“Faleski's Theorems 2010”

1. Math competitions generally are NOT math tests!

Do the Math without doing the math!!!

2. Understand the RULES of the contest.

(a) You will score better by answering only a few questions correctly, rather than many more
questions with more incorrect. (AMC->12)

(b) Don't feel badly if you leave many questions blank (see (a) above).
Remember, these contests are DESIGNED so that you WON'T get all, or in many cases,
many of the problems correct!

(c) On exams that count correct answers ONLY (no penalty for wrong answers)… GUESS if
you don't know, but be reasonable based on the values in the problem…
don't leave any questions blank (NEML, MAML, AIME, ARML)

3. Method is irrelevant. Only the answer counts.

(a) Counting on your fingers and toes is a legitimate way to solve problems.

(b) Guessing and checking is a legitimate way to solve problems.

(c) On multiple choice contests, use the answers given and work the problem backward!!! One
of them will be correct!!!!

4. There is often embedded information in the wording of the problem…. make sure to extract every
last bit of information from the problem before tackling it. You may save yourself a LOT of
work in the end.

5. It is FINE to GRIND your way through a problem until it gives up the answer!
The most elegant solution may not be quickly derived or the one the designers of the exam had
intended!!

6. If it looks like it is, it probably is (e.g… if you think it's a 60 degree angle and you have no other
insight… go with it for starters).

7. Start with the ones that you find easiest.

8. There are multiple ways to PET A cat… check your answers with alternative methods if you can
find one quickly.
Remember that trigonometry works on geometry problems and geometry will work with trig
problems. Also, just because it's a probability section doesn't mean you should forget all of your
counting procedures or exponents, etc.

9. Never give up on a problem…. Move on and come back later if you need to.

10. Leave proofs for after the exam.

11. If you can turn a problem into something else (e.g. physics), do so, particularly if you have
familiarity with the topic.

12. If things are getting very ugly, odds are there is an error.

(a) To check for an error… plug in numbers and see if the equation works!

(b) To check for an error… look at the units.

13. N larger than approximately 6 is BIG… try to rewrite the problem into something smaller and
start with the smaller (and generally easier) problem to find a possible method of solution or
pattern in the answer. This is particularly useful in counting problems.

14. Probability is evil… the "obvious" answer is often a trick.

(a) Check your answer by counting… break things into cases.

(b) If the numbers are all very large… do the analogous smaller problem (see #13)

15. Draw a picture or a graph. A picture says a thousand words. On some of these contests, you may
be allowed use of a ruler, protractor, and graph paper. There is NO shame in actually utilizing
these aids (particularly if you answer the question correctly!!)

16. If the exponents look to be getting out of control in the wording of the problem (often, larger than
2)… consider the possibility that

(a) There is an easy factor (like x , x 1, x 1 )

(b) Look for completion of square… note that one can complete the square for a 10th order
equation, e.g., with x 5 as the variable.

(c) Perhaps a logarithm will simplify the problem! (the log of a product is a sum of logs!)

17. When all else fails, the calendar year (and quantities related to it) is a popular answer among math
contest writers.

18. Units! Units! Units!

19. When dealing with geometry/trig… and no side lengths are given, it is convenient to call one of
the sides of length 1.

20. When in doubt… make up examples with numbers to look for patterns. Again, the method is
irrelevant for most contests!
 Useful Relations…

2010
Factorization:
(Euler function) 528
44.8…
12.6…
3.303…
7.6…
4040100

2010 in Bases:
2:
3:
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:

Modulo:
 The Fabulous 42: Maine ARML Practice 2010
NO calculators!
HAVE FUN!!…
1 x
1. Solve for x : 8
1 x
2. Let be a prime number. If years ago, the ages of three children formed a geometric
sequence with a sum of and a common ratio of , compute the sum of the children's current
ages.

