Problem Collection

Ansuman Chakraborty
May 2023

1 Introduction
This is mainly to keep a journal of the problems I found interesting while surfing
AoPS. The problems are included in the next section.

2 Problems
1. Let N be the number of ways to place the integers 1 through 12 in the 12
cells of a 2×6 grid so that for any two cells sharing a side, the difference between
the numbers in those cells is not divisible by 3. Find the number of positive
integer divisors of N .

2. Let f : [a, b] → R a function with Intermediate Value property such that

f (a) ∗ f (b) < 0. Show that there exist α, β such that a < α < β < b and
f (α) + f (β) = f (α) ∗ f (β).

3. Find the complex numbers x, y, z, with | x |=| y |=| z | , knowing that

x + y + z and x3 + y 3 + z 3 are be real numbers.

4. Let a, b, c, d ∈ Z≥0 , d ̸= 0 and the function f : Z≥0 → Z≥0 defined by

 
an + b
f (n) = ∀n ∈ Z≥0 .
cn + d
Prove that the following are equivalent: f is surjective; c = 0, b < d and
0 < a ≤ d.

5. Determine the largest natural number k such that there exists a natural
number n satisfying:

sin(n + 1) < sin(n + 2) < sin(n + 3) < . . . < sin(n + k).

6. Let f : [0, 1] → (0, 1) be a surjective function.

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a. Prove that f has at least one point of discontinuity.
b. Given that f admits a limit in any point of the interval [0, 1], show that is
has at least two points of discontinuity.

7. Let f : [0, ∞) → (0, ∞) be an increasing function and g : [0, ∞) → R be a two

times differentiable function such that g ′′ is continuous and g ′′ (x) + f (x)g(x) =
0, ∀x ≥ 0.
a. Provide an example of such functions, with g ̸= 0.
b. Prove that g is bounded.

8. Find all natural numbers n ≥ 4 that satisfy the property that the affixes of
any nonzero pairwise distinct complex numbers a, b, c that verify the equation

(a − b)n + (b − c)n + (c − a)n = 0,

represent the vertices of an equilateral triangle in the complex plane.

9. a) Prove that there exists a differentiable function f : (0, ∞) → (0, ∞)

such that f (f ′ (x)) = x, ∀x > 0.
b) Prove that there is no differentiable function f : R → R such that f (f ′ (x)) =
x, ∀x ∈ R.

10. Find the number of trapeziums that it can be formed with the vertices
of a regular polygon.

11. Let f : [0, ∞) → R a continuous function, constant on Z≥0 . For any

0 ≤ a
< b < c <
d which satisfy f (a) = f (c) and f (b) = f (d) we also have
f a+b
2 = f c+d
2 . Prove that f is constant.

12. Let ABC be a triangle, O its circumcenter and R = 1 its circumradius. Let
G1 , G2 , G3 be the centroids of the triangles OBC, OAC and OAB. Prove that
the triangle ABC is equilateral if and only if

AG1 + BG2 + CG3 = 4

13. Let n ∈ N≥2 . Prove that for any complex numbers a1 , a2 , . . . , an and
b1 , P
b2 , . . . , bn , the following
Pn statements are equivalent:
n 2 2
a) Pk=1 |z − aP k| ≤ |z
k=1 P − bk | , ∀z ∈PC.
n n n n
b) k=1 ak = k=1 bk and k=1 |ak |2 ≤ k=1 |bk |2 .

14. Let n ∈ N≥2 . For any real numbers a1 , a2 , ..., an denote S0 = 1 and for
1 ≤ k ≤ n denote X
Sk = ai1 ai2 ...aik
1≤i1 <i2 <...<ik ≤n

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Find the number of n−tuples (a1 , a2 , ...an ) such that

(Sn − Sn−2 + Sn−4 − ...)2 + (Sn−1 − Sn−3 + Sn−5 − ...)2 = 2n Sn .

15. Let be two natural numbers b > a > 0 and a function f : R −→ R

having the following property.

f x2 + ay ≥ f x2 + by , ∀x, y ∈ R

a) Show that f (s) ≤ f (0) ≤ f (t), for any real numbers s < 0 < t.
b) Prove that f is constant on the interval (0, ∞).

16. Let be two natural numbers n and a. a) Prove that there exists an n−tuplet
of natural numbers (a1 , a2 , . . . , an ) that satisfy the following equality.
n  
1 Y 1
1+ = 1+
a i=1 ai

b) Show that there exist only finitely such n−tuplets.

17. Let be a surjective function f : R −→ R that has the property that if

the sequence (f (xn ))n≥1 is convergent, then the sequence (xn )n≥1 is conver-
gent. Prove that it is continuous.

18. A function f : Q>0 −→ Q has the following property:

f (xy) = f (x) + f (y), x, y ∈ Q>0

Demonstrate that there are no injective functions with this property.

19. Let be a natural number n ≥ 2 and n positive real numbers a1 , an , . . . , an

that satisfy the inequalities
i
X
aj ≤ ai+1 , ∀i ∈ {1, 2, . . . , n − 1}.
j=1

Prove that
n−1
X ak
≤ n/2.
ak+1
k=1

20. Let be a natural number n ≥ 2 and n positive real numbers a1Q, a2 , . . . , an

n
whose product is 1. Prove that the function f : R>0 −→ R, f (x) = i=1 (1 + axi ) ,
is nondecreasing.

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21. Determine all functions f : R → R which satisfy the inequality

f (a2 ) − f (b2 ) ≤ (f (a) + b) (a − f (b)) ,

for all a, b ∈ R.