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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.

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[*]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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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
IMO Genre Predictions
ohiorizzler1434   68
N 5 minutes ago by Koko11
Everybody, with IMO upcoming, what are you predictions for the problem genres?


Personally I predict: predict
68 replies
ohiorizzler1434
May 3, 2025
Koko11
5 minutes ago
Gcd(m,n) and Lcm(m,n)&F.E.
Jackson0423   1
N 13 minutes ago by WallyWalrus
Source: 2012 KMO Second Round

Find all functions \( f : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{N} \) such that for all positive integers \( m, n \),
\[
f(mn) = \mathrm{lcm}(m, n) \cdot \gcd(f(m), f(n)),
\]where \( \mathrm{lcm}(m, n) \) and \( \gcd(m, n) \) denote the least common multiple and the greatest common divisor of \( m \) and \( n \), respectively.
1 reply
Jackson0423
May 13, 2025
WallyWalrus
13 minutes ago
Trigonometric Product
Henryfamz   3
N 27 minutes ago by Aiden-1089
Compute $$\prod_{n=1}^{45}\sin(2n-1)$$
3 replies
Henryfamz
May 13, 2025
Aiden-1089
27 minutes ago
"Eulerian" closed walk with of length less than v+e
Miquel-point   0
43 minutes ago
Source: IMAR 2019 P4
Show that a connected graph $G=(V, E)$ has a closed walk of length at most $|V|+|E|-1$ passing through each edge of $G$ at least once.

Proposed by Radu Bumbăcea
0 replies
Miquel-point
43 minutes ago
0 replies
A little problem
TNKT   3
N an hour ago by Pengu14
Source: Tran Ngoc Khuong Trang
Problem. Let a,b,c be three positive real numbers with a+b+c=3. Prove that \color{blue}{\frac{1}{4a^{2}+9}+\frac{1}{4b^{2}+9}+\frac{1}{4c^{2}+9}\le \frac{3}{abc+12}.}
When does equality hold?
P/s: Could someone please convert it to latex help me? Thank you!
See also MSE: https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/5065499/prove-that-frac14a29-frac14b29-frac14c29-le-frac3
3 replies
TNKT
Yesterday at 1:17 PM
Pengu14
an hour ago
f(x + f(y)) is equal to x + f(y) or f(f(x)) + y
parmenides51   5
N an hour ago by EpicBird08
Source: Hong Kong TST - HKTST 2024 2.4
Find all functions $f:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow\mathbb{R}$ satisfying the following condition: for any real numbers $x$ and $y$, the number $f(x + f(y))$ is equal to $x + f(y)$ or $f(f(x)) + y$
5 replies
parmenides51
Jul 20, 2024
EpicBird08
an hour ago
The sequence does not contain numbers of the form 2^n - 1
Amir Hossein   9
N 2 hours ago by Fibonacci_11235
Prove that the sequence $5, 12, 19, 26, 33,\cdots $ contains no term of the form $2^n -1.$
9 replies
Amir Hossein
Sep 2, 2010
Fibonacci_11235
2 hours ago
D1024 : Can you do that?
Dattier   6
N 2 hours ago by Phorphyrion
Source: les dattes à Dattier
Let $x_{n+1}=x_n^2+1$ and $x_0=1$.

Can you calculate $\left(\sum\limits_{i=1}^{2^{2025}} x_i\right) \mod 10^{30}$?
6 replies
Dattier
Apr 29, 2025
Phorphyrion
2 hours ago
inequalities
Ducksohappi   1
N 2 hours ago by Nguyenhuyen_AG
let a,b,c be non-negative numbers such that ab+bc+ca>0. Prove:
$ \sum_{cyc} \frac{b+c}{2a^2+bc}\ge \frac{6}{a+b+c}$
P/s: I have analysed:$ S_a=\frac{b^2+c^2+3bc-ab-ac}{(2b^2+ac)(2c^2+2ab)}$, similarly to $S_b, S_c$, by SOS
1 reply
Ducksohappi
5 hours ago
Nguyenhuyen_AG
2 hours ago
Two lengths are equal
62861   30
N 2 hours ago by Ilikeminecraft
Source: IMO 2015 Shortlist, G5
Let $ABC$ be a triangle with $CA \neq CB$. Let $D$, $F$, and $G$ be the midpoints of the sides $AB$, $AC$, and $BC$ respectively. A circle $\Gamma$ passing through $C$ and tangent to $AB$ at $D$ meets the segments $AF$ and $BG$ at $H$ and $I$, respectively. The points $H'$ and $I'$ are symmetric to $H$ and $I$ about $F$ and $G$, respectively. The line $H'I'$ meets $CD$ and $FG$ at $Q$ and $M$, respectively. The line $CM$ meets $\Gamma$ again at $P$. Prove that $CQ = QP$.

