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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.

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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
IMO Shortlist 2012, Number Theory 6
mathmdmb   42
N 34 minutes ago by ihategeo_1969
Source: IMO Shortlist 2012, Number Theory 6
Let $x$ and $y$ be positive integers. If ${x^{2^n}}-1$ is divisible by $2^ny+1$ for every positive integer $n$, prove that $x=1$.
42 replies
1 viewing
mathmdmb
Jul 26, 2013
ihategeo_1969
34 minutes ago
trolling geometry problem
iStud   1
N an hour ago by iStud
Source: Monthly Contest KTOM April P3 Essay
Given a cyclic quadrilateral $ABCD$ with $BC<AD$ and $CD<AB$. Lines $BC$ and $AD$ intersect at $X$, and lines $CD$ and $AB$ intersect at $Y$. Let $E,F,G,H$ be the midpoints of sides $AB,BC,CD,DA$, respectively. Let $S$ and $T$ be points on segment $EG$ and $FH$, respectively, so that $XS$ is the angle bisector of $\angle{DXA}$ and $YT$ is the angle bisector of $\angle{DYA}$. Prove that $TS$ is parallel to $BD$ if and only if $AC$ divides $ABCD$ into two triangles with equal area.
1 reply
iStud
4 hours ago
iStud
an hour ago
basically INAMO 2010/6
iStud   3
N 2 hours ago by iStud
Source: Monthly Contest KTOM April P1 Essay
Call $n$ kawaii if it satisfies $d(n)+\varphi(n)=n+1$ ($d(n)$ is the number of positive factors of $n$, while $\varphi(n)$ is the number of integers not more than $n$ that are relatively prime with $n$). Find all $n$ that is kawaii.
3 replies
+1 w
iStud
4 hours ago
iStud
2 hours ago
GCD of a sequence
oVlad   7
N 2 hours ago by grupyorum
Source: Romania EGMO TST 2017 Day 1 P2
Determine all pairs $(a,b)$ of positive integers with the following property: all of the terms of the sequence $(a^n+b^n+1)_{n\geqslant 1}$ have a greatest common divisor $d>1.$
7 replies
oVlad
Yesterday at 1:35 PM
grupyorum
2 hours ago
Another System
worthawholebean   3
N 2 hours ago by P162008
Source: HMMT 2008 Guts Problem 33
Let $ a$, $ b$, $ c$ be nonzero real numbers such that $ a+b+c=0$ and $ a^3+b^3+c^3=a^5+b^5+c^5$. Find the value of
$ a^2+b^2+c^2$.
3 replies
worthawholebean
May 13, 2008
P162008
2 hours ago
Inequality with three conditions
oVlad   2
N 2 hours ago by Quantum-Phantom
Source: Romania EGMO TST 2019 Day 1 P3
Let $a,b,c$ be non-negative real numbers such that \[b+c\leqslant a+1,\quad c+a\leqslant b+1,\quad a+b\leqslant c+1.\]Prove that $a^2+b^2+c^2\leqslant 2abc+1.$
2 replies
oVlad
Yesterday at 1:48 PM
Quantum-Phantom
2 hours ago
GCD Functional Equation
pinetree1   61
N 2 hours ago by ihategeo_1969
Source: USA TSTST 2019 Problem 7
Let $f: \mathbb Z\to \{1, 2, \dots, 10^{100}\}$ be a function satisfying
$$\gcd(f(x), f(y)) = \gcd(f(x), x-y)$$for all integers $x$ and $y$. Show that there exist positive integers $m$ and $n$ such that $f(x) = \gcd(m+x, n)$ for all integers $x$.

Ankan Bhattacharya
61 replies
pinetree1
Jun 25, 2019
ihategeo_1969
2 hours ago
An easy FE
oVlad   3
N 3 hours ago by jasperE3
Source: Romania EGMO TST 2017 Day 1 P3
Determine all functions $f:\mathbb R\to\mathbb R$ such that \[f(xy-1)+f(x)f(y)=2xy-1,\]for any real numbers $x{}$ and $y{}.$
3 replies
1 viewing
oVlad
Yesterday at 1:36 PM
jasperE3
3 hours ago
Interesting F.E
Jackson0423   12
N 3 hours ago by jasperE3
Show that there does not exist a function
\[
f : \mathbb{R}^+ \to \mathbb{R}
\]satisfying the condition that for all \( x, y \in \mathbb{R}^+ \),
\[
f(x + y^2) \geq f(x) + y.
\]

~Korea 2017 P7
12 replies
Jackson0423
Apr 18, 2025
jasperE3
3 hours ago
p^3 divides (a + b)^p - a^p - b^p
62861   49
N 3 hours ago by Ilikeminecraft
Source: USA January TST for IMO 2017, Problem 3
Prove that there are infinitely many triples $(a, b, p)$ of positive integers with $p$ prime, $a < p$, and $b < p$, such that $(a + b)^p - a^p - b^p$ is a multiple of $p^3$.

