THE ROMANIAN SELECTION TESTS FOR THE JUNIOR

BALKAN MATHEMATICAL OLYMPIAD

Dinu Şerbănescu

2005
Chapter 1

Team Selection Tests

First selection test

1. Circles C1 and C2 intersect at A and B. The tangent line from A to C2 meet C1 at point C and
the tangent line from A to C1 meet C2 at point D. A ray from A, interior to the angle ∠CAD,
intersect C1 at M, C2 at N and the circumcircle of the triangle ACD at P. Prove that AM = N P.
Mircea Fianu

2. Find the greatest integer n, n > 10 such that the remainder of n when divided to each square
between 2 and n2 is an odd integer.
Adrian Stoica

3. A country has six cities with airports and two rival flight companies. Any two cities are connected
by flights so that on each route between two cities one may travel with exactly one of the
two flight companies. Prove that you can visit 4 cities in a cycle flying with the same air
company (that is, there exist four cities A, B, C, D and a company which operates on the routes
A ↔ B, B ↔ C, C ↔ D and D ↔ A).
Dan Schwarz

3
 Second selection test

1 1 1 3
4. Let a, b, c be positive real numbers such that a + b + c ≥ + + . Prove that a + b + c ≥ .
a b c abc
Cezar Lupu

5. Points M and N are given on the sides AD and BC of a rhombus ABCD. Line M C meet the
segment BD at T and line M N meet the segment BD at U. Line CU intersects the side AB at
Q and - finally! - line QT intersects the side CD at P . Show that the triangles QCP and M CN
have the same area.
Mircea Fianu

6. A point M is given inside an equilateral triangle ABC. Denote by A0 , B 0 , C 0 the projections of the
point M on the sides BC, CA, AB, respectively. Prove that lines AA0 , BB 0 , CC 0 are concurrent
if and only if point M lies on an altitude of the triangle.
Laurenţiu Panaitopol
 Third selection test

7. A phone company starts a new type of customer service. A new client can choose k phone
numbers in this network which are call-free - regardless if is called or if calling. A group of n
students decide to take advantage of this promotion.
• Show that if n > 2k +2 then there will exist 2 students which will be charged when speaking.
• Show that if n = 2k + 1 then there exists a way of arranging the free calls so that in this
group everybody speaks free to anyone else.
Valentin Vornicu

8. Let a, b, c be positive real numbers such that (a + b)(b + c)(c + a) = 1. Show that
3
ab + bc + ca ≤ .
4
Cezar Lupu

9. Let ABC be a triangle with BC > CA > AB and let G be the centroid of the triangle. Prove
that
∠GCA + ∠GBC < ∠BAC < ∠GAC + ∠GBA.
Dinu Şerbănescu

10. Let k, r ∈ N∗ and let x ∈ (0, 1) be a rational number given in decimal representation:

x = 0, a1 a2 a3 a4 . . . .

Show that if the decimals ak , ak+r , ak+2r , ak+3r , . . . , are canceled, the new number thus obtained
is still rational.

Dan Schwarz
 Fourth selection test

11. Three circles C1 (O1 ), C2 (O2 ), C3 (O3 ) share a common point Q and meet again pairwisely at
points A, B, C. Show that if points A, B, C are collinear then points Q, O1 , O2 , O3 are cocyclic.
Simpson

12. Find all positive integers n and p if p is prime and n8 − p5 = n2 + p2 .

Adrian Stoica

13. The positive integers from 1 to n2 are placed arbitrarily on squares of an n × n chessboard. Two
squares are called adjacent if they have a common side. Show that two opposite corner squares
can be joined by a path of 2n − 1 adjacent squares so that the sum of the numbers places on
n3

them is at least + n2 − n + 1.
2
Radu Gologan

14. Let a, b, c be positive real numbers with a + b + c = 3. Prove that

(3 − 2a)(3 − 2b)(3 − 2c) ≤ a2 b2 c2 .

Robert Szasz
 Fifth selection test

15. Let n > 3 be a positive integer. Consider n sets, each having two elements, such that the
intersection of any two of them is a set with one element. Prove that the intersection of all sets
is nonempty.
Sever Moldoveanu

16. Let AB and BC be two consecutive sides of a regular polygon with 9 vertices inscribed in a circle
of center O. Let M be the midpoint of AB and let N be the midpoint of the radius perpendicular
to BC. Find the measure of the angle ∠OM N.