Proposed by El Salvador
30 replies
62861
Jul 7, 2016
Ilikeminecraft
2 hours ago
Geometry with altitudes and the nine point centre
Adywastaken   4
N 3 hours ago by Miquel-point
Source: KoMaL B5333
The foot of the altitude from vertex $A$ of acute triangle $ABC$ is $T_A$. The ray drawn from $A$ through the circumcenter $O$ intersects $BC$ at $R_A$. Let the midpoint of $AR_A$ be $F_A$. Define $T_B$, $R_B$, $F_B$, $T_C$, $R_C$, $F_C$ similarly. Prove that $T_AF_A$, $T_BF_B$, $T_CF_C$ are concurrent.
4 replies
Adywastaken
May 14, 2025
Miquel-point
3 hours ago
Find all p(x) such that p(p) is a power of 2
truongphatt2668   4
N 4 hours ago by Laan
Source: ???
Find all polynomial $P(x) \in \mathbb{R}[x]$ such that:
$$P(p_i) = 2^{a_i}$$with $p_i$ is an $i$ th prime and $a_i$ is an arbitrary positive integer.
4 replies
truongphatt2668
Yesterday at 1:05 PM
Laan
4 hours ago
Easy combinatorics
GreekIdiot   0
4 hours ago
Source: own, inspired by another problem
You are given a $5 \times 5$ grid with each cell colored with an integer from $0$ to $15$. Two players take turns. On a turn, a player may increase any one cell’s value by a power of 2 (i.e., add 1, 2, 4, or 8 mod 16). The first player wins if, after their move, the sum of each row and the sum of each column is congruent to 0 modulo 16. Prove whether or not Player 1 has a forced win strategy from any starting configuration.
0 replies
GreekIdiot
4 hours ago
0 replies
Concurrency in Parallelogram
amuthup   91
N 4 hours ago by Rayvhs
Source: 2021 ISL G1
Let $ABCD$ be a parallelogram with $AC=BC.$ A point $P$ is chosen on the extension of ray $AB$ past $B.$ The circumcircle of $ACD$ meets the segment $PD$ again at $Q.$ The circumcircle of triangle $APQ$ meets the segment $PC$ at $R.$ Prove that lines $CD,AQ,BR$ are concurrent.
91 replies
amuthup
Jul 12, 2022
Rayvhs
4 hours ago
Find the minimum and the maximum
sqing   49
N Nov 16, 2020 by sqing
Source: 2019 Shanghai High School Mathematics Competition
Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers . Find the minimum value of $a^3+ b^3-5ab.$

Let $\alpha,\beta \in (0,\frac{\pi}{2})$ and $\frac{sin\alpha }{sin \beta}=sin(\alpha +\beta).$ Find the maximum value of $tan\alpha .$
49 replies
sqing
Apr 1, 2019
sqing
Nov 16, 2020
Find the minimum and the maximum
G H J
G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
Source: 2019 Shanghai High School Mathematics Competition
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sqing
42194 posts
#1 • 3 Y
Y by adityaguharoy, Adventure10, Mango247
Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers . Find the minimum value of $a^3+ b^3-5ab.$

Let $\alpha,\beta \in (0,\frac{\pi}{2})$ and $\frac{sin\alpha }{sin \beta}=sin(\alpha +\beta).$ Find the maximum value of $tan\alpha .$
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HKIS200543
380 posts
#2 • 2 Y
Y by Illuzion, Adventure10
For the first problem: The minimum is $\frac{-125}{27}$. This is achieved when $a = b = \frac{5}{3}$.

