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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
Ah, easy one
irregular22104   1
N 13 minutes ago by alexheinis
Source: Own
In the number series $1,9,9,9,8,...,$ every next number (from the fifth number) is the unit number of the sum of the four numbers preceding it. Is there any cases that we get the numbers $1234$ and $5678$ in this series?
1 reply
irregular22104
Yesterday at 4:01 PM
alexheinis
13 minutes ago
Three concurrent circles
jayme   4
N 24 minutes ago by jayme
Source: own?
Dear Mathlinkers,

1. ABC a triangle
2. 0 the circumcircle
3. Tb, Tc the tangents to 0 wrt. B, C
4. D the point of intersection of Tb and Tc
5. B', C' the symmetrics of B, C wrt AC, AB
6. 1b, 1c the circumcircles of the triangles BB'D, CC'D.

Prove : 1b, 1c and 0 are concurrents.

Sincerely
Jean-Louis
4 replies
jayme
Yesterday at 3:08 PM
jayme
24 minutes ago
angle relations in a convex ABCD given, double segment wanted
parmenides51   12
N 26 minutes ago by Nuran2010
Source: Iranian Geometry Olympiad 2018 IGO Intermediate p2
In convex quadrilateral $ABCD$, the diagonals $AC$ and $BD$ meet at the point $P$. We know that $\angle DAC = 90^o$ and $2 \angle ADB = \angle ACB$. If we have $ \angle DBC + 2 \angle ADC = 180^o$ prove that $2AP = BP$.

Proposed by Iman Maghsoudi
12 replies
parmenides51
Sep 19, 2018
Nuran2010
26 minutes ago
D1032 : A general result on polynomial 2
Dattier   1
N an hour ago by Dattier
Source: les dattes à Dattier
Let $P \in \mathbb Q[x,y]$ with $\max(\deg_x(P),\deg_y(P)) \leq d$ and $\forall (a,b) \in \mathbb Z^2 \cap [0,d]^2, P(a,b) \in \mathbb Z$.

Is it true that $\forall (a,b) \in\mathbb Z^2, P(a,b) \in \mathbb Z$?
1 reply
Dattier
Yesterday at 5:19 PM
Dattier
an hour ago
greatest volume
hzbrl   2
N an hour ago by hzbrl
Source: purple comet
A large sphere with radius 7 contains three smaller balls each with radius 3 . The three balls are each externally tangent to the other two balls and internally tangent to the large sphere. There are four right circular cones that can be inscribed in the large sphere in such a way that the bases of the cones are tangent to all three balls. Of these four cones, the one with the greatest volume has volume $n \pi$. Find $n$.
2 replies
hzbrl
May 8, 2025
hzbrl
an hour ago
inequality
danilorj   2
N an hour ago by danilorj
Let $a, b, c$ be nonnegative real numbers such that $a + b + c = 3$. Prove that
\[
\frac{a}{4 - b} + \frac{b}{4 - c} + \frac{c}{4 - a} + \frac{1}{16}(1 - a)^2(1 - b)^2(1 - c)^2 \leq 1,
\]and determine all such triples $(a, b, c)$ where the equality holds.
2 replies
danilorj
Yesterday at 9:08 PM
danilorj
an hour ago
2010 Japan MO Finals
parkjungmin   2
N an hour ago by egxa
Is there anyone who can solve question problem 5?
2 replies
parkjungmin
2 hours ago
egxa
an hour ago
Functional Equation!
EthanWYX2009   3
N 2 hours ago by liyufish
Source: 2025 TST 24
Find all functions $f:\mathbb Z\to\mathbb Z$ such that $f$ is unbounded and
\[2f(m)f(n)-f(n-m)-1\]is a perfect square for all integer $m,n.$
3 replies
EthanWYX2009
Mar 29, 2025
liyufish
2 hours ago
All-Russian Olympiad
ABCD1728   3
N 2 hours ago by RagvaloD
When did the first ARMO occur? 2025 is the 51-st, but ARMO on AoPS starts from 1993, there are only 33 years.
3 replies
ABCD1728
3 hours ago
RagvaloD
2 hours ago
Hard geometry
Lukariman   6
N 3 hours ago by Lukariman
Given circle (O) and chord AB with different diameters. The tangents of circle (O) at A and B intersect at point P. On the small arc AB, take point C so that triangle CAB is not isosceles. The lines CA and BP intersect at D, BC and AP intersect at E. Prove that the centers of the circles circumscribing triangles ACE, BCD and OPC are collinear.
6 replies
Lukariman
Yesterday at 4:28 AM
Lukariman
3 hours ago
Simple but hard
TUAN2k8   1
N 3 hours ago by Funcshun840
Source: Own
I need synthetic solution:
Given an acute triangle $ABC$ with orthocenter $H$.Let $AD,BE$ and $CF$ be the altitudes of triangle.Let $X$ and $Y$ be reflections of points $E,F$ across the line $AD$, respectively.Let $M$ and $N$ be the midpoints of $BH$ and $CH$, respectively.Let $K=YM \cap AB$ and $L=XN \cap AC$.Prove that $K,D$ and $L$ are collinear.
1 reply
TUAN2k8
5 hours ago
Funcshun840
3 hours ago
Iran geometry
Dadgarnia   23
N 4 hours ago by Ilikeminecraft
Source: Iranian TST 2018, first exam, day1, problem 3
In triangle $ABC$ let $M$ be the midpoint of $BC$. Let $\omega$ be a circle inside of $ABC$ and is tangent to $AB,AC$ at $E,F$, respectively. The tangents from $M$ to $\omega$ meet $\omega$ at $P,Q$ such that $P$ and $B$ lie on the same side of $AM$. Let $X \equiv PM \cap BF $ and $Y \equiv QM \cap CE $. If $2PM=BC$ prove that $XY$ is tangent to $\omega$.