17. A piece of cardboard have the shape of a pentagon ABCDE in which BCDE is a square and
ABE is an isosceles triangle right at A. Prove that the pentagon can be divided in 2 different
ways in three parts that can be rearranged in order to recompose an right isosceles triangle.

18. Consider two distinct positive integers a and b having integer arithmetic, geometric and harmonic
means. Find the minimum value of |a − b|.
Mircea Fianu
Chapter 2

Formal Solutions

1. Circles C1 and C2 intersect at A and B. The tangent line from A to C2 meet C1 at point C and
the tangent line from A to C1 meet C2 at point D. A ray from A, interior to the angle ∠CAD,
intersect C1 at M, C2 at N and the circumcircle of the triangle ACD at P. Prove that AM = N P.

Consider the case when the ray is interior to the angle ∠BAD. Then

∠CM P = ∠M CA + ∠CAM = ∠M AD + ∠CAM = ∠CAB.

On the other side,
∠CP M = ∠CDA,
since both subtend the chord AC in the circumcircle ACD.
From the similarity of the triangles ACD and M CP we derive that
MC MP
= .
AC AD
Furthermore, ∠ACM = ∠N AD and ∠CAM = ∠ADN, so ∆ACM ∼ ∆DAN.
Hence
AN MC
= ,
AC AC
thus M P = AN and AM = N P, as claimed.

2. Find the greatest integer n, n > 10 such that the remainder of n when divided to each square
between 2 and n2 is an odd integer.

The required number is 505.

At start, note that the remainder of n when divided at 4 is odd, hence n is odd.
Furthermore, observe that the quotient of n when divided to a square less then n2 is greater then
or equal to 2. On the other side, the quotient at a division by an odd square cannot equal 3, as the
n
remainder would be even. Consequently, there are no positive integers k so that 3 ≤ (2k−1) 2 < 4,

in other words there is no k ∈ N with

n n
< (2k − 1)2 ≤ .
4 3
Let m ∈ N∗ so that (2m − 1)2 6 n
4 < n
3 < (2m + 1)2 . Then (2m + 1)2 − (2m − 1)2 > n
3 − n4 ,
n
hence 8m > 12 . It follows that
n
(2m − 1)2 ≤ < 24 · m,
4
so m ∈ {1, 2, . . . , 6}. Since n < 96 · m 6 576, then the odd squares less then n2 < 288 are
9, 25 . . . , 225. Recall that the quotients at the division by 9, 25, . . . , 225 are even, so the quotients
at the division by 225 and 169 are both 2 (else 4 · 169 > 576).

9
 Thus n = 450+a = 338+b with 0 < a < 225, 0 < b ≤ 137 and a, b are odd, so n ≤ 338+137 = 505.
For n = 505 one can easy check the claim.

3. A country has six cities with airports and two rival flight companies. Any two cities are connected
by flights so that on each route between two cities one may travel with exactly one of the two flight
companies. Prove that you can visit 4 cities in a cycle flying with the same air company (that
is, there exist four cities A, B, C, D and a company which operates on the routes A ↔ B, B ↔
C, C ↔ D and D ↔ A).

The number of routes between 2 cities is 62 = 15. By the pigeonhole principle one can find that

a company -
say M - operates at least 8 routes.

There are 64 = 15 subsets of 4 cities and each pair of cities occurs in 42 = 6 such subsets. Using

again the pigeonhole principle follows that there exists a subset of 4 cities among which at least
4 routes are operated by the company M (3 · 15 < 6 · 8).
If those routes form a cycle, we are done. If else, then one can easy observe that among these 4
cities X, Y , Z, T , the routes X ↔ Y , Y ↔ Z, Z ↔ X and X ↔ T are operated by the company
M (set the notation accordingly).
The other 2 cities, say P and Q, are connected by at least 4 routes operated by M . Even if
P ↔ Q is one of them, from P or Q — say P — at least 2 routes to X, Y , Z, T are operated by
M. If both destinations are from X, Y , Z, a cycle is obtained, so assume that one of the routes
is P ↔ T . In this case we are done if the second route is P ↔ Y or P ↔ Z, hence we are left
with the case P ↔ X.
From those above, the existence of a third route from P to X, Y , Z or T will provide a cycle.
If not, from Q exist 2 routes to X, Y , Z, T . The same line of reasoning shows that we have to
consider that on the route Q ↔ T is operated by M.
Any of the routes Q ↔ X, Q ↔ Y, Q ↔ Z will close a cycle. To conclude, if the route P ↔ Q is
operated by M , then any route from Q to X, Y , Z or T will provide us with the desired cycle.

