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Contests & Programs 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 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]
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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
deduction from function
MetaphysicalWukong   3
N 29 minutes ago by pco
can we then deduce that h has exactly 1 zero?
3 replies
MetaphysicalWukong
an hour ago
pco
29 minutes ago
weird FE on R
frac   4
N 40 minutes ago by NicoN9
Source: probably own
Find all functions $f:\mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ such that
$$f(x+y)^2=xf(x+f(y))+yf(f(y))+f(xy)$$for all $x,y\in \mathbb{R}$.
4 replies
1 viewing
frac
Jan 4, 2025
NicoN9
40 minutes ago
number theory question?
jag11   3
N an hour ago by Anabcde
Find the smallest positive integer n such that n is a multiple of 11, n +1 is a multiple of 10, n + 2 is a
multiple of 9, n + 3 is a multiple of 8, n +4 is a multiple of 7, n +5 is a multiple of 6, n +6 is a multiple of
5, n + 7 is a multiple of 4, n + 8 is a multiple of 3, and n + 9 is a multiple of 2.

I tried doing the mods and simplifying it but I'm kinda confused.
3 replies
jag11
Yesterday at 10:41 PM
Anabcde
an hour ago
Circles and Chords
steven_zhang123   0
an hour ago
(1) Let \( A \) , \( B \) and \( C \) be points on circle \( O \) divided into three equal parts. Construct three equal circles \( O_1 \), \( O_2 \), and \( O_3 \) tangent to \( O \) internally at points \( A \), \( B \), and \( C \) respectively. Let \( P \) be any point on arc \( AC \), and draw tangents \( PD \), \( PE \), and \( PF \) to circles \( O_1 \), \( O_2 \), and \( O_3 \) respectively. Prove that \( PE = PD + PF \).

