Posts

1970 IMO SL #10

The real numbers $a_0,a_1,a_2,\ldots$ satisfy $1=a_0\le a_1\le a_2\le\ldots. b_1,b_2,b_3,\ldots$ are defined by $b_n=\sum_{k=1}^n{1-{a_{k-1}\over a_k}\over\sqrt a_k}$.  a) Prove that $0\le b_n<2$.  b) Given $c$ satisfying $0\le c<2$, prove that we can find $a_n$ so that $b_n>c$ for all sufficiently large $n$.

2020 IMO SL #C1

 Let $n$ be a positive integer. Find the number of permutations $a_1$, $a_2$, $\dots a_n$ of the sequence $1$, $2$, $\dots$ , $n$ satisfying $$a_1 \le 2a_2\le 3a_3 \le \dots \le na_n.$$

Site may be down

Hello,  I am making changes to this site today, so please visit after 6pm EST. The content might look messed up and weird before that.  Thank you!

1967 IMO SL #4

Suppose medians $m_a$ and $m_b$ of a triangle are orthogonal. Prove that  a) Using medians of that triangle it is possible to construct a rectangular triangle.  b) The following inequality:\[5(a^2+b^2-c^2) \geq 8ab,\]is valid, where $a,b$ and $c$ are side length of the given triangle.

1986 IMO SL #7

Let $a$ be a postive integer and let ${a_n}$ be defined by $a_0=0$ and \[a_{n+1}=(a_n+1)a+(a+1)a_n+2\sqrt{a(a+1)a_n(a_n+1)}\]Show that for each positive integer $n,a_n$ is a positive integer.

1996 IMO SL #G7

Let $ ABCD$ be a convex quadrilateral, and let $ R_A, R_B, R_C, R_D$ denote the circumradii of the triangles $ DAB, ABC, BCD, CDA,$ respectively. Prove that $R_A + R_C > R_B + R_D$ if and only if $ \angle A + \angle C > \angle B + \angle D.$

1975 IMO SL #7

Prove that from $x + y = 1 \  (x, y \in \mathbb R)$ it follows that \[x^{m+1} \sum_{j=0}^n \binom{m+j}{j} y^j + y^{n+1} \sum_{i=0}^m \binom{n+i}{i} x^i = 1 \qquad (m, n = 0, 1, 2, \ldots ).\] 

2018 AIME II #13 (problem request)

This problem was requested to be solved by a user. If you would like to request a problem too, please use the form on the left menu of the blog.  Misha rolls a standard, fair six-sided die until she rolls $1-2-3$ in that order on three consecutive rolls. The probability that she will roll the die an odd number of times is $\dfrac{m}{n}$ where $m$ and $n$ are relatively prime positive integers. Find $m+n$.

2019 AIME #13 (problem request)

This problem was requested to be solved by a user. If you would like to request a problem too, please use the form on the left menu of the blog.  Triangle $ABC$ has side lengths $AB=4$, $BC=5$, and $CA=6$. Points $D$ and $E$ are on ray $AB$ with $AB<AD<AE$. The point $F \neq C$ is a point of intersection of the circumcircles of $\triangle ACD$ and $\triangle EBC$ satisfying $DF=2$ and $EF=7$. Then $BE$ can be expressed as $\tfrac{a+b\sqrt{c}}{d}$, where $a$, $b$, $c$, and $d$ are positive integers such that $a$ and $d$ are relatively prime, and $c$ is not divisible by the square of any prime. Find $a+b+c+d$. 

2010 IMO SL #N4

Let $a, b$ be integers, and let $P(x) = ax^3+bx.$ For any positive integer $n$ we say that the pair $(a,b)$ is $n$-good if $n | P(m)-P(k)$ implies $n | m - k$ for all integers $m, k.$ We say that $(a,b)$ is $very \ good$ if $(a,b)$ is $n$-good for infinitely many positive integers $n.$  (a) Find a pair $(a,b)$ which is 51-good, but not very good.  (b) Show that all 2010-good pairs are very good.

e and factorial identity dream

$$ne^n = \sum_{k=0}^{\infty}\frac{n^k(n - k)^2}{k!}.$$   I dreamt of this identity yesterday night but I don't even know how to prove it lol

2020 IMO SL #G9

Prove that there exists a positive constant $c$ such that the following statement is true: Consider an integer $n > 1$, and a set $\mathcal S$ of $n$ points in the plane such that the distance between any two different points in $\mathcal S$ is at least 1. It follows that there is a line $\ell$ separating $\mathcal S$ such that the distance from any point of $\mathcal S$ to $\ell$ is at least $cn^{-1/3}$. (A line $\ell$ separates a set of points S if some segment joining two points in $\mathcal S$ crosses $\ell$.) Suppose that among all projections of points in $\mathcal{S}$ onto some line $m$, the maximum possible distance between two consecutive projections is $\delta$. We need to prove $\delta \ge \Omega(n^{-1/3})$.  At this point, define $A,B$ as the two farthest points in $\mathcal{S}$. So, all points lie in the intersections of the circles centered at $A,B$ with radius $AB \geq 1$.  Choose chord $XY$ in circle $B$ where $XY \perp AB$ and $d(A, XY)=\frac{1}{2}$. Also, let $\mat

CUSTOM DOMAIN!

Due to the request of a few users, I got a custom domain at  imomath.xyz . The  math4l.blogspot.com  link will still work, but you can just go to  imomath.xyz  now. 

2006 IMO SL #A5

If $a,b,c$ are the sides of a triangle, prove that \[\frac{\sqrt{b+c-a}}{\sqrt{b}+\sqrt{c}-\sqrt{a}}+\frac{\sqrt{c+a-b}}{\sqrt{c}+\sqrt{a}-\sqrt{b}}+\frac{\sqrt{a+b-c}}{\sqrt{a}+\sqrt{b}-\sqrt{c}}\leq 3 \]

2015 IMO SL #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 $\frac{BT}{BM}$.