Proposed by Iman Maghsoudi
23 replies
Dadgarnia
Apr 7, 2018
Ilikeminecraft
4 hours ago
Dou Fang Geometry in Taiwan TST
Li4   9
N 4 hours ago by WLOGQED1729
Source: 2025 Taiwan TST Round 3 Mock P2
Let $\omega$ and $\Omega$ be the incircle and circumcircle of the acute triangle $ABC$, respectively. Draw a square $WXYZ$ so that all of its sides are tangent to $\omega$, and $X$, $Y$ are both on $BC$. Extend $AW$ and $AZ$, intersecting $\Omega$ at $P$ and $Q$, respectively. Prove that $PX$ and $QY$ intersects on $\Omega$.

Proposed by kyou46, Li4, Revolilol.
9 replies
Li4
Apr 26, 2025
WLOGQED1729
4 hours ago
A4 BMO SHL 2024
mihaig   0
4 hours ago
Source: Someone known
Let $a\ge b\ge c\ge0$ be real numbers such that $ab+bc+ca=3.$
Prove
$$3+\left(2-\sqrt 3\right)\cdot\frac{\left(b-c\right)^2}{b+\left(\sqrt 3-1\right)c}\leq a+b+c.$$Prove that if $k<\sqrt 3-1$ is a positive constant, then
$$3+\left(2-\sqrt 3\right)\cdot\frac{\left(b-c\right)^2}{b+kc}\leq a+b+c$$is not always true
0 replies
mihaig
4 hours ago
0 replies
Equilateral triangles with vertices in circles
Valentin Vornicu   8
N Dec 25, 2014 by 61plus
Source: Romanian IMO TST 2006, day 2, problem 2
Let $ABC$ be a triangle with $\angle B = 30^{\circ }$. We consider the closed disks of radius $\frac{AC}3$, centered in $A$, $B$, $C$. Does there exist an equilateral triangle with one vertex in each of the 3 disks?

Radu Gologan, Dan Schwarz
8 replies
Valentin Vornicu
Apr 22, 2006
61plus
Dec 25, 2014
Equilateral triangles with vertices in circles
G H J
G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
Source: Romanian IMO TST 2006, day 2, problem 2
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Valentin Vornicu
7301 posts
#1 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Let $ABC$ be a triangle with $\angle B = 30^{\circ }$. We consider the closed disks of radius $\frac{AC}3$, centered in $A$, $B$, $C$. Does there exist an equilateral triangle with one vertex in each of the 3 disks?

