BMOS MENTORING SCHEME (Senior Level)

2013-2014 Sheet 7
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. (a) Find the highest common factor of 7560, 8568 and 28728.
(b) Find all integers x, y satisfying 121x + 45y = 1.
(c) Find all integers x, y satisfying 1992x + 1752y = 12.

2. Prove that
1 1 3 5 99 1
√ < · · ··· < .
10 2 2 4 6 100 10
√ √ √ p√
100
√ p√
100
√
3. Prove that 2, 2 + 3, 21/3 + 22/3 , 3+ 2+ 3 − 2 are all irrational.

4. Let A, B and C be three points in order on a line, and let O be a point not on the line
ABC. Let O1 , O2 and O3 be the centres of the circles BCO, CAO and ABO respectively.
Prove that O, O1 , O2 and O3 are concyclic.

5. Does there exist a positive integer, n, such that the decimal expansion of 2n begins
‘2014 . . .’ ?

6. A function is periodic if there exists a c such that f (x) = f (c + x) for all x. Suppose f (x)
is real, |f (x)| < 1 and f (x + 13/42) + f (x) = f (x + 1/6) + f (x + 1/7) for all real x. Prove
that f is periodic.

7. Find all positive integers m and n such that mn = nm−n .

8. (a) Let ABC be a triangle and P be an arbitrary point on the plane. Prove that

AB + BC + CA
PA + PB + PC > .
2

(b) For real x, y, z prove that

√ p p √
2(x + y + z) ≤ x2 + y 2 + y 2 + z 2 + z 2 + x2 .

9. An ellipse has semi-major and semi-minor axes a and b (a  b). Eleven circles (radii
r1 , . . . , r11 ) are arranged in the ellipse such that: their centres all lie on the major axis of
the ellipse; each circle touches its neighbour exactly once; each circle touches the ellipse
exactly twice.
Prove that r7 (r1 + r7 ) = r4 (r4 + r10 ).

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