Find, as a function of $\, n, \,$ the sum of the digits of
\[ 9 \times 99 \times 9999 \times \cdots \times \left( 10^{2^n} - 1 \right), \]
where each factor has twice as many digits as the previous one.
Prove
\[ \frac{1}{\cos 0^\circ \cos 1^\circ} + \frac{1}{\cos 1^\circ \cos 2^\circ} + \cdots + \frac{1}{\cos 88^\circ \cos 89^\circ} = \frac{\cos 1^\circ}{\sin^2 1^\circ}. \]
For a nonempty set $\, S \,$ of integers, let $\, \sigma(S) \,$ be the sum of the elements of $\, S$. Suppose that $\, A = \{a_1, a_2, \ldots, a_{11} \} \,$ is a set of positive integers with $\, a_1 < a_2 < \cdots < a_{11} \,$ and that, for each positive integer $\, n\leq 1500, \,$ there is a subset $\, S \,$ of $\, A \,$ for which $\, \sigma(S) = n$. What is the smallest possible value of $\, a_{10}$?
Chords $AA^{\prime}$, $BB^{\prime}$, $CC^{\prime}$ of a sphere meet at an interior point $P$ but are not contained in a plane. The sphere through $A$, $B$, $C$, $P$ is tangent to the sphere through $A^{\prime}$, $B^{\prime}$, $C^{\prime}$, $P$. Prove that $\, AA' = BB' = CC'$.
Let $\, P(z) \,$ be a polynomial with complex coefficients which is of degree $\, 1992 \,$ and has distinct zeros. Prove that there exist complex numbers $\, a_1, a_2, \ldots, a_{1992} \,$ such that $\, P(z) \,$ divides the polynomial \[ \left( \cdots \left( (z-a_1)^2 - a_2 \right)^2 \cdots - a_{1991} \right)^2 - a_{1992}. \]
For each integer $\, n \geq 2, \,$ determine, with proof, which of the two positive real numbers $\, a \,$ and $\, b \,$ satisfying \[ a^n = a + 1, \hspace{.3in} b^{2n} = b + 3a \] is larger.
Let $\, ABCD \,$ be a convex quadrilateral such that diagonals $\, AC \,$ and $\, BD \,$ intersect at right angles, and let $\, E \,$ be their intersection. Prove that the reflections of $\, E \,$ across $\, AB, \, BC, \, CD, \, DA \,$ are concyclic.
Consider functions $\, f: [0,1] \rightarrow \mathbb{R} \,$ which satisfy
(i) $f(x) \geq 0 \,$ for all $\, x \,$ in $\, [0,1],$
(ii) $f(1) = 1,$
(iii) $f(x) + f(y) \leq f(x+y)\,$ whenever $\, x, \, y, \,$ and $\, x + y \,$ are all in $\, [0,1]$.
Find, with proof, the smallest constant $\, c \,$ such that
\[ f(x) \leq cx \]for every function $\, f \,$ satisfying (i)-(iii) and every $\, x \,$ in $\, [0,1]$.
Let $\, a,b \,$ be odd positive integers. Define the sequence $\, (f_n ) \,$ by putting $\, f_1 = a,$ $f_2 = b, \,$ and by letting $\, f_n \,$ for $\, n \geq 3 \,$ be the greatest odd divisor of $\, f_{n-1} + f_{n-2}$. Show that $\, f_n \,$ is constant for $\, n \,$ sufficiently large and determine the eventual value as a function of $\, a \,$ and $\, b$.
Let $ \, a_{0}, a_{1}, a_{2},\ldots\,$ be a sequence of positive real numbers satisfying $ \, a_{i-1}a_{i+1}\leq a_{i}^{2}\,$ for $ i = 1,2,3,\ldots\; .$ (Such a sequence is said to be log concave.) Show that for each $ \, n > 1,$
\[ \frac{a_{0}+\cdots+a_{n}}{n+1}\cdot\frac{a_{1}+\cdots+a_{n-1}}{n-1}\geq\frac{a_{0}+\cdots+a_{n-1}}{n}\cdot\frac{a_{1}+\cdots+a_{n}}{n}.\]
Let $\, k_1 < k_2 < k_3 < \cdots \,$ be positive integers, no two consecutive, and let $\, s_m = k_1 + k_2 + \cdots + k_m \,$ for $\, m = 1,2,3, \ldots \; \;$. Prove that, for each positive integer $\, n, \,$ the interval $\, [s_n, s_{n+1}) \,$ contains at least one perfect square.
The sides of a 99-gon are initially colored so that consecutive sides are red, blue, red, blue, $\,\ldots, \,$ red, blue, yellow. We make a sequence of modifications in the coloring, changing the color of one side at a time to one of the three given colors (red, blue, yellow), under the constraint that no two adjacent sides may be the same color. By making a sequence of such modifications, is it possible to arrive at the coloring in which consecutive sides
are red, blue, red, blue, red, blue, $\, \ldots, \,$ red, yellow, blue?
