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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)!

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
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
Shortest number theory you might've seen in your life
AlperenINAN   12
N 2 minutes ago by blug
Source: Turkey JBMO TST 2025 P4
Let $p$ and $q$ be prime numbers. Prove that if $pq(p+1)(q+1)+1$ is a perfect square, then $pq + 1$ is also a perfect square.
12 replies
AlperenINAN
May 11, 2025
blug
2 minutes ago
Cup of Combinatorics
M11100111001Y1R   7
N 6 minutes ago by MathematicalArceus
Source: Iran TST 2025 Test 4 Problem 2
There are \( n \) cups labeled \( 1, 2, \dots, n \), where the \( i \)-th cup has capacity \( i \) liters. In total, there are \( n \) liters of water distributed among these cups such that each cup contains an integer amount of water. In each step, we may transfer water from one cup to another. The process continues until either the source cup becomes empty or the destination cup becomes full.

$a)$ Prove that from any configuration where each cup contains an integer amount of water, it is possible to reach a configuration in which each cup contains exactly 1 liter of water in at most \( \frac{4n}{3} \) steps.

$b)$ Prove that in at most \( \frac{5n}{3} \) steps, one can go from any configuration with integer water amounts to any other configuration with the same property.
7 replies
M11100111001Y1R
May 27, 2025
MathematicalArceus
6 minutes ago
Inequality
knm2608   17
N 25 minutes ago by Adywastaken
Source: JBMO 2016 shortlist
If the non-negative reals $x,y,z$ satisfy $x^2+y^2+z^2=x+y+z$. Prove that
$$\displaystyle\frac{x+1}{\sqrt{x^5+x+1}}+\frac{y+1}{\sqrt{y^5+y+1}}+\frac{z+1}{\sqrt{z^5+z+1}}\geq 3.$$When does the equality occur?

Proposed by Dorlir Ahmeti, Albania
17 replies
knm2608
Jun 25, 2017
Adywastaken
25 minutes ago
Circumcircle of XYZ is tangent to circumcircle of ABC
mathuz   39
N an hour ago by zuat.e
Source: ARMO 2013 Grade 11 Day 2 P4
Let $ \omega $ be the incircle of the triangle $ABC$ and with centre $I$. Let $\Gamma $ be the circumcircle of the triangle $AIB$. Circles $ \omega $ and $ \Gamma $ intersect at the point $X$ and $Y$. Let $Z$ be the intersection of the common tangents of the circles $\omega$ and $\Gamma$. Show that the circumcircle of the triangle $XYZ$ is tangent to the circumcircle of the triangle $ABC$.
39 replies
mathuz
May 22, 2013
zuat.e
an hour ago
Arc Midpoints Form Cyclic Quadrilateral
ike.chen   57
N an hour ago by cj13609517288
Source: ISL 2022/G2
In the acute-angled triangle $ABC$, the point $F$ is the foot of the altitude from $A$, and $P$ is a point on the segment $AF$. The lines through $P$ parallel to $AC$ and $AB$ meet $BC$ at $D$ and $E$, respectively. Points $X \ne A$ and $Y \ne A$ lie on the circles $ABD$ and $ACE$, respectively, such that $DA = DX$ and $EA = EY$.
Prove that $B, C, X,$ and $Y$ are concyclic.
57 replies
1 viewing
ike.chen
Jul 9, 2023
cj13609517288
an hour ago
Complex number
ronitdeb   0
an hour ago
Let $z_1, ... ,z_5$ be vertices of regular pentagon inscribed in a circle whose radius is $2$ and center is at $6+i8$. Find all possible values of $z_1^2+z_2^2+...+z_5^2$
0 replies
ronitdeb
an hour ago
0 replies
Elementary Problems Compilation
Saucepan_man02   29
N an hour ago by Electrodynamix777
Could anyone send some elementary problems, which have tricky and short elegant methods to solve?