1 1 3
4. Let a, b, c be positive real numbers such that a + b + c ≥ a + b + 1c . Prove that a + b + c ≥ .
abc

p rewrites abc(a + b + c) ≥ ab + bc + ca. From the Schwarz inequality we have

The given condition
ab + bc + ca ≥ 3abc(a + b + c), so the conclusion follows.

5. Points M and N are given on the sides AD and BC of a rhombus ABCD. Line M C meet the
segment BD at T and line M N meet the segment BD at U. Line CU intersects the side AB at
Q and - finally! - line QT intersects the side CD at P . Show that the triangles QCP and M CN
have the same area.

The distance from M to the line BC is equal to the distance from Q to the line DC, since ABCD
is a rhombus. Hence it suffices to prove that CP = CN or DP = BN.
BU QU NU
Using Thales theorem we obtain U D = U C = U M , hence N Q k M C and likewise M P k CQ.
BQ
Triangles M DP and BQC are similar, so DP MD DT BN
BQ = BC = BT . In a similar way, M D = DC . It
DP BN
follows that M D = M D , therefore DP = BN.

6. A point M is given inside an equilateral triangle ABC. Denote by A0 , B 0 , C 0 the projections of the
point M on the sides BC, CA, AB, respectively. Prove that lines AA0 , BB 0 , CC 0 are concurrent
if and only if point M lies on an altitude of the triangle.

Denote AB 0 = x1 , BC 0 = y1 , CA0 = z1 , A0 B = x2 , B 0 C = y2 , C 0 A = z2 .
From the Ceva theorem we have
x1 y1 z1 = z2 y2 z2 .
As AB 02 = AP 2 − P B 02 (and the analogous relations) we obtain by sumation

x21 + y12 + z12 = x22 + y22 + z22 .

 Since x1 + y2 = x2 + z1 = y1 + z2 = AB and x1 + x2 + y1 + y2 + z1 + z2 = 3 · AB, it follows that

x1 + y1 + z1 = x2 + y2 + z2 .

Thus

x1 + y1 + z1 = x2 + y2 + z2 ; x1 y1 + x1 z1 + y1 z1 = x2 y2 + x2 z2 + y2 z2 ; x1 y1 z1 = x2 y2 z2 ,

so {x1 , y1 , z1 } = {x2 , y2 , z2 }.
An easy check shows that the claim holds.

7. A phone company starts a new type of customer service. A new client can choose k phone numbers
in this network which are call-free - regardless if is called or if calling. A group of n students
decide to take advantage of this promotion.
• Show that if n > 2k + 2 then there will exist 2 students which will be charged when speaking.
• Show that if n = 2k + 1 then there exists a way of arranging the free calls so that in this
group everybody speaks free to anyone else.

1) A person can speak free of charge with at most 2k persons - k that he chooses and other k -
at most- that choose his numbers among their free calls. Since n > 2k + 2, each person will be
charged when speaking to (at least) another one.
2) Assume that all 2k + 1 persons are arranged in a circle. Each person will choose to speak
free of charge when calling any of the k persons located - consecutively - at his right. Then any
person will speak free of charge with the k persons located at his left, as all of them will choose
him among their ”favorite numbers”.

8. Let a, b, c be positive real numbers such that (a + b)(b + c)(c + a) = 1. Show that
3
ab + bc + ca ≤ .
4

Let s = a + b + c. The given condition rewrites as 1 = (s − a)(s − b)(s − c) = s(ab + bc + ca) − abc,
1+abc
so ab + bc + ca = a+b+c . From the AM-GM inequality we obtain

1 3 p 3
a+b+c= ((a + b) + (b + c) + (c + a)) > · 3 (a + b)(b + c)(c + a) = .
2 2 2
√
On the other side, 1 = (a + b)(b + c)(c + a) > 8 · ab · bc · ca, hence abc 6 18 . Consequently

1 2 3
ab + bc + ca 6 (1 + ) · = ,
8 3 4
as needed.

9. Let ABC be a triangle with BC > CA > AB and let G be the centroid of the triangle. Prove
that
∠GCA + ∠GBC < ∠BAC < ∠GAC + ∠GBA.

It suffices to prove that ∠GAC < ∠GBA and ∠GBC < ∠GAC, given that CA > AB and
BC > CA. Since the two claims are equivalent, we will prove the first inequality.

First approach
The reflection B 0 of the point B across AG lies on the parallel line through C at AG. Observe
that point C is further than B 0 from the perpendicular bisector d of the line segment AG, since
 d intersects line BC at a point located at the left of point B (with respect to point C.) and we
are done.