Noam Elkies
49 replies
62861
Feb 23, 2017
Ilikeminecraft
3 hours ago
3D geometry theorem
KAME06   0
3 hours ago
Let $M$ a point in the space and $G$ the centroid of a tetrahedron $ABCD$. Prove that:
$$\frac{1}{4}(AB^2+AC^2+AD^2+BC^2+BD^2+CD^2)+4MG^2=MA^2+MB^2+MC^2+MD^2$$
0 replies
KAME06
3 hours ago
0 replies
Funny easy transcendental geo
qwerty123456asdfgzxcvb   1
N 3 hours ago by golue3120
Let $\mathcal{S}$ be a logarithmic spiral centered at the origin (ie curve satisfying for any point $X$ on it, line $OX$ makes a fixed angle with the tangent to $\mathcal{S}$ at $X$). Let $\mathcal{H}$ be a rectangular hyperbola centered at the origin, scaled such that it is tangent to the logarithmic spiral at some point.

Prove that for a point $P$ on the spiral, the polar of $P$ wrt. $\mathcal{H}$ is tangent to the spiral.
1 reply
qwerty123456asdfgzxcvb
Yesterday at 7:23 PM
golue3120
3 hours ago
domino question
kjhgyuio   0
3 hours ago
........
0 replies
kjhgyuio
3 hours ago
0 replies
demonic monic polynomial problem
iStud   0
4 hours ago
Source: Monthly Contest KTOM April P4 Essay
(a) Let $P(x)$ be a monic polynomial so that there exists another real coefficients $Q(x)$ that satisfy
\[P(x^2-2)=P(x)Q(x)\]Determine all complex roots that are possible from $P(x)$
(b) For arbitrary polynomial $P(x)$ that satisfies (a), determine whether $P(x)$ should have real coefficients or not.
0 replies
iStud
4 hours ago
0 replies
BrMO 1 2015/16 question 5
AndrewTom   14
N Jan 24, 2020 by jayme
Let $ABC$ be a triangle, and let $D, E$ and $F$ be the feet of the perpendiculars from $A, B$ and $C$ to $BC, CA$ and $AB$ respectively. Let $P, Q, R$ and $S$ be the feet of the perpendiculars from $D$ to $BA, BE, CF$ and $CA$ respectively. Prove that $P, Q, R$ and $S$ are collinear.
14 replies
AndrewTom
Nov 28, 2015
jayme
Jan 24, 2020
BrMO 1 2015/16 question 5
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G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
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AndrewTom
12750 posts
#1 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
Let $ABC$ be a triangle, and let $D, E$ and $F$ be the feet of the perpendiculars from $A, B$ and $C$ to $BC, CA$ and $AB$ respectively. Let $P, Q, R$ and $S$ be the feet of the perpendiculars from $D$ to $BA, BE, CF$ and $CA$ respectively. Prove that $P, Q, R$ and $S$ are collinear.
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eshan
471 posts
#3 • 5 Y
Y by Viswanath, AndrewTom, Euler149, aops1221math, Adventure10
There's the same problem in RMO 2006.

Proof.
Clearly, $AFDC,AEDB$ are cyclic.
Now, $DP\perp AB,DQ\perp BE,DS\perp AE,$ and $D\in \odot ABE.$
So by pedal line theorem, $P,Q,S$ are collinear.
Similarly, $DP\perp AF,DR\perp CF,DS\perp AC,$ and $D\in \odot ACF.$
So $P,R,S$ are collinear.
As $P,Q,S$ and $P,R,S$ are collinear, we can say that $P,Q,R,S$ are collinear. $\Square$

My 300th post!!

PS -
Actually, this problem can be solved using many ways,
one as Jean-Louis said. Using miquel's theorem.
Another method is my method.
But in my method, I can consider some other pair of cyclic quads, one of them is pointed out by Wolowizard.
Attachments:
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jayme
9778 posts
#10 • 3 Y
Y by AndrewTom, Adventure10, Mango247
Dear Mathlinkers,
the points in question of the initial problem lay on the Miquel's line of...

Sincerely
Jean-Louis
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PROF65
2016 posts
#11 • 3 Y
Y by AndrewTom, Adventure10, Mango247
THE SIMSON LINE IN TWO CIRCLES
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Wolowizard
617 posts
#12 • 3 Y
Y by AndrewTom, Adventure10, Mango247
Let $H$ be orthocentre of triangle $\triangle ABC$. Note that $BDFH$ and $DHEC$ are cyclic so by Simson's theorem on $\triangle BFH$ and $\triangle HEC$: $P,Q,R$ and $Q,R,S$ are collinear.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by Wolowizard, Nov 28, 2015, 8:49 PM
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EulerMacaroni
851 posts
#13 • 3 Y
Y by AndrewTom, Adventure10, Mango247
Invert about $D$ with radius $1$, and denote inverses with a $'$.