For example like this one:
Solve over reals: $$a^2 + b^2 + c^2 + d^2  -ab-bc-cd-d +2/5=0$$
29 replies
Saucepan_man02
May 26, 2025
Electrodynamix777
an hour ago
Generic Real-valued FE
lucas3617   4
N 2 hours ago by GreekIdiot
$f: \mathbb{R} -> \mathbb{R}$, find all functions where $f(2x+f(2y-x))+f(-x)+f(y)=2f(x)+f(y-2x)+f(2y)$ for all $x$,$y \in \mathbb{R}$
4 replies
lucas3617
Apr 25, 2025
GreekIdiot
2 hours ago
Find all possible values of BT/BM
va2010   54
N 2 hours ago by lpieleanu
Source: 2015 ISL G4
Let $ABC$ be an acute triangle and let $M$ be the midpoint of $AC$. A circle $\omega$ passing through $B$ and $M$ meets the sides $AB$ and $BC$ at points $P$ and $Q$ respectively. Let $T$ be the point such that $BPTQ$ is a parallelogram. Suppose that $T$ lies on the circumcircle of $ABC$. Determine all possible values of $\frac{BT}{BM}$.
54 replies
va2010
Jul 7, 2016
lpieleanu
2 hours ago
A Familiar Point
v4913   52
N 2 hours ago by SimplisticFormulas
Source: EGMO 2023/6
Let $ABC$ be a triangle with circumcircle $\Omega$. Let $S_b$ and $S_c$ respectively denote the midpoints of the arcs $AC$ and $AB$ that do not contain the third vertex. Let $N_a$ denote the midpoint of arc $BAC$ (the arc $BC$ including $A$). Let $I$ be the incenter of $ABC$. Let $\omega_b$ be the circle that is tangent to $AB$ and internally tangent to $\Omega$ at $S_b$, and let $\omega_c$ be the circle that is tangent to $AC$ and internally tangent to $\Omega$ at $S_c$. Show that the line $IN_a$, and the lines through the intersections of $\omega_b$ and $\omega_c$, meet on $\Omega$.
52 replies
v4913
Apr 16, 2023
SimplisticFormulas
2 hours ago
Tangential quadrilateral and 8 lengths
popcorn1   72
N 2 hours ago by cj13609517288
Source: IMO 2021 P4
Let $\Gamma$ be a circle with centre $I$, and $A B C D$ a convex quadrilateral such that each of the segments $A B, B C, C D$ and $D A$ is tangent to $\Gamma$. Let $\Omega$ be the circumcircle of the triangle $A I C$. The extension of $B A$ beyond $A$ meets $\Omega$ at $X$, and the extension of $B C$ beyond $C$ meets $\Omega$ at $Z$. The extensions of $A D$ and $C D$ beyond $D$ meet $\Omega$ at $Y$ and $T$, respectively. Prove that \[A D+D T+T X+X A=C D+D Y+Y Z+Z C.\]
Proposed by Dominik Burek, Poland and Tomasz Ciesla, Poland
72 replies
popcorn1
Jul 20, 2021
cj13609517288
2 hours ago
An algorithm for discovering prime numbers?
Lukaluce   3
N 2 hours ago by TopGbulliedU
Source: 2025 Junior Macedonian Mathematical Olympiad P3
Is there an infinite sequence of prime numbers $p_1, p_2, ..., p_n, ...,$ such that for every $i \in \mathbb{N}, p_{i + 1} \in \{2p_i - 1, 2p_i + 1\}$ is satisfied? Explain the answer.
3 replies
Lukaluce
May 18, 2025
TopGbulliedU
2 hours ago
Random concyclicity in a square config
Maths_VC   5
N 2 hours ago by Royal_mhyasd
Source: Serbia JBMO TST 2025, Problem 1
Let $M$ be a random point on the smaller arc $AB$ of the circumcircle of square $ABCD$, and let $N$ be the intersection point of segments $AC$ and $DM$. The feet of the tangents from point $D$ to the circumcircle of the triangle $OMN$ are $P$ and $Q$ , where $O$ is the center of the square. Prove that points $A$, $C$, $P$ and $Q$ lie on a single circle.
5 replies
Maths_VC
Tuesday at 7:38 PM
Royal_mhyasd
2 hours ago
Basic ideas in junior diophantine equations
Maths_VC   3
N 3 hours ago by Royal_mhyasd
Source: Serbia JBMO TST 2025, Problem 3
Determine all positive integers $a, b$ and $c$ such that
$2$ $\cdot$ $10^a + 5^b = 2025^c$
3 replies
Maths_VC
Tuesday at 7:54 PM
Royal_mhyasd
3 hours ago
A Characterization of Rectangles
buratinogigle   1
N Apr 16, 2025 by lbh_qys
Source: VN Math Olympiad For High School Students P8 - 2025
Prove that if a convex quadrilateral $ABCD$ satisfies the equation
\[
(AB + CD)^2 + (AD + BC)^2 = (AC + BD)^2,
\]then $ABCD$ must be a rectangle.
1 reply
buratinogigle
Apr 16, 2025
lbh_qys
Apr 16, 2025
A Characterization of Rectangles
G H J
G H BBookmark kLocked kLocked NReply
Source: VN Math Olympiad For High School Students P8 - 2025
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buratinogigle
2401 posts
#1
Y by
Prove that if a convex quadrilateral $ABCD$ satisfies the equation
\[
(AB + CD)^2 + (AD + BC)^2 = (AC + BD)^2,
\]then $ABCD$ must be a rectangle.
Z K Y
The post below has been deleted. Click to close.
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lbh_qys
604 posts
#2
Y by
According to Euler's quadrilateral theorem,
\[
AB^2 + CD^2 + AD^2 + BC^2 \geq AC^2 + BD^2,
\]and according to Ptolemy's inequality,
\[
AB \cdot CD + AD \cdot BC \geq AC \cdot BD.
\]Consequently,
\[
(AB+CD)^2 + (AD+BC)^2 \geq (AC+BD)^2.
\]Equality holds if and only if \(ABCD\) is a parallelogram inscribed in a circle, that is, a rectangle.
Z K Y
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