Second approach
As area[GBA] = area[GAC], the inequality ∠GAC < ∠GBA (< 90◦ !) is equivalent to c · mb >
b · mc . Squaring both sides yields b2 · (2a2 + 2c2 − b2 ) > c2 · (2a2 + 2b2 − c2 ), hence (b2 − c2 )(b2 +
c2 − 2a2 ) > 0, which is implied by a > b > c.

10. Let k, r ∈ N∗ and let x ∈ (0, 1) be a rational number given in decimal representation:

x = 0, a1 a2 a3 a4 . . . .

Show that if the decimals ak , ak+r , ak+2r , ak+3r , . . . , are canceled, the new number thus obtained
is still rational.

At first, note that if r = 1, then the new number is obviously rational.

Furthermore, if x is a simple rational number (that is with no period), then again the new number
is rational.
Now assume that x has a period and let p ≥ 1 the number of digits of the period.
Let m > 0 be the rank of the last decimal which do not belong to the period, thus

x = 0, a1 a2 . . . am (am+1 . . . am+p ).

Let l = k + ir > m, i ∈ N. Then

x = 0, a1 a2 . . . al (al+1 . . . al+r . . . al+pr ).

The number obtained by canceling the decimals ak , ak+r , ak+2r , ak+3r , . . . , will have the period

al . . . al+r−1 al+r+1 . . . al+pr−1 ,

therefore it will be a rational number.

11. Three circles C1 (O1 ), C2 (O2 ), C3 (O3 ) share a common point Q and meet again pairwisely at points
A, B, C. Show that if points A, B, C are collinear then points Q, O1 , O2 , O3 are cocyclic.

Set Q1 , Q2 , Q3 the mirror images of Q across O1 , O2 , O3 , in other words consider the diametrically
opposite points of Q in the circles C1 (O1 ), C2 (O2 ), C3 (O3 ).
It is easy to check that the claim is equivalent to the fact that points Q, Q1 , Q2 , Q3 lie on the
same circle.
An inversion of pole Q maps the line A − B − C to a circle A0 − B 0 − C 0 passing through
Q, while points Q1 , Q2 , Q3 map to points Q01 , Q02 , Q03 , which are the projection of Q to lines
A0 B 0 , B 0 C 0 , C 0 A0 . By Simpson theorem, points Q01 , Q02 , Q03 , are collinear, thus points Q, Q1 , Q2 , Q3
lie on the same circle, as needed.

12. Find all positive integers n and p if p is prime and n8 − p5 = n2 + p2 .

Suppose that n ≥ p. Then n8 −n2 = n2 (n3 −1)(n3 +1) ≥ n2 n2 (n3 +1) = n7 +n4 ≥ p7 +p4 > p5 +p2 ,
a contradiction.
Therefore n < p. As p is prime and p2 |n2 (n3 − 1)(n3 + 1), it follows
√ that p2 |n3 − 1 or p2 |n3 + 1,
so p ≤ n + 1. Next we have n (n − 1)(n + 1) = p + p ≤ ( n + 1)5 + (n3 + 1), hence
2 3 2 3 3 5 2 3

p
n2 (n3 − 1) ≤ (n3 + 1) n3 + 1 + 1. (2.1)
p
On the other hand n3 + 1 < (n2 − 1)2 , since this rewrites as n2 ≥ n + 2. The relation (2.1)
yields n2 (n3 − 1) ≤ (n3 + 1)(n3 − 1) + 1 = n5 − n3 + n2 , then n3 ≤ 2n2 . Consequently n = 2 and
p2 ≤ n3 + 1 = 9, thus p = 3.
13. The positive integers from 1 to n2 are placed arbitrarily on squares of an n × n chessboard. Two
squares are called adjacent if they have a common side. Show that two opposite corner squares
can be joined by a path of 2n − 1 adjacent squares so that the sum of the numbers places on them
3
is at least [ n2 ] + n2 − n + 1.

n2 (n2 +1)
The sum of all integers is 1 + 2 + . . . + n2 = 2 , so the is a row r having the sum of the
n(n2 +1)
numbers assigned to its squares at least equal to 2 Consider the 2n − 2 numbers written
.
on the first and last column - except for the two numbers which belong to the row r and observe
that their sum is at least 1 + 2 + . . . + (2n − 2) = (n − 1)(2n − 1).
Now we can select two ”complementary parts” of these columns - in order to complete the row r
to a path - so that the sum of the numbers placed on these n − 1 squares is at least (n−1)(2n−1)
2 .
2 3 3
Since n(n2+1) + (n−1)(2n−1)
2 = n2 + n2 − n + 21 , to conclude we only have to notice that [ n2 ] + 1 =
n3 1 n3 2 n3 2 1
2 + 2 - if n odd - and that [ 2 ] + n − n + 1 is the smallest integer greater than 2 + n − n + 2
- when n is even.