Note that $\angle DQ'B'=\angle DBQ=90^{\circ}-\angle C$ and $\angle DQ'R'=\angle DRQ=180^{\circ}-\angle DRS=\angle C$, so that $P'Q'\perp Q'R'$. Moreover, from $P', A', S'$ collinear, we get that $Q'R' \parallel P'S'$, hence $P'Q'R'S'$ is a rectangle. From $\angle DQ'P'=\angle DPQ=\angle DPR=\angle DR'P'$, we get the desired cyclicity, so inverting back yields $P,Q,R,S$ collinear$.\:\blacksquare\:$
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Stefan4024
129 posts
#14 • 3 Y
Y by AndrewTom, Adventure10, Mango247
Here's another solution. It's slight overkill, but also it reveals some additional properties of the problem.

It's fairly easy using inversion to prove that $\odot (DRSC)$ and $\odot (BFEC)$ are tangent at point $C$. Similarly $\odot (BPQD)$ and $\odot (BFEC)$ are tangent at point $B$. Now using homothety wrt points $B$ and $C$ we find that $PQ \parallel RS \parallel EF$ It's obvious that $\odot (DRSC)$ and $\odot (BPQD)$ are tangent at $D$ and have common tangent line in $AD$. Now using this we have: $AP \cdot AB = AD^2 = AS \cdot AC$. Hence $BPSC$ are concyclic. Now again from the power of point $A$ and Thales' Theorem we have that $PS \parallel EF$. Now from $PS \parallel PQ \parallel RS$, $P,Q,R,S$ are collinear.

The problem can be stated slightly different. Let $B,D,C$ be collinear points, such that $D$ is between $B$ and $C$. Let $k_1, k_2, k_3$ be circles with diametar $BC, BD, DC$ respectively. Let $E,F$ be points on $k_1$, both on the same side of $BC$. Let $FB \cap k_2 \equiv P$, $EB \cap k_2 \equiv Q$, $EC \cap k_3 \equiv S$, $FC \cap k_3 \equiv R$. Then prove that $P,Q,R,S$ are collinear $\iff B,P,S,C$ are concyclic $\iff AD \perp BC$, where $A \equiv BF \cap CE$
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AndrewTom
12750 posts
#15 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
Thanks. Are there any other ways of solving this problem?

How do you prove, using inversion, that $\odot (DRSC)$ and $\odot (BFEC)$ are tangent at point $C$?
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by AndrewTom, Nov 29, 2015, 9:03 PM
Reason: Added something.
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Stefan4024
129 posts
#16 • 3 Y
Y by AndrewTom, Adventure10, Mango247
AndrewTom wrote:
Thanks. Are there any other ways of solving this problem?

How do you prove, using inversion, that $\odot (DRSC)$ and $\odot (BFEC)$ are tangent at point $C$?

Consider a circle centered at $C$ with radius $\sqrt{CD\cdot CB}$. Then $B$ and $D$ are each other's inverses, whiles also $E$ and $A$ are inverse pair. Now let $S'$ be the inverse of $S$. Since $D$ lies on the polar of $S'$, going through $S$, $S'$ must lines on the polar of $D$, which is the perpendicular to $BC$ at $B$. So by inverting through the mentioned circle. $\odot (DRSC)$ goes to $BS'$, while $\odot (BFEC)$ goes to $AD$. But they are parallel and hence they have only one intesecting point (at infinity), hence they are tangent at $C$. Otherwise the lines would have to intersect at another point.

More easily we can prove that they are tangent at $C$ by proving that they have a common tangent line at $C$. Draw the tangent line to $\odot (DRSC)$ at C. Then the angle between the chord $SC$ and the tangent line is $\angle SDC = \angle EBC$. Hence by the Tangent and Chord Theorem they share a common tangent line, hence they are tangent to each other. There are lots of other way to prove this. It's easy to prove that $C$ is the center of homothety of the two circles, hence they have only one touching point.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by Stefan4024, Nov 30, 2015, 8:32 AM
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aayush-srivastava
137 posts
#17 • 4 Y
Y by AndrewTom, bond98, Adventure10, Mango247
AndrewTom wrote:
Thanks. Are there any other ways of solving this problem?

How do you prove, using inversion, that $\odot (DRSC)$ and $\odot (BFEC)$ are tangent at point $C$?

Yup!
Just consider the circumcircles of the triangles $ACD$ and $BEC$...
Both pass through $F$.So by the $pedal$ $line$ $theorem$ we have $P,Q,R$ and $Q,R,S$ are collinear.(My 100th post!!!!!!! :D )
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AndrewTom
12750 posts
#18 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
It would be nice to see a detailed solution along the lines suggested by Jean-Louis, using the Miquel line.
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liberator
95 posts
#19 • 2 Y
Y by AndrewTom, Adventure10
^That is the solution: $P,Q,R,S$ are collinear on the Miquel line of $AEHF$.
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AndrewTom
12750 posts
#20 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
Thanks for replying, liberator. Unfortunately, I don't know what the Miquel line means.
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AndrewTom
12750 posts
#22 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Would someone like to post a detailed solution of what liberator has stated in #19, including an explanation of the Miquel line?
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jayme
9778 posts
#23 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
Dear Mathlinkers,

http://jl.ayme.pagesperso-orange.fr/Docs/Orthique%20encyclopedie%203.pdf p. 35...

Sincerely
Jean-Louis
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