(2) Let \( A_1 \), \( A_2 \), \( \cdots \), \( A_n \) be points on circle \( O \) divided into \( n \) equal parts. Construct \( n \) equal circles \( O_1 \), \( O_2 \), \( \cdots \), \( O_n \) tangent to \( O \) internally at \( A_1 \), \( A_2 \), \( \cdots \), \( A_n \). Let \( P \) be any point on circle \( O \), and draw tangents \( PB_1 \), \( PB_2 \), \( \cdots \), \( PB_n \) to circles \( O_1 \), \( O_2 \), \( \cdots \), \( O_n \). If the sum of \( k \) of \( PB_1 \), \( PB_2 \), \( \cdots \), \( PB_n \) equals the sum of the remaining \( n-k \) (where \( n \geq k \geq 1 \)), find all such \( n \).
0 replies
steven_zhang123
an hour ago
0 replies
Integer FE
GreekIdiot   1
N an hour ago by pco
Let $\mathbb{N}$ denote the set of positive integers
Find all $f: \mathbb{N} \rightarrow \mathbb{N}$ such that for all $a,b \in \mathbb{N}$ it holds that $f(ab+f(b-1))|bf(a+b)f(3b-2+a)$
1 reply
GreekIdiot
Yesterday at 8:53 PM
pco
an hour ago
Double factorial inequality
Snoop76   2
N 2 hours ago by Snoop76
Source: own
Show that: $$2n \cdot \sum_{k=0}^n (2k-1)!!{n\choose k}>\sum_{k=0}^n (2k+1)!!{n\choose k}$$Note: consider $(-1)!!=1$ and $n>1$
2 replies
Snoop76
Feb 7, 2025
Snoop76
2 hours ago
Algebra Problem
JetFire008   1
N 2 hours ago by aidan0626
Find the sum of the series
$$1^2-2^2+3^2-4^2+...+(-1)^n+1n^2$$
1 reply
JetFire008
2 hours ago
aidan0626
2 hours ago
Hyperbolic tangent
MetaphysicalWukong   6
N 2 hours ago by MetaphysicalWukong
Source: Kunwei Ding
Consider the function below. Can someone explain to me why that is the correct answer and find the value of a?
6 replies
MetaphysicalWukong
3 hours ago
MetaphysicalWukong
2 hours ago
Inequality with real numbers
JK1603JK   4
N 3 hours ago by SunnyEvan
Source: unknown
Let a,b,c are real numbers. Prove that (a^3+b^3+c^3+3abc)^4+(a+b+c)^3(a+b-c)^3(-a+b+c)^3(a-b+c)^3>=0
4 replies
JK1603JK
Yesterday at 6:48 AM
SunnyEvan
3 hours ago
Interesting inequality
sqing   1
N 3 hours ago by SunnyEvan
Source: Own
Let $ a,b,c\geq 0,(ab+c)(ac+b)\neq 0 $ and $ a+b+c=3 . $ Prove that
$$ \frac{1}{ab+c+k}+\frac{1}{ac+b+k} \geq\frac{2}{k+2} $$Where $ k\geq 0. $
1 reply
sqing
6 hours ago
SunnyEvan
3 hours ago
Distributing cupcakes
KevinYang2.71   18
N 3 hours ago by MathLuis
Source: USAMO 2025/6
Let $m$ and $n$ be positive integers with $m\geq n$. There are $m$ cupcakes of different flavors arranged around a circle and $n$ people who like cupcakes. Each person assigns a nonnegative real number score to each cupcake, depending on how much they like the cupcake. Suppose that for each person $P$, it is possible to partition the circle of $m$ cupcakes into $n$ groups of consecutive cupcakes so that the sum of $P$'s scores of the cupcakes in each group is at least $1$. Prove that it is possible to distribute the $m$ cupcakes to the $n$ people so that each person $P$ receives cupcakes of total score at least $1$ with respect to $P$.
18 replies
KevinYang2.71
Friday at 12:00 PM
MathLuis
3 hours ago
usamOOK geometry
KevinYang2.71   73
N 3 hours ago by deduck
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 $XY$.
73 replies
KevinYang2.71
Friday at 12:00 PM
deduck
3 hours ago
Gunn Math Competition
the_math_prodigy   15
N 3 hours ago by the_math_prodigy
Gunn Math Circle is excited to host the fourth annual Gunn Math Competition (GMC)! GMC will take place at Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California on Sunday, March 30th. Gather a team of up to four and compete for over $7,500 in prizes! The contest features three rounds: Individual, Guts, and Team. We welcome participants of all skill levels, with separate Beginner and Advanced divisions for all students.

Registration is free and now open at compete.gunnmathcircle.org. The deadline to sign up is March 27th.

Special Guest Speaker: Po-Shen Loh!!!
We are honored to welcome Po-Shen Loh, a world-renowned mathematician, Carnegie Mellon professor, and former coach of the USA International Math Olympiad team. He will deliver a 30-minute talk to both students and parents, offering deep insights into mathematical thinking and problem-solving in the age of AI!

View competition manual, schedule, prize pool at compete.gunnmathcircle.org . For any questions, reach out at ghsmathcircle@gmail.com or ask in Discord.
15 replies
the_math_prodigy
Mar 8, 2025
the_math_prodigy
3 hours ago
Scary Binomial Coefficient Sum
EpicBird08   36
N 3 hours ago by deduck
Source: USAMO 2025/5
Determine, with proof, all positive integers $k$ such that $$\frac{1}{n+1} \sum_{i=0}^n \binom{n}{i}^k$$is an integer for every positive integer $n.$
36 replies
EpicBird08
Friday at 11:59 AM
deduck
3 hours ago
funny title placeholder
pikapika007   52
N Today at 1:36 AM by v_Enhance
Source: USAJMO 2025/6
Let $S$ be a set of integers with the following properties:
[list]
[*] $\{ 1, 2, \dots, 2025 \} \subseteq S$.
[*] If $a, b \in S$ and $\gcd(a, b) = 1$, then $ab \in S$.
[*] If for some $s \in S$, $s + 1$ is composite, then all positive divisors of $s + 1$ are in $S$.
[/list]
Prove that $S$ contains all positive integers.
52 replies
pikapika007
Friday at 12:10 PM
v_Enhance
Today at 1:36 AM
funny title placeholder
G H J
G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
Source: USAJMO 2025/6
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andliu766
108 posts
#40
Y by
Haven't found anyone else with this solution, so it might be fakesolve :wacko:

FTSOC, let $p$ be smallest integer not in $S$. Clearly, $p$ must be prime, and $p > 2025$.
By Bertrands, let $\frac p2 < q < p$ be prime. If $q_1 \equiv - \frac 1q \pmod{p}$, then either $\gcd(q,q_1) = 1$ or $q=q_1$. If former, then we are done. Otherwise $q^2 \equiv (p-q)^2 -1 \pmod{p}$, and $p \equiv 1 \pmod{4}$.
Then, let $m$ be prime between $\frac p4$ and $\frac p2$. Define $m_1$ similar to above. Similarly, $\gcd(m,m_1)=1$ so we're done, or $m_1 = m,2m,3m$.
If $m_1=m$, then $m^2\equiv -1\pmod{p}$, which is impossible since $m = q$ and $m = p-q$.
If $m_1 = 2m$, then $(p-2m)(p-m)$ is $-1 \pmod{p}$, and $\gcd(p-2m,p-m)=\gcd{p,m}=1$, so $p$ belongs in $S$
If $m_1=3m$, then $p^2 \equiv -\frac{1}{3} \pmod {3}$. Using Legendre symbol, we get $1 = \binom{\frac{-1}{3}}{p} = \binom{-3}{p} = \binom{-1}{p}\binom{3}{p}=\binom{3}{p} = \binom{p}{3}$, using the fact that $p \equiv 1 \pmod{4}$ twice. This implies that $p \equiv 1 \pmod{3}$. Then, $(p-2)(\frac{p+1}{2})=p(\frac{p-1}{2})-1$ and $\gcd(p-2,\frac{p+1}{2}) = \gcd(p-2,3)$, which is $1$ by $p \equiv 1 \pmod{3}$. Thus $p$ is in $S$.

In all cases, $p$ is in $S$, so we are done.
Z K Y
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Martin2001
131 posts
#41
Y by
p-1, p+1
if that don't work it's either 2p-1 for the prime is 2^n+1 and 3p-1 for the prime being 2^n-1 by mod 3 and mod 4, respectively.
Z K Y
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Martin2001
131 posts
#42
Y by
wow am I unintelligible I am sorry for causing a stroke for any of yall who read that
Z K Y
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DottedCaculator
7308 posts
#43 • 1 Y
Y by Pengu14
oops wrong
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by DottedCaculator, Friday at 4:41 PM
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OmenOrNot
8 posts
#44
Y by
bjump wrote:
u can get 1->p-1
then use v2 casework on p-1 and p+1 to show you can get p^2-1 -> p^2-> p then get up to the next prime -1. you win

Exactly my sol but I realized it doesn’t work for Fermat and mersenne primes lmao is that like a 5 or
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VulcanForge
626 posts
#45 • 1 Y
Y by bjump
Solved with awang11

Assume otherwise, and look at the smallest missing number; clearly it must be a prime $p > 2025$. Let $4^k$ be the smallest power of four larger than $p$.

Claim: All divisors of $4^k$ are in $S$.

Proof. Since $2^k+1 < 4^{k-1} < p$, we have that the numbers $2^k \pm 1$ are less than $p$ (hence in $S$) and relatively prime. Hence the product $(2^k-1)(2^k+1) = 4^k-1$ is in $S$, which then generates all divisors of $4^k$ as desired.