The idea is smoothing. Let $f(a,b) = a^3 + b^3 - 5ab$. Then
\begin{align*}
f(a + b, a - b) &= (a +b)^3 + (a - b)^3 - 5(a + b)(a - b) \\
&=a^3 + 3a^2b + 3ab^2 + b^3 + a^3 - 3a^2b + 3ab^2 - b^3 - 5a^2 -+5b^2 \\
&= 2a^3 - 5a^2 + b^2(6a + 5)\\
&\geq f(a,a) .
\end{align*}Hence shifting any $(a,b)$ to $\left( \frac{a+b}{2} , \frac{a+b}{2} \right)$ is non-increasing, so we may assume $a = b$. Minimising the function $f(x) = 2x^3 - 5x^2$ may be done with standard calculus tricks.
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crezk
899 posts
#3 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
$a^3+b^3\geq 2ab\sqrt{ab}$
$\sqrt{ab}=x$
$2x^3-5x^2$
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HKIS200543
380 posts
#4 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
For the second problem: The condition is equivalent to
\begin{align*}
&\frac{\sin\alpha}{\cos\alpha} = \frac{\sin\beta}{\cos\alpha}(\sin\alpha\cos\beta + \sin\beta\cos\alpha ) \\
\iff &\tan\alpha = \tan\alpha \sin\beta \cos\beta + \sin^2\beta \\
\iff &\tan\alpha = \frac{\sin^2\beta}{1 - \sin\beta\cos\beta} = \frac{1 - \cos 2 \beta}{2 - \sin 2\beta} . 
\end{align*}Thus we just minimise the function $f(x) = \frac{1 - \cos 2x}{2 - \sin 2x}$ over $(0, \frac{\pi}{2})$ which can be done with standard calculus tricks.
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ytChen
1100 posts
#5 • 2 Y
Y by adityaguharoy, Adventure10
sqing wrote:
Let $\alpha,\beta \in (0,\frac{\pi}{2})$ and $\frac{sin\alpha }{sin \beta}=sin(\alpha +\beta).$ Find the maximum value of $tan\alpha .$
Solution. The assumption $\frac{\sin\alpha }{\sin \beta}=\sin(\alpha +\beta)$ implies that
\begin{align*}&\sin\alpha=\sin\beta\left(\sin\alpha\cos\beta + \sin\beta\cos\alpha\right)\\
\Longrightarrow&\sin\alpha\left(1-\sin\beta\cos\beta\right)= \sin^2\beta \cos\alpha\\
\Longrightarrow&\tan\alpha = \frac{\sin^2\beta}{1 - \sin\beta\cos\beta}=\frac{\tan^2\beta}{\tan^2\beta+1-\tan\beta}\le\frac{4}{3},
\end{align*}where the last inequality holds because $(\tan\beta-2)^2\ge0$ for all $\beta\in \left(0,\frac{\pi}{2}\right)$, and the equality occurs when $\tan{\beta}=2$. Therefore the maximum value of $\tan{\alpha}$ is $\frac{4}{3}$. $\blacksquare$
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sqing
42194 posts
#6 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Thank you very much.
Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers . Then$$a^3+ b^3-5ab\geq  \frac{-125}{27}.$$Let $\alpha,\beta \in (0,\frac{\pi}{2})$ and $\frac{sin\alpha }{sin \beta}=sin(\alpha +\beta).$ Then $$tan\alpha \leq \frac{4}{3}.$$Proof:
$$\frac{sin\alpha }{sin \beta}=sin(\alpha +\beta)\iff cos\alpha -2sin\alpha=cos(\alpha+2\beta) $$$$\implies (cos\alpha -2sin\alpha)^2\leq 1\implies tan\alpha \leq \frac{4}{3}.$$
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edited by sqing, Apr 2, 2019, 4:06 AM
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ytChen
1100 posts
#7 • 2 Y
Y by adityaguharoy, Adventure10
sqing wrote:
Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers . Find the minimum value of $a^3+ b^3-5ab.$

Solution. Noticing that $a^3+b^3\ge2(\sqrt{ab})^3$, we have
\begin{align*}a^3+ b^3-5ab\ge&2(\sqrt{ab})^3-5ab\\
=&2\sqrt{ab}\left(\sqrt{ab}-\frac{5}{3}\right)^2+\frac{5}{3}ab-\frac{50}{9}\sqrt{ab}\\
=&2\sqrt{ab}\left(\sqrt{ab}-\frac{5}{3}\right)^2+\frac{5}{3}\left(\sqrt{ab}-\frac{5}{3}\right)^2-\frac{125}{27}\\
\ge&-\frac{125}{27}.
\end{align*}But $a^3+ b^3-5ab=-\frac{125}{27}$ when $a=b=\frac{5}{3}$, hence the minimum value of $a^3+ b^3-5ab$ is $-\frac{125}{27}$. $\blacksquare$
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by ytChen, Apr 2, 2019, 7:12 AM
Reason: clarification
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sqing
42194 posts
#8 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
ytChen wrote:
sqing wrote:
Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers . Find the minimum value of $a^3+ b^3-5ab.$

