the quantity is just $(2-1)^{k}$, but how do we arrive at this using the I-E-P?
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onofre.campos
6 posts
#2
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Let be $X=\{1, 2, ..., n\}$. For each $k=1, 2,..., n$, define the $A_k=\{B\subset X; k\in B\}$. So, $A_1\cup A_2\cup...\cup A_n$ is the family of all the nonempty sets of $X$. As there's only one empty set, we have by the Inclusion-Exclusion Principle:

$$1=2^n -|A_1\cup A_2\cup...\cup A_n|=\sum_{k=0}^{n}(-1)^{k}\binom{n}{k}2^{n-k}.$$
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