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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.

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)!

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[*]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
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
Van der Corput Inequality
EthanWYX2009   0
9 minutes ago
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_der_Corput_inequality
Let $V$ be a real or complex inner product space. Suppose that ${\displaystyle v,u_{1},\dots ,u_{n}\in V} $ and that ${\displaystyle \|v\|=1}.$ Then$${\displaystyle \displaystyle \left(\sum _{i=1}^{n}|\langle v,u_{i}\rangle |\right)^{2}\leq \sum _{i,j=1}^{n}|\langle u_{i},u_{j}\rangle |.}$$
0 replies
+1 w
EthanWYX2009
9 minutes ago
0 replies
Hard Functional Equation in the Complex Numbers
yaybanana   6
N 20 minutes ago by jasperE3
Source: Own
Find all functions $f:\mathbb {C}\rightarrow \mathbb {C}$, s.t :

$f(xf(y)) + f(x^2+y) = f(x+y)x + f(f(y))$

for all $x,y \in \mathbb{C}$
6 replies
yaybanana
Apr 9, 2025
jasperE3
20 minutes ago
FE with conditions on $x,y$
Adywastaken   3
N 25 minutes ago by jasperE3
Source: OAO
Find all functions $f:\mathbb{R_{+}}\rightarrow \mathbb{R_{+}}$ such that $\forall y>x>0$,
\[
f(x^2+f(y))=f(xf(x))+y
\]
3 replies
Adywastaken
Friday at 6:18 PM
jasperE3
25 minutes ago
Point satisfies triple property
62861   36
N an hour ago by cursed_tangent1434
Source: USA Winter Team Selection Test #2 for IMO 2018, Problem 2
Let $ABCD$ be a convex cyclic quadrilateral which is not a kite, but whose diagonals are perpendicular and meet at $H$. Denote by $M$ and $N$ the midpoints of $\overline{BC}$ and $\overline{CD}$. Rays $MH$ and $NH$ meet $\overline{AD}$ and $\overline{AB}$ at $S$ and $T$, respectively. Prove that there exists a point $E$, lying outside quadrilateral $ABCD$, such that
[list]
[*] ray $EH$ bisects both angles $\angle BES$, $\angle TED$, and
[*] $\angle BEN = \angle MED$.
[/list]