Radu Gologan, Dan Schwarz
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Sailor
256 posts
#2 • 3 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247, and 1 other user
Denote by $O$ the centre and by $R$ the radius of the circle circumscribed to $\triangle{ABC}$.
Since $B=30^\cdot$ we get that $AC=R$, hence $\triangle{OAC}$ is equilateral.
Now, it is enough to use the following Lemma (from a Romanian TST 2002 :) ):

Lemma. If $X$ is a variable point on the disk centred at $A$ (with radius $R_1$) and $Y$ is a variable point on the disk centered at $C$ (with radius $R_2$), then the locus of points $Z$ such that $\triangle{XYZ}$ is equilateral, is the disk centred at $O$ and with radius $R_1+R_2$ (and, of course, its reflection in $AC$, but that's redundant here).

and the conclusion follows.
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Chinaski
1 post
#3 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Quote:
Now, it is enough to use the following Lemma (from a Romanian TST 2002 ):

Lemma. If is a variable point on the disk centered at (with radius ) and is a variable point on the disk centered at (with radius ), then the locus of points such that is equilateral, is the disk centered at and with radius (and, of course, its reflection in , but that's redundant here).

Sorry, Sailor, could you give a demonstration to your lemma, please: I can't find the "Romanian TST 2002" on the Web :blush: , and I'm very intrested in this problem. :)
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Altricono
42 posts
#4 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
Sorry for bumping such an old topic but can somebody please prove the stated lemma?? Thanks in advance..
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pi37
2079 posts
#5 • 2 Y
Y by Altricono, Adventure10
Note: In my diagram, the triangle is $ABC$ in counterclockwise order.
Proof of the lemma:
Let the discs centered at $A,C$ be called $D_1,D_2$ respectively.
Let $Y$ be fixed and let $X$ vary on $D_2$. For each $X$, $Z$ is simply the $60^{\circ}$ counterclockwise rotation of $X$ with respect to $Y$ so, the locus of $Z$ as $X$ varies is simply the circle that results from rotating $D_1$ $60^{\circ}$ degrees counterclockwise about $Y$. Let this circle have center $P$, so $YAP$ is equilateral. Now if we let $Y$ vary as well, the locus of $P$ is simply the $60^{\circ}$ clockwise rotation of $D_2$ with respect to $A$, which is easily seen to be the circle centered at $O$ with radius $R_2$. Then the locus of $Z$ is just the union of all possible circles centered at $P$, which is clearly a circle centered at $O$ with radius $R_2+R_1$.
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sunken rock
4394 posts
#6 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Without interfering with the above solutions, but the problem states 'with one vertex in each of the discs...'.

Best regards,
sunken rock
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61plus
252 posts
#7 • 2 Y
Y by Adventure10, Mango247
Consider the circumcentre of $ABC$, $O$. Then $OAC$ is an equilateral triangle. Suppose in 3 the circles centered around $A,B,C$ there are points $J,K,L$ forming an equilateral triangle. Consider the spiral similarity sending $JKL$ to $JMC$, then that of $JMC$ to $AOC$. Then it is easy to see that $KM=LC<\frac{AC}{3}$, $OM=AJ<\frac{AC}{3}$, but $OK>\frac{2AC}{3}$, contradiction.
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mavropnevma
15142 posts
#8 • 3 Y
Y by FlakeLCR, Adventure10, Mango247
Since you revived this ...
sunken rock wrote:
Without interfering with the above solutions, but the problem states 'with one vertex in each of the discs...'.
... but it also states "closed disks".

There does exist a (unique) such equilateral triangle. For a detailed analysis, see RMC 2006.
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61plus
252 posts
#9 • 1 Y
Y by Adventure10
Ahhh. If we look at the inequalities established above we see that such a triangle is only possible when $AJ=BK=CL=\frac{AC}{3}$, and that $O,M,K$ collinear. Then using the same spiral similarities it is easy to determine that the triangle $JKL$ is determined by $AJ$ as reflection of $AC$ across $AB$ and similarly $CL$ reflection of $CA$ across $CB$, and by doing so we have a triangle that works.
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