14. Let a, b, c be positive real numbers with a + b + c = 3. Prove that

(3 − 2a)(3 − 2b)(3 − 2c) ≤ a2 b2 c2 .

Wlog, assume that a ≤ b ≤ c.

If a + b ≤ c, then c > 23 while a < 23 and b < 23 . In this case (3 − 2a)(3 − 2b)(3 − 2c) < 0 ≤ a2 b2 c2
and we are done.
If a+b > c, then a, b, c are the side lengths of a triangle with semiperimeter p = 32 . The inequality
rewrites
8(p − a)(p − b)(p − c) ≤ a2 b2 c2 .
Using the formulas S 2 = p(p − a)(p − b)(p − c) and abc = 4RS we obtain 8S 2 ≤ √
16pR2 S 2 or
2
1 ≤ 3R . This inequality can be proved in many ways, for example from 2p ≤ 3 3R - since
p = 23 .

15. Let n > 3 be a positive integer. Consider n sets, each having two elements, such that the
intersection of any two of them is a set with one element. Prove that the intersection of all sets
is nonempty.

Let A = {a, b} and B = {a, c} be two of the given sets. A third set C intersect both of them, so
C is {b, c} or {a, d}. In the first case, a fourth set cannot have in common with each of the first
three sets exactly one element, so C = {a, d}.
Any set from the other n − 3 > 1 sets that do not contain a should contain simultaneously the
elements b, c and d, a contradiction. Hence the claim is proved.

16. Let AB and BC be two consecutive sides of a regular polygon with 9 vertices inscribed in a circle
of center O. Let M be the midpoint of AB and let N be the midpoint of the radius perpendicular
to BC. Find the measure of the angle ∠OM N.

Let P be the intersection point of the circle with the radius ON. Triangle AOP is isosceles at A
and ∠OP = 60◦ , so ∠AN O = 90◦ . On the other side ∠AM O = 90◦ , so AM N O is cyclic. Hence
∠OM N = ∠OAN = 30◦ .

17. A piece of cardboard have the shape of a pentagon ABCDE in which BCDE is a square and
ABE is an isosceles triangle right at A. Prove that the pentagon can be divided in 2 different
ways in three parts that can be rearranged in order to recompose an right isosceles triangle.

The first decomposition is obtain as follows:

 Consider the midpoint M of the side DE and C 0 the intersection point of the lines BE and
CM. The right isosceles triangle obtain by reassembling is CAC 0 , since ∆ABC = ∆AEC 0 and
∆CM D = ∆M EC 0 .
For the second decomposition consider N the midpoint of DE a̧nd let A0 be the intersection
point of the lines BD and AM. The right isosceles triangle obtain by reassembling is CAA0 , as
∆AN E = ∆N DA0 and ∆ABC = ∆CDA0 .

18. Consider two distinct positive integers a and b having integer arithmetic, geometric and harmonic
means. Find the minimum value of |a − b|.

Let x = a+b 2 and y = a+b 2ab

. Then ab = xy and a2 − a(a + b) + ab = a2 − 2ax + xy = 0, so
2
x(x − y) = (a − x) is a square.
Let d be the greatest common divisor of x and y and write x = dx0 , y = dy 0 with x0 , y 0 ∈ Z and
(x0 , y 0 ) = 1. Then d2 x0 (x0 − y 0 ) is a square and (x0 , x0 − y 0 ) = 1, so both x0 and x0 − y 0 are squares;
write x0 = m2 and x0 − y 0 = n2 . √
√
Recall that the geometric mean ab = xy is an integer, so xy = d2 x0 y 0 = d2 m2 (m2 − n2 ) is a
square. Consequently m2 − n2 = p2 , where p is an integer. p
To conclude, to this point we have x = dm2 , y = dp2 and since a = x ± x(x − y), b = x ∓
p
x(x − y), it follows that a = dm(m ± n) and b = dm(m ∓ n). Therefore |a − b| = 2dmn with
the minimum of 30 obtained for d = 1, m = 5, n = 3 - don’t forget the Pythagorean triples!.