Proposed by Evan Chen
36 replies
62861
Jan 22, 2018
cursed_tangent1434
an hour ago
Inspired by 2025 Xinjiang
sqing   1
N an hour ago by sqing
Source: Own
Let $ a,b,c >0  . $ Prove that
$$  \left(1+\frac {a} { b}\right)\left(2+\frac {a}{ b}+\frac {b}{ c}\right) \left(1+\frac {a}{b}+\frac {b}{ c}+\frac {c}{ a}\right)  \geq 12+8\sqrt 2 $$
1 reply
sqing
Yesterday at 5:32 PM
sqing
an hour ago
Inspired by 2025 Beijing
sqing   4
N an hour ago by pooh123
Source: Own
Let $ a,b,c,d >0  $ and $ (a^2+b^2+c^2)(b^2+c^2+d^2)=36. $ Prove that
$$ab^2c^2d \leq 8$$$$a^2bcd^2 \leq 16$$$$ ab^3c^3d \leq \frac{2187}{128}$$$$ a^3bcd^3 \leq \frac{2187}{32}$$
4 replies
sqing
Yesterday at 4:56 PM
pooh123
an hour ago
Find the minimum
sqing   27
N an hour ago by sqing
Source: Zhangyanzong
Let $a,b$ be positive real numbers such that $a^2b^2+\frac{4a}{a+b}=4.$ Find the minimum value of $a+2b.$
27 replies
sqing
Sep 4, 2018
sqing
an hour ago
Sharygin 2025 CR P15
Gengar_in_Galar   7
N an hour ago by Giant_PT
Source: Sharygin 2025
A point $C$ lies on the bisector of an acute angle with vertex $S$. Let $P$, $Q$ be the projections of $C$ to the sidelines of the angle. The circle centered at $C$ with radius $PQ$ meets the sidelines at points $A$ and $B$ such that $SA\ne SB$. Prove that the circle with center $A$ touching $SB$ and the circle with center $B$ touching $SA$ are tangent.
Proposed by: A.Zaslavsky
7 replies
Gengar_in_Galar
Mar 10, 2025
Giant_PT
an hour ago
Inequality olympiad algebra
Foxellar   1
N an hour ago by sqing
Given that \( a, b, c \) are nonzero real numbers such that
\[
\frac{1}{abc} + \frac{1}{a} + \frac{1}{c} = \frac{1}{b},
\]let \( M \) be the maximum value of the expression
\[
\frac{4}{a^2 + 1} + \frac{4}{b^2 + 1} + \frac{7}{c^2 + 1}.
\]Determine the sum of the numerator and denominator of the simplified fraction representing \( M \).
1 reply
Foxellar
6 hours ago
sqing
an hour ago
Inspired by RMO 2006
sqing   2
N 2 hours ago by sqing
Source: Own
Let $ a,b >0  . $ Prove that
$$  \frac {a^{2}+1}{b+k}+\frac { b^{2}+1}{ka+1}+\frac {2}{a+kb}  \geq \frac {6}{k+1}  $$Where $k\geq 0.03 $
$$  \frac {a^{2}+1}{b+1}+\frac { b^{2}+1}{a+1}+\frac {2}{a+b}  \geq 3  $$
2 replies
sqing
Yesterday at 3:24 PM
sqing
2 hours ago
Inspired by 2025 Xinjiang
sqing   3
N 2 hours ago by sqing
Source: Own
Let $ a,b >0  . $ Prove that
$$  \left(1+\frac {a} { b}\right)\left(6+\frac {b}{a}\right) \left(2+\frac {a}{b}+\frac {b}{ a}\right)  \geq\frac {625}{ 12}$$$$  \left(1+\frac {a} { b}\right)\left(6+\frac {a}{b}\right) \left(2+\frac {a}{b}+\frac {b}{ a}\right)  \geq29+6\sqrt 6$$$$  \left(1+\frac {a} { b}\right)\left(2+\frac {b}{ a}\right) \left(2+\frac {a}{b}+\frac {b}{ a}\right)  \geq \frac{3(63+11\sqrt{33})}{16}  $$$$  \left(1+\frac {a} { b}\right)\left(2+\frac {a}{ b}\right) \left(2+\frac {a}{b}+\frac {b}{ a}\right)  \geq \frac{223+70\sqrt{10}}{27}  $$
3 replies
sqing
Yesterday at 5:56 PM
sqing
2 hours ago
interesting diophantiic fe in natural numbers
skellyrah   2
N 2 hours ago by SYBARUPEMULA
Find all functions \( f : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{N} \) such that for all \( m, n \in \mathbb{N} \),
\[
mn + f(n!) = f(f(n))! + n \cdot \gcd(f(m), m!).
\]
2 replies
skellyrah
Yesterday at 8:01 AM
SYBARUPEMULA
2 hours ago
PHP on subsets
SYBARUPEMULA   0
2 hours ago
Source: inspired by Romania 2009
Let $X$ be a set of $102$ elements. Let $A_1, A_2, A_3, ..., A_{101}$ be subsets of $X$ such that the union of any $50$ of them has more than $100$ elements. Show that there's a member of $X$ that occurs in at least $7$ different subsets $A_j$.
0 replies
SYBARUPEMULA
2 hours ago
0 replies
Moscow Geometry Problems
nataliaonline75   1
N 2 hours ago by MathLuis
Source: MMO 2003 10.4
Let M be the intersection point of the medians of ABC. On the perpendiculars dropped from M to sides BC, AC, AB, points A1, B1, C1 are taken, respectively, with A1B1 perpendicular to MC and A1C1 perpendicular to MB. prove that M is the intersections pf the medians in A1B1C1.
Any solutions without vectors? :)
1 reply
nataliaonline75
Jul 9, 2024
MathLuis
2 hours ago
3-digit palindrome and binary expansion \overline {xyx}
parmenides51   6
N Apr 10, 2025 by imzzzzzz
Source: RMM Shortlist 2017 N2
Let $x, y$ and $k$ be three positive integers. Prove that there exist a positive integer $N$ and a set of $k + 1$ positive integers $\{b_0,b_1, b_2, ... ,b_k\}$, such that, for every $i = 0, 1, ... , k$ , the $b_i$-ary expansion of $N$ is a $3$-digit palindrome, and the $b_0$-ary expansion is exactly $\overline{\mbox{xyx}}$.

proposed by Bojan Basic, Serbia
6 replies
parmenides51
Jul 4, 2019
imzzzzzz
Apr 10, 2025
3-digit palindrome and binary expansion \overline {xyx}
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Source: RMM Shortlist 2017 N2
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parmenides51
30653 posts
#1 • 4 Y
Y by jhu08, Sprites, Adventure10, Mango247
Let $x, y$ and $k$ be three positive integers. Prove that there exist a positive integer $N$ and a set of $k + 1$ positive integers $\{b_0,b_1, b_2, ... ,b_k\}$, such that, for every $i = 0, 1, ... , k$ , the $b_i$-ary expansion of $N$ is a $3$-digit palindrome, and the $b_0$-ary expansion is exactly $\overline{\mbox{xyx}}$.

