BMOS MENTORING SCHEME (Senior Level)

2013-2014 Sheet 4
Questions

The Senior Level problem sheets are ideal for students who love solving difficult mathemat-
ical problems and particularly for those preparing for the British Mathematical Olympiad
competitions. The problems get harder throughout the year and build upon ideas in earlier
sheets, so please try to give every problem a go. A. Rzym c UKMT 2014.

1. Prove that, in any group of six people, there is either a group of three people who all
know each other or a group of three people none of whom know each other (or both).
Must the same be true in any group of five people?

2. ABC is an equilateral triangle. Let γ be the semicircle outside ABC with AB as a

diameter. X and Y are the points on γ such that the arc lengths AX, XY, Y B are equal.
XC and Y C cross the line AB at X 0 and Y 0 . Prove that |AX 0 | = |X 0 Y 0 | = |Y 0 B|.

3. If a, b, c are positive real numbers, prove that

1 1 1 2 2 2
+ + ≥ + + .
a b c a+b b+c c+a

4. Let N be the smallest positive integer for which there are exactly 2013 ordered pairs (x, y)
of positive integers which satisfy the equation 1/x + 1/y = 1/N . Determine the prime
factorisation of N .

5. A square ABCD is inscribed in a circle γ. P is a point on arc CD of γ. Prove that

|P A| × (|P A| + |P C|) = |P B| × (|P B| + |P D|).

6. (a) For real a1 , a2 , a3 , b1 , b2 , b3 prove that (a21 +a22 +a23 )(b21 +b22 +b23 ) ≥ (a1 b1 +a2 b2 +a3 b3 )2 .
When does equality occur?
(b) For positive real x, y, z prove that
 1/2  1/2  1/2
x+y y+z z+x
+ + ≤ 61/2 .
x+y+z x+y+z x+y+z

7. Define G1 = 1, G2 = 5 and, for n > 2, Gn = (G2n−1 + 4)/Gn−2 . Prove that Gn is an

integer for all positive n.

8. Define F0 = 0, F1 = 1 and, for n > 1, Fn = Fn−1 + Fn−2 . Observe that F4 = 3,

F8 = 3(32 − 2), F16 = 3(32 − 2)((32 − 2)2 − 2). Prove that this pattern continues.

9. Consider numbers of the form 4n (8k − 1), where n is a non-negative integer and k is a
positive integer. Are they ever perfect squares? Can they ever be represented as the sum
of two perfect squares? Three perfect squares?

10. Suppose p, q are positive integers with p ≤ q. Define U (p, q) = qi=p 1i . For what values
P
of p, q is U an integer?

For more information about the mentoring schemes, and how to join, visit
http://www.mentoring.ukmt.org.uk/