Now consider the numbers $\tfrac{p-1}{\nu_2(p-1)}$ and $\tfrac{p+1}{\nu_2(p+1)}$, which are less than $p$ (hence in $S$) and relatively prime. Exactly one of $\nu_2(p-1)$ and $\nu_2(p+1)$ is $1$, and since $p+1 \neq 4^k$ (because the latter is $1 \pmod{3}$) both of them are at most $2k-1$. Hence
\[\nu_2(p^2-1) = \nu_2(p-1) + \nu_2(p+1) \le 1 + (2k-1) = 2k \implies 2^{\nu_2(p^2-1)} \in S\]by the claim. Now the relatively-prime generation rule gives
\[ \left( \frac{p-1}{\nu_2(p-1)}, \frac{p+1}{\nu_2(p+1)}, 2^{\nu_2(p^2-1)} \right) \implies p^2-1 \in S \]which consequently generates $p$, contradiction.
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by VulcanForge, Friday at 5:07 PM
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dragoon
1921 posts
#46
Y by
andliu766 wrote:
Haven't found anyone else with this solution, so it might be fakesolve :wacko:

FTSOC, let $p$ be smallest integer not in $S$. Clearly, $p$ must be prime, and $p > 2025$.
By Bertrands, let $\frac p2 < q < p$ be prime. If $q_1 \equiv - \frac 1q \pmod{p}$, then either $\gcd(q,q_1) = 1$ or $q=q_1$. If former, then we are done. Otherwise $q^2 \equiv (p-q)^2 -1 \pmod{p}$, and $p \equiv 1 \pmod{4}$.
Then, let $m$ be prime between $\frac p4$ and $\frac p2$. Define $m_1$ similar to above. Similarly, $\gcd(m,m_1)=1$ so we're done, or $m_1 = m,2m,3m$.
If $m_1=m$, then $m^2\equiv -1\pmod{p}$, which is impossible since $m = q$ and $m = p-q$.
If $m_1 = 2m$, then $(p-2m)(p-m)$ is $-1 \pmod{p}$, and $\gcd(p-2m,p-m)=\gcd{p,m}=1$, so $p$ belongs in $S$
If $m_1=3m$, then $p^2 \equiv -\frac{1}{3} \pmod {3}$. Using Legendre symbol, we get $1 = \binom{\frac{-1}{3}}{p} = \binom{-3}{p} = \binom{-1}{p}\binom{3}{p}=\binom{3}{p} = \binom{p}{3}$, using the fact that $p \equiv 1 \pmod{4}$ twice. This implies that $p \equiv 1 \pmod{3}$. Then, $(p-2)(\frac{p+1}{2})=p(\frac{p-1}{2})-1$ and $\gcd(p-2,\frac{p+1}{2}) = \gcd(p-2,3)$, which is $1$ by $p \equiv 1 \pmod{3}$. Thus $p$ is in $S$.

In all cases, $p$ is in $S$, so we are done.

I basically did that please give me points :pray:
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llddmmtt1
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#47
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someone check my sol

induction. composite is trivial so get p, assuming 1,2,...,p-1 in s.
let p/2<q<p, qr=-1 mod p
if q\ne r then gcd(q,r)=1 so you get qr, then p|qr+1 and ur done
if q=r then q^2=-1 mod p, then q(q+p) mod p. you now want p+q in s
if p+q is a power of 2, notice 2^k-1, 2^k+1 gives 2^(2k)
if p+q not a power of 2, do 2^v_2(p+q) and (p+1)/2^v_2(p+q)

also another skibidi solution is p/2<q,r<p, then q^2=-1 and r^2=-1 are both impossible so at least one of them works, but idk how to prove that there are two primes between p/2 and p
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aliz
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#48
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Everything in red is stuff I definitely not write during the contest

Assume contradiction, then let p be the smallest positive integer not in S.

Claim 1: p is prime
Proof: Since 2023 < p-1 and p-1 < p, p-1 is in S, therefore if p is composite then it is in S.

Claim 2: For integer a>1 I may have done a > 0, ap - 1 is not in S
Proof: If it is, ap is composite so all of its divisors, including p, are in S.