proposed by Bojan Basic, Serbia
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dzy47
41 posts
#2 • 2 Y
Y by jhu08, Sprites
BUMP ON THIS!Anyone has a solution?
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Sprites
478 posts
#3
Y by
Yet another construction:-
Choose \begin{align*} N \equiv b_1(x-20) \pmod {b_1^2+1} \\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\ N \equiv b_k(x-20) \pmod {b_k^2+1} \end{align*}Notice that $$N = b_k (x-20)+(k^2+1)$$since obviously we can select $n$ such that \begin{align*} n^2 \equiv -1 \pmod {b_1^2+1} \\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\.\\ n^2 \equiv -1 \pmod {b_k^2+1} \\ q_1,.....,q_{\tau(n^2+1)}|n^2+1 \implies \prod_{j=1}^{\tau(n^2+1)-1} q_j \equiv 1 \pmod {q_{\tau(n^2+1)}} \end{align*}hence $$ \left( \overline{N} \right)_{q_{\tau(n^2+1)}}=xyx$$
This post has been edited 11 times. Last edited by Sprites, Oct 24, 2021, 4:31 PM
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cadaeibf
701 posts
#4 • 1 Y
Y by Sprites
Quote:
suppose that it works for $k=n$ and at the $n+1$th step increase all the $b_i$ to sufficiently large number $a_i$
Why can you substitute the $b_i$ with some (aribtrarily large) $a_i$ which still preserve the equality between the $n$ expressions? How can you pick the new $x_{i,1},x_{i,2}$ given the new $a_i$s? Did you prove that the system (with $n$ fixed from the induction hypothesis) has infinitely many, and thus arbitrarily large, solutions?
This post has been edited 4 times. Last edited by cadaeibf, Oct 21, 2021, 7:47 PM
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SerdarBozdag
892 posts
#5 • 1 Y
Y by Sprites
Problem is to prove there exist as many as we want $a$ which satisfies $(b_0^2+1)x+b_0y=(a^2+1)z+at$ and there is at least one $(z,t)$ with $z,t \le a-1$.

Any solution? How can I find the official solutions?
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mathematics2004
82 posts
#6 • 1 Y
Y by Sprites
Here is the official solution (copied verbatim).

Solution. We provide a general construction which may be specified in many different ways.

To start, we choose some distinct positive integers $d_1, d_2, \ldots , d_k$ satisfying the following conditions: (i) each of them is coprime with $x$; (ii) $d_i > 100(x + y)$ for all $i$; and (iii) the number $L = \text{lcm}(d_1 + 1, d_2 + 1, \ldots , d_k + 1)$ is coprime with $D = d_1d_2 \cdots d_k$. Such $k$-tuples of numbers exist; for instance, one may choose $d_i=2^{p_i}-1$, where $p_i$ are distinct large primes. Another option is to choose some large odd $d_1$ coprime with $x$, and then proceed inductively by setting $d_{i+1} = xd_1(d_1 + 1)d_2(d_2 + 1) \cdots d_i(d_i + 1) + 1$.

Since $gcd(xL, D) = 1$, the multiples of $xL$ represent all residue classes modulo $D$; in particular, there exists a positive integer $m$ such that $xLm \equiv -y \pmod D$. Set $B = Lm$.

Finally, we define
\[ b_0=B, ~ c_i =\frac{B}{d_i + 1}, ~ b_i=d_ic_i=B-c_i, ~ \text{and}~ N = \overline{xyx}_B = x(B^2 + 1) + yB. \]We claim that these values satisfy all the requirements; moreover, for every $i = 1, \cdots , k$ the $b_i$-ary representation of $N$ has three digits, starting and ending with $x$.

To show this, notice that for every $i \in \{1, 2, \ldots , k \}$ we have
\[ N = x(d_i + 1)^2 c_i^2+y(d_i + 1)c_i + x = (x \cdot (d_ic_i)^2 + x)+ (2c_ix + y) \cdot (d_ic_i) + (xc_i^2+yc_i). \]Clearly, $x$ is a $b_i$-ary digit, since $b_i \ge d_i > x$. Denote $\ell_i = (2c_ix + y) \cdot (d_ic_i)$ and $r_i = xc_i^2 + yc_i$. Now it remains to prove that the number $\ell_i + r_i$ is divisible by $b_i = d_ic_i$, and that $\ell_i + r_i < b_i^2$.

Notice that
\[ xc_i + y = \frac{xB + y(d_i + 1)}{d_i + 1}=\frac{(xB + y) + d_iy}{d_i + 1}. \]The numerator of the last fraction is divisible by $d_i$ (due to the choice of $B$), and the denominator is coprime with $d_i$; so $d_i | xc_i + y$. Thus $bi = d_ic_i | r_i$; set $r_i = b_iq_i$. Notice that $q_i \le xc_i + y$.

Hence, $\ell_i+r_i = b_i(2c_ix+y+q_i)$, where $0 \le 2c_ix+y+q_i \le 3c_ix+2y < 100c_i(x+y) < c_id_i = b_i$. Thus the $b_i$-ary expansion of $N$ is a palindrome of the form $N = \overline{x(2c_ix + y + q_i)x}_{b_i}$.
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imzzzzzz
2 posts
#7
Y by
any other $\huge\huge{solution?}$
This post has been edited 1 time. Last edited by imzzzzzz, Apr 10, 2025, 4:18 AM
Reason: fix
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