A convex hexagon $ABCDEF$ is inscribed in a circle such that $AB = CD = EF$ and diagonals $AD$, $BE$, and $CF$ are concurrent. Let $P$ be the intersection of $AD$ and $CE$. Prove that $CP/PE = (AC/CE)^2$.
Let $\, a_1, a_2, a_3, \ldots \,$ be a sequence of positive real numbers satisfying $\, \sum_{j=1}^n a_j \geq \sqrt{n} \,$ for all $\, n \geq 1$. Prove that, for all $\, n \geq 1, \,$ \[ \sum_{j=1}^n a_j^2 > \frac{1}{4} \left( 1 + \frac{1}{2} + \cdots + \frac{1}{n} \right). \]
Let $\, |U|, \, \sigma(U) \,$ and $\, \pi(U) \,$ denote the number of elements, the sum, and the product, respectively, of a finite set $\, U \,$ of positive integers. (If $\, U \,$ is the empty set, $\, |U| = 0, \, \sigma(U) = 0, \, \pi(U) = 1$.) Let $\, S \,$ be a finite set of positive integers. As usual, let $\, \binom{n}{k} \,$ denote $\, n! \over k! \, (n-k)!$. Prove that \[ \sum_{U \subseteq S} (-1)^{|U|} \binom{m - \sigma(U)}{|S|} = \pi(S) \] for all integers $\, m \geq \sigma(S)$.
Let $\, p \,$ be an odd prime. The sequence $(a_n)_{n \geq 0}$ is defined as follows: $\, a_0 = 0,$ $a_1 = 1, \, \ldots, \, a_{p-2} = p-2 \,$ and, for all $\, n \geq p-1, \,$ $\, a_n \,$ is the least positive integer that does not form an arithmetic sequence of length $\, p \,$ with any of the preceding terms. Prove that, for all $\, n, \,$ $\, a_n \,$ is the number obtained by writing $\, n \,$ in base $\, p-1 \,$ and reading the result in base $\, p$.
A calculator is broken so that the only keys that still work are the $ \sin$, $ \cos$, and $ \tan$ buttons, and their inverses (the $ \arcsin$, $ \arccos$, and $ \arctan$ buttons). The display initially shows $ 0$. Given any positive rational number $ q$, show that pressing some finite sequence of buttons will yield the number $ q$ on the display. Assume that the calculator does real number calculations with infinite precision. All functions are in terms of radians.
Given a nonisosceles, nonright triangle ABC, let O denote the center of its circumscribed circle, and let $A_1$, $B_1$, and $C_1$ be the midpoints of sides BC, CA, and AB, respectively. Point $A_2$ is located on the ray $OA_1$ so that $OAA_1$ is similar to $OA_2A$. Points $B_2$ and $C_2$ on rays $OB_1$ and $OC_1$, respectively, are defined similarly. Prove that lines $AA_2$, $BB_2$, and $CC_2$ are concurrent, i.e. these three lines intersect at a point.
Suppose $\, q_{0}, \, q_{1}, \, q_{2}, \ldots \; \,$ is an infinite sequence of integers satisfying the following two conditions:
(i) $\, m-n \,$ divides $\, q_{m}-q_{n}\,$ for $\, m > n \geq 0,$
(ii) there is a polynomial $\, P \,$ such that $\, |q_{n}| < P(n) \,$ for all $\, n$
Prove that there is a polynomial $\, Q \,$ such that $\, q_{n}= Q(n) \,$ for all $\, n$.
Suppose that in a certain society, each pair of persons can be classified as either amicable or hostile. We shall say that each member of an amicable pair is a friend of the other, and each member of a hostile pair is a foe of the other. Suppose that the society has $\, n \,$ persons and $\, q \,$ amicable pairs, and that for every set of three persons, at least one pair is hostile. Prove that there is at least one member of the society whose foes include $\, q(1 - 4q/n^2) \,$ or fewer amicable pairs.
Prove that the average of the numbers $n \sin n^{\circ} \; (n = 2,4,6,\ldots,180)$ is $\cot 1^{\circ}$.
For any nonempty set $S$ of real numbers, let $\sigma(S)$ denote the sum of the elements of $S$. Given a set $A$ of $n$ positive integers, consider the collection of all distinct sums $\sigma(S)$ as $S$ ranges over the nonempty subsets of $A$. Prove that this collection of sums can be partitioned into $n$ classes so that in each class, the ratio of the largest sum to the smallest sum does not exceed 2.
Let $ABC$ be a triangle. Prove that there is a line $\