3. In triangle , and . Compute the area of .

4. Compute the smallest positive 3-digit multiple of 7 for which the sum of its digits is also a
multiple of 7.
5. A square tile A is cut in half with a single straight cut. One of the pieces is joined to a square
tile B of a size different from A, forming a rectangle of area 6. Compute the perimeter of that
rectangle.
6. A soldier is last in a 1/8 mile long line of troops that is
marching forward at a steady 2 mph (miles per hour). At a
given moment, he begins to run toward the front of the line;
when he reaches the first person, he immediately runs back to
the end of the line (which of course has changed location). If
he runs at a steady 4 mph, losing no time in reversing direction,
compute the total distance he has run (in miles).
7. Rectangle is inscribed in rectangle , as shown. If
, , and , compute the area of .
8. Compute the value of for .
9. Define a reverse prime to be a positive integer such that when the digits of are read in
reverse order, the resulting number is a prime. For example, the numbers , and are
all reverse primes. Compute the largest two-digit integer such that the numbers ; ,
and are all reverse primes.

10. The area of a regular octagon is . Compute the length of a side.

11. Suppose and are positive real numbers such that and .
Compute .
12. Compute the number of ordered pairs of positive integers satisfying

13. Compute the smallest positive integer such that is divisible by but is not
equal to it.
14. The roots of are and . The roots of are and .
Compute the product .
15. If n has 60 positive factors, compute the largest number of positive factors that could have.
16. The set consists of distinct integers. Every sum of two distinct integers is
calculated. If the number of distinct negative sums is twice the number of distinct positive
sums, compute the minimum possible number of negative integers in .
17. Find the smallest prime larger than 10, which can be represented in the form
where and are positive integers.
18. If , compute the set of real numbers such that
19. Determine all positive primes such that is a perfect square.
20. In , and lies on so that bisects and .
Compute .

21. Compute . The brackets indicate Greatest Integer Function.

22. A lattice point in the plane is a point both of whose coordinates are integers. Find the
coordinates of all first quadrant lattice points which are 3 times further from the graph of
than they are from the graph of .
23. For , compute the absolute value of the difference between the solutions to the
equation:
24. If the terms in the successive rows of Pascal’s Triangle (as shown here) are written
successively, we form the sequence . If the sum of

the first 212 terms of the sequence is , compute the integer .

25. In , , , and . In simplest form the ratio of the area

of to the area of can be written as . Compute the ordered pair .
26. Let be an integer such that the product can be written as the sum of
consecutive positive integers. Compute the least value for the smallest of the integers.

27. If where , compute the number of integers ,

such that where is a positive integer.
28. In the figure, an equilateral triangle and a semi-circle have been erected on
the diameter of length 8. What is the area (shaded region) of the part of
the triangle which is interior to the triangle and exterior to the semicircle?

29. Let . Compute the integer .

30. “An isosceles triangle has a median equal to 15 and an altitude equal to 24.” This
information determines exactly 2 triangles. Compute the sum of the areas of these triangles.
n
n
31. If g (k ) , find a formula for .
k 1 3n 2
32. If , compute the numerical value of the infinite sum:

33. If and and , find the numerical

value of .

34. An empty down elevator opens its doors on the 6th floor. It will stop at every floor unless it gets
stuck. At each of the floors 6 though 2, if there is no one in the elevator, the people waiting flip
a coin. If it is heads, one person gets on; if it is tails, no one gets on. At each of the floors 5
through 2, if there are 1 or 2 people in the elevator, the people waiting flip a coin. If it is heads,
one person gets on and no one gets off; if it is tails, one person on the elevator gets off and no
one gets on. If there are three people in the elevator at any given time, it gets stuck. Compute
the probability that the elevator gets stuck before reaching the first floor.
35. Let and . For certain positive values of , there exists ,
such that where , and . Compute all possible
positive values of .

36. If where , compute .

37. Compute the number of ordered triples of integers with such that
.

38. Let be in radians with . If , then can be

written as where and are positive integers. Compute the sum .

39. Pyramid has rectangular base and apex , , and . If

, and are distinct integers, compute the area of the smallest face of the
pyramid.
40. In concave hexagon , , , and .
Also, , and . Compute the area of the hexagon.
41. Silas once had between 30 and 35 special coins, each marked with a different “value.” These
values were successive powers of 2, namely: 1,2,4,8,… Some of these coins were then lost. The
total value of the lost coins was exactly 1/5 of the total value of all the original coins. Compute
the number of lost coins.
42. The graph of has a common tangent line at and
. Compute the product of .