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k a May Highlights and 2025 AoPS Online Class Information
jlacosta   0
Yesterday at 11:16 PM
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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0 replies
jlacosta
Yesterday at 11:16 PM
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
Floor and exact value
Ecrin_eren   2
N 15 minutes ago by NamelyOrange
The exact value of a real number a is denoted by [a] and
the fractional value {a}.
For example; [3.7]= 3 and {3, 7} = 0.7
For a positive real number x,
Given the equality of [x]{x} = 2023, what can
[X^2]-[x]^2 be?
2 replies
Ecrin_eren
3 hours ago
NamelyOrange
15 minutes ago
Increments and Decrements in Square Grid
ike.chen   23
N an hour ago by Andyexists
Source: ISL 2022/C3
In each square of a garden shaped like a $2022 \times 2022$ board, there is initially a tree of height $0$. A gardener and a lumberjack alternate turns playing the following game, with the gardener taking the first turn:
[list]
[*] The gardener chooses a square in the garden. Each tree on that square and all the surrounding squares (of which there are at most eight) then becomes one unit taller.
[*] The lumberjack then chooses four different squares on the board. Each tree of positive height on those squares then becomes one unit shorter.
[/list]
We say that a tree is majestic if its height is at least $10^6$. Determine the largest $K$ such that the gardener can ensure there are eventually $K$ majestic trees on the board, no matter how the lumberjack plays.
23 replies
ike.chen
Jul 9, 2023
Andyexists
an hour ago
2025 CMIMC team p7, rephrased
scannose   10
N an hour ago by scannose
In the expansion of $(x^2 + x + 1)^{2024}$, find the number of terms with coefficient divisible by $3$.
10 replies
scannose
Apr 18, 2025
scannose
an hour ago
4-var inequality
RainbowNeos   5
N 2 hours ago by RainbowNeos
Given $a,b,c,d>0$, show that
\[\frac{a}{b}+\frac{b}{c}+\frac{c}{d}+\frac{d}{a}\geq 4+\frac{8(a-c)^2}{(a+b+c+d)^2}.\]
5 replies
RainbowNeos
Yesterday at 9:31 AM
RainbowNeos
2 hours ago
Hard diophant equation
MuradSafarli   2
N 2 hours ago by MuradSafarli
Find all positive integers $x, y, z, t$ such that the equation

$$
2017^x + 6^y + 2^z = 2025^t
$$
is satisfied.
2 replies
MuradSafarli
3 hours ago
MuradSafarli
2 hours ago
An almost identity polynomial
nAalniaOMliO   6
N 2 hours ago by Primeniyazidayi
Source: Belarusian National Olympiad 2025
Let $n$ be a positive integer and $P(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients such that $P(1)=1,P(2)=2,\ldots,P(n)=n$.
Prove that $P(0)$ is divisible by $2 \cdot 3 \cdot \ldots \cdot n$.
6 replies
nAalniaOMliO
Mar 28, 2025
Primeniyazidayi
2 hours ago
Values of x
Ecrin_eren   0
2 hours ago
Given 0 ≤ x < 2π, what is the difference between the largest and the smallest of the values of x
that satisfy the equation 5cosx + 2sin2x = 4 in radians?
0 replies
Ecrin_eren
2 hours ago
0 replies
Maximum value
Ecrin_eren   3
N 2 hours ago by Royal_mhyasd
a,b,c are positive real numbers such that
(a+b)^2 (a+c)^2=16abc
What is the maximum value of a+b+c
3 replies
Ecrin_eren
Today at 1:30 PM
Royal_mhyasd
2 hours ago
Euler's function
luutrongphuc   2
N 2 hours ago by KevinYang2.71
Find all real numbers \(\alpha\) such that for every positive real \(c\), there exists an integer \(n>1\) satisfying
\[
\frac{\varphi(n!)}{n^\alpha\,(n-1)!} \;>\; c.
\]
2 replies
luutrongphuc
5 hours ago
KevinYang2.71
2 hours ago
Wot n' Minimization
y-is-the-best-_   25
N 3 hours ago by john0512
Source: IMO SL 2019 A3
Let $n \geqslant 3$ be a positive integer and let $\left(a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{n}\right)$ be a strictly increasing sequence of $n$ positive real numbers with sum equal to 2. Let $X$ be a subset of $\{1,2, \ldots, n\}$ such that the value of
\[
\left|1-\sum_{i \in X} a_{i}\right|
\]is minimised. Prove that there exists a strictly increasing sequence of $n$ positive real numbers $\left(b_{1}, b_{2}, \ldots, b_{n}\right)$ with sum equal to 2 such that
\[
\sum_{i \in X} b_{i}=1.
\]
25 replies
y-is-the-best-_
Sep 23, 2020
john0512
3 hours ago
Line AT passes through either S_1 or S_2
v_Enhance   88
N 3 hours ago by bjump
Source: USA December TST for 57th IMO 2016, Problem 2
Let $ABC$ be a scalene triangle with circumcircle $\Omega$, and suppose the incircle of $ABC$ touches $BC$ at $D$. The angle bisector of $\angle A$ meets $BC$ and $\Omega$ at $E$ and $F$. The circumcircle of $\triangle DEF$ intersects the $A$-excircle at $S_1$, $S_2$, and $\Omega$ at $T \neq F$. Prove that line $AT$ passes through either $S_1$ or $S_2$.