Setting a = p in Claim 2 gives that p^2 - 1 must not be in S. Now we split into cases.

Case 1: p = 1 mod 4
Proof 1:
(1/2): We will first show p = 2^k + 1 for some positive integer k.

Factor p^2 - 1 = (1/2 * (p+1)) * (2 * (p-1)), then notice gcd(1/2 * (p+1), 2 * (p-1)) | 2gcd(p-1, p+1) | 4 but 1/2 * (p+1) is odd so the numbers are coprime.
1/2 * (p+1) < p so if 2 * (p-1) is also in S we have contradiction. Let 2 * (p-1) = 2^a * b where 2^a and b are positive integers and b is odd. Now 4|p-1 so 8|2(p-1), 2^a >= 8. This means b = 2 / 2^a * (p-1) <= 1/4 * (p-1) < p. If b >= 3, 2 * (p-1) / b <= 2/3 * (p-1) < p. Therefore b < 3. b is odd so b = 1, therefore 2 * (p-1) = 2^a, and since a > 5 this means p = 2^(a-1) + 1 and this is 1 mod 4.

(2/2): Now consider a = 5 in claim 2 to get 5p-1. 5p-1 = 5-1 = 0 mod 4 (I believe here I mentioned bounding and then wrote something along the lines of v_3(5p-1) = 1 and (5p-1) - (2p-1) = [i forgot the exact thing]).

First notice 5p-1 cannot be a power of 2 because of bounding (p-1 is a power of 2, but 4(p-1) < 5p-1 < 8(p-1) since p > 2025). If 5p-1 = 3 * 2^k, then 3p-3 is also 3 times a power of 2, but 3p-3 < 5p-1 < 6p-6. If 5p-1 = 4 * q for a prime q, then notice 2^k + 1 =/ 0 mod 3 so p must equal 2 mod 3, which yields 3 | q (obviously q > 3).

We can prove 5p-1 must take this form. Let 5p-1 = 2^a * b where b is odd and a, b are positive integers. If 2^a >= 8 and b is not equal to 1 or 3, b cannot equal 2, or 4 other, so b >= 5. Now b = (5p-1) / 2^a <= (5p-1) / 8 < p and 2^a = (5p-1) / b <= (5p-1) / 5 < p.

If 2^a = 4 and b is not prime, let b = b_1 * b_2 for coprime b_1, b_2 both greater than 1. Then b_1 > 3 and b_2 > 3, so b_1 and b_2 >= 5. Now 4 * b_1 * b_2 = 5p - 1 so b_2 = (5p-1) / 4b_1 < (5p-1) / 5 < p and b_1 = (5p-1) / b_2 < (5p-1) / 5 < p.

Notice that in all cases if 5p-1 does not take this form we reach a contradiction.

Case 2: p = 3 mod 4
Proof 2:
(1/2): We will first show p = 2^k - 1 for some positive integer k.

p^2 - 1 = (1/2 * (p-1)) * (2 * (p+1)), again 1/2 * (p-1) is odd and the terms are coprime, let
2 * (p+1) = 2^a * b for positive integers a, b with odd b, a >= 3 so b <= 2/8 * (p+1) < p and if b >= 3 then 2^a <= 2/3 * (p+1) < p, so b = 1 and since a > 5 we have 2 * (p+1) = 2^a, so p = 2^(a-1) - 1 so
p = 2^k - 1.

(2/2): Consider a = 3 in claim 2, or 3p-1. Now notice 4|3p-1. If 3p-1 = 2^a * b for odd positive integer b and positive integer a and b =/ 1, then b >= 3 (b can't be 2) we have 2^a = (3p-1)/b < (3p-1)/3 < p, and remember that b = (3p-1)/2^a <= (3p-1)/4 < p. Therefore b = 1 so 3p-1 is a power of 2. But p+1 is a power of 2 and 2p+2 < 3p-1 < 4p+4 by bounding so we are done.