Solution. Noticing that $a^3+b^3\ge2(\sqrt{ab})^3$, we have
\begin{align*}a^3+ b^3-5ab\ge&2(\sqrt{ab})^3-5ab\\
=&2\sqrt{ab}\left(\sqrt{ab}-\frac{5}{3}\right)^2+\frac{5}{3}ab-\frac{50}{9}\sqrt{ab}\\
=&2\sqrt{ab}\left(\sqrt{ab}-\frac{5}{3}\right)^2+\frac{5}{3}\left(\sqrt{ab}-\frac{5}{3}\right)^2-\frac{125}{27}\\
\ge&-\frac{125}{27}.
\end{align*}But $a^3+ b^3-5ab=-\frac{125}{27}$ when $a=b=\frac{5}{3}$, hence the minimum value of $a^3+ b^3-5ab$ is $-\frac{125}{27}$. $\blacksquare$
Very nice.
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RagvaloD
4918 posts
#9 • 3 Y
Y by adityaguharoy, Adventure10, Mango247
Let $x$ is fixed positive real. Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers . Find the minimum value of $a^3+ b^3-xab.$ in terms of $x$
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adityaguharoy
4657 posts
#10 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
I think we can use Convex function and Karamata version of Rearrangement inequality.
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ytChen
1100 posts
#11 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
RagvaloD wrote:
Let $x$ is fixed positive real. Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers . Find the minimum value of $a^3+ b^3-xab.$ in terms of $x$

Solution. Noticing that $a^3+b^3\ge2ab\sqrt{ab}$, we have
\begin{align*}a^3+ b^3-xab\ge&2ab\sqrt{ab}-xab\\
=&2\sqrt{ab}\left(\sqrt{ab}-\frac{x}{3}\right)^2+\frac{x}{3}ab-\frac{2x^2}{9}\sqrt{ab}\\
=&2\sqrt{ab}\left(\sqrt{ab}-\frac{x}{3}\right)^2+\frac{x}{3}\left(\sqrt{ab}-\frac{x}{3}\right)^2-\frac{x^3}{27}\\
(\text{note that }x>0)\ge&-\frac{x^3}{27}.
\end{align*}But $a^3+ b^3-xab=-\frac{x^3}{27}$ when $a=b=\frac{x}{3}$, hence the minimum value of $a^3+ b^3-xab$ is $-\frac{x^3}{27}$. $\blacksquare$
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sqing
42194 posts
#12 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Thank you very much.
Given a positive number $k.$ Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers . Then $$a^3+ b^3-kab\ge -\frac{k^3}{27}.$$
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Nguyenhuyen_AG
3328 posts
#13 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
sqing wrote:
Given a positive number $k.$ Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers . Then $$a^3+ b^3-kab\ge -\frac{k^3}{27}.$$
We have
\[a^3+ b^3-kab + \frac{k^3}{27} = \frac{(3b+3a+k)}{27} \cdot \frac{(6a-3b-k)^2+3(3b-k)^2}4.\]So
\[a^3+ b^3-kab \ge -\frac{k^3}{27}.\]
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sqing
42194 posts
#14 • 2 Y
Y by Mathcollege, Adventure10
sqing wrote:
Given a positive number $k.$ Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers . Then $$a^3+ b^3-kab\ge -\frac{k^3}{27}.$$
Proof :
$$a^3+ b^3-kab\geq 3\sqrt[3]{a^3\cdot b^3\cdot\frac{k^3}{27}}-kab-\frac{k^3}{27}=-\frac{k^3}{27}.$$
Thanks.
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sqing
42194 posts
#15 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
sqing wrote:
Let $\alpha,\beta \in (0,\frac{\pi}{2})$ and $\frac{sin\alpha }{sin \beta}=sin(\alpha +\beta).$ Then $$tan\alpha \leq \frac{4}{3}.$$
Proof:
$$\frac{sin\alpha }{sin ((\alpha+\beta)-\alpha)}=sin(\alpha +\beta)\Longrightarrow$$$$ \tan\alpha = \frac{\tan^2(\alpha+\beta)}{\tan^2(\alpha+\beta)+\tan(\alpha+\beta)+1}=\frac{1}{(\cot(\alpha+\beta)+\frac{1}{2})^2+\frac{3}{4}}  \leq \frac{4}{3}.$$The equality occurs when $\tan(\alpha+\beta)=-2$.
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by sqing, Apr 4, 2019, 9:36 AM
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