Proposed by Evan Chen
88 replies
v_Enhance
Dec 21, 2015
bjump
3 hours ago
Inequality with a,b,c
GeoMorocco   4
N 3 hours ago by Natrium
Source: Morocco Training
Let $   a,b,c   $ be positive real numbers such that : $   ab+bc+ca=3   $ . Prove that : $$\frac{\sqrt{1+a^2}}{1+ab}+\frac{\sqrt{1+b^2}}{1+bc}+\frac{\sqrt{1+c^2}}{1+ca}\ge \sqrt{\frac{3(a+b+c)}{2}}$$
4 replies
GeoMorocco
Apr 11, 2025
Natrium
3 hours ago
China Northern MO 2009 p4 CNMO
parkjungmin   1
N 3 hours ago by WallyWalrus
Source: China Northern MO 2009 p4 CNMO P4
The problem is too difficult.
1 reply
parkjungmin
Apr 30, 2025
WallyWalrus
3 hours ago
Polynomial Squares
zacchro   26
N 3 hours ago by Mathandski
Source: USA December TST for IMO 2017, Problem 3, by Alison Miller
Let $P, Q \in \mathbb{R}[x]$ be relatively prime nonconstant polynomials. Show that there can be at most three real numbers $\lambda$ such that $P + \lambda Q$ is the square of a polynomial.

Alison Miller
26 replies
zacchro
Dec 11, 2016
Mathandski
3 hours ago
Absolute value
Silverfalcon   8
N Apr 22, 2025 by zhoujef000
This problem seemed to be too obvious.. And I think I"m wrong.. :D

Problem:

Consider the sequence $x_0, x_1, x_2,...x_{2000}$ of integers satisfying

\[x_0 = 0, |x_n| = |x_{n-1} + 1|\]

for $n = 1,2,...2000$.

Find the minimum value of the expression $|x_1 + x_2 + ... x_{2000}|$.

My idea

Pretty sure I'm wrong but where did I go wrong?
8 replies
Silverfalcon
Jun 27, 2005
zhoujef000
Apr 22, 2025
Absolute value
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G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
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Silverfalcon
5006 posts
#1 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
This problem seemed to be too obvious.. And I think I"m wrong.. :D

Problem:

Consider the sequence $x_0, x_1, x_2,...x_{2000}$ of integers satisfying

\[x_0 = 0, |x_n| = |x_{n-1} + 1|\]

for $n = 1,2,...2000$.

Find the minimum value of the expression $|x_1 + x_2 + ... x_{2000}|$.

My idea

Pretty sure I'm wrong but where did I go wrong?
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Palytoxin
490 posts
#2 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
yes wrong because check this out

$|x_1|=|x_0+1|=|1|$ and this means that $x_1$ can be $x_1=1$ or $x_1=-1$
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Silverfalcon
5006 posts
#3 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Ohh..

Then

I'm not sure if that makes the minimum though. No wonder it's the last question now..
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peeta
364 posts
#4 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
well when u say every even will be 0 u can say for the odd $|x_n|=1$ therefore u can use 1 and -1 alternating coming to the minimum of 0, because there is sequence is periodic with the period 4, and the first 4 $x_n$ besides $x_0$ are 0 and they repeat themselves 250 times. also 0 is the smallest number possible, since $|x|\ge 0$
done :)
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JesusFreak197
1939 posts
#5 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Sweet, an Olympiad problem that I can actually solve! :P

Click to reveal hidden text
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K81o7
2417 posts
#6 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Peeta...there's a slight problem...
You can't go from 1 to 0...the thing about this problem is that $|x_n|\le|x_{n+1}|$ when $x_n$ is positive. In other words, you can't go from 1 to -1.
This one isn't quite as easy as it looks at first...
I'm thinking of one where the minimum is 12...
Basically you can start with 0, then go
-1, 0, 1, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, -3, ...
going through sets of sizes which are an odd number each, and by the time you get to 22, you'll be at $x_1976$. 24 more numbers. Then, you go
-23, 22, -23, 22, -23...
But, if there's a way that 2000 - square number=multiple of 23 or 21, then the minimum is 0.
I'm sure there's a solution for that...
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JesusFreak197
1939 posts
#7 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Oh, you're right... by a more complicated set, you might be able to get it lower.
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Assassino9931
1297 posts
#8
Y by
Bump this
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zhoujef000
313 posts
#9
Y by
see 2006 AIME I P15 for a similar problem. (post #9 has a good solution)
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by zhoujef000, Apr 22, 2025, 7:47 PM
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