So p is not 1 mod 4 or 3 mod 4 and it is prime, but it is larger than 2025, so p cannot exist. Thus we have proven our desired statement by contradiction.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by aliz, Yesterday at 5:25 AM
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llddmmtt1
392 posts
#49 • 1 Y
Y by megarnie
"1 mod 4 or 3 mod 4"
what the 1434
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by llddmmtt1, Yesterday at 12:39 PM
Reason: what the typo
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ReaperGod
1577 posts
#50
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vincentwant wrote:
How many points would I get taken off for this:

Let 1 to p-1 in S. Let p/2<c<p be prime. Then c divided one of p-1, 2p-1, 3p-1, etc up to (c-1)p-1. It cannot be p-1 bc size. Then let c divide gp-1. Then (gp-1)/c and c are both in S, so then (this is the error) gp-1 is in S. Thus p is in S.

I missed the case where c^2 divides gp-1. However this case is fine because size gives c^2=gp-1 and c^2-1 is easy to show to be in S (consider $(c\pm1)/2$), but I didn't have time to find this in contest as I found the error in the last 10 min oops

Edit: this doesn't actually work, but just choosing another c I think guarantees that it can't happen again

That is exactly what I did. Could someone confirm that it is considered well known that there are two primes between n/2 and n for large n?
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vincentwant
1263 posts
#51
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ReaperGod wrote:
vincentwant wrote:
How many points would I get taken off for this:

Let 1 to p-1 in S. Let p/2<c<p be prime. Then c divided one of p-1, 2p-1, 3p-1, etc up to (c-1)p-1. It cannot be p-1 bc size. Then let c divide gp-1. Then (gp-1)/c and c are both in S, so then (this is the error) gp-1 is in S. Thus p is in S.

I missed the case where c^2 divides gp-1. However this case is fine because size gives c^2=gp-1 and c^2-1 is easy to show to be in S (consider $(c\pm1)/2$), but I didn't have time to find this in contest as I found the error in the last 10 min oops

Edit: this doesn't actually work, but just choosing another c I think guarantees that it can't happen again

That is exactly what I did. Could someone confirm that it is considered well known that there are two primes between n/2 and n for large n?

yes (from wikipedia)
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llddmmtt1
392 posts
#52
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i thought you had to say the name of a theorem if you wanted to use it, as this is not like extremely well known
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MathLuis
1464 posts
#54
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This kind of qns has been getting more popular lately, kinda fun I'd say.
We prove by induction that if $\{1,2 \cdots ,n \} \in S$ then $n+1 \in S$, this is clear if $n+1$ is composite so assume that $n+1$ is prime.
Now we will prove that $2^{\ell \cdot 2^k} \pm 1, 2^{\ell \cdot 2^k}$ are all on $S$ for all positive integers $k$ and $\ell=3,5$ (because $2025$ is smol :c), base cases are given and for the inductive step just note that $\gcd(2^{\ell \cdot 2^k}-1, 2^{\ell \cdot 2^k}+1)=1$ and therefore $2^{\ell \cdot 2^{k+1}}-1 \in S$ and also then $2^{\ell \cdot 2^{k+1}} \in S$ but also note that $2^{2^{k+1}}+1 \mid 2^{\ell \cdot 2^{k+1}}+1$ so it can't be prime therefore it is also in $S$ thus claim proven.
Now clearly because $k$ can be made large enough from here we get that all powers of $2$ are on $S$, notice then as well that from here we get that $2^x+1 \in S$ for all $x$ composite and that posses one odd factor but then considering the rest of divisors of this amount by making $x$ have a lot of factors we have that all $2^x+1 \in S$ for all positive integers $x$ and using trivial induction from here. we can also get that $2^x-1 \in S$ for all positive integers $x$ and thus we also have $2^x-2 \in S$ for all positive integers $x$ using condition 1 and thus using condition 2 now here consider some large enough composite $x$ then all positive divisors of $2^x-1$ are on $S$ as well so by setting $p-1 \mid x$ for $p$ odd prime and FLT we get that all primes are on $S$ but also by taking $(p-1) p^{\ell} \mid x$ and using euler theorem we get that all odd prime powers are on $S$ as well and well this is kinda overkill since all we needed was $n+1$ prime to be on $S$ so that induction is complete as well xD, thus we are done :cool:.
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v_Enhance
6869 posts
#55
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Solution from Twitch Solves ISL:

We prove by induction on $N$ that $S$ contains $\{1, \dots, N\}$ with the base cases being $N = 1, \dots, 2025$ already given.
For the inductive step, to show $N+1 \in S$:
  • If $N+1$ is composite we're already done from the third bullet.
  • Otherwise, assume $N+1 = p \ge 2025$ is an (odd) prime number. We say a number is good if the prime powers in its prime factorization are all less than $p$. Hence by the second bullet (repeatedly), good numbers are in $S$. Now our proof is split into three cases:
    1. Suppose neither $p-1$ nor $p+1$ is a power of $2$ (but both are still even). We claim that the number \[ s \coloneq p^2-1 = (p-1)(p+1) \]is good. Indeed, one of the numbers has only a single factor of $2$, and the other by hypothesis is not a power of $2$ (but still even). So the largest power of $2$ dividing $p^2-2$ is certainly less than $p$. And every other prime power divides at most one of $p-1$ and $p+1$.
      Hence $s \coloneq p^2-1$ is good. As $s+1 = p^2$, Case 1 is done.
    2. Suppose $p+1$ is a power of $2$; that is $p = 2^q-1$. Since $p > 2025$, we assume $q \ge 11$ is odd. First we contend that the number \[ s' \coloneq 2^{q+1} - 1 = \left( 2^{(q+1)/2}-1 \right) \left( 2^{(q+1)/2}+1 \right) \]is good. Indeed, this follows from the two factors being coprime and both less than $p$. Hence $s'+1 = 2^{q+1}$ is in $S$.
      Thus, we again have \[ s \coloneq p^2-1 = (p-1)(p+1) \in S \]as we did in the previous case, because the largest power of $2$ dividing $p^2-1$ will be exactly $2^{q+1}$ which is known to be in $S$. And since $s+1=p^2$, Case 2 is done.
    3. Finally suppose $p-1$ is a power of $2$; that is $p = 2^{2^e}+1$ is a Fermat prime. Then in particular, $p \equiv 2 \pmod 3$. Now observe that \[ s \coloneq 2p-1 \equiv 0 \pmod 3 \]and moreover $2p-1$ is not a power of $3$ (it would imply $2^{2^e+1} + 1 = 3^k$, which is impossible for $k \ge 3$ by Zsigmondy/Mihailescu/etc.). So $s$ is good, and since $s = 3p$, Case 3 is done.
    Having finished all the cases, we conclude $p \in S$ and the induction is done.

Remark: In fact just $2025 \in S$ is sufficient as a base case; however this requires a bit more work to check. Here is how:
  • From $2025 \in S$ we get $2026 = 2 \cdot 1013$, so $2,1013 \in S$.
  • From $1013+1 = 1014 = 2 \cdot 3 \cdot 13^2$ we get $3,13 \in S$.
  • From $3+1 = 4$ we get $4 \in S$.
  • $3 \cdot 13 + 1 = 40 = 2^3 \cdot 5$ we get $5 \in S$.
  • Once $\{1,2,\dots,5\} \subseteq S$, the induction above actually works fine; that is, $N \le 6$ are sufficient as base cases for the earlier cases to finish the rest of the problem. (Case 2 works once $q \ge 3$, and Case 3 works once $e \ge 2$.)
However, $\{1,2,3,4\} \subseteq S$ is not sufficient; for example $S = \{1,2,3,4,6,12\}$ satisfies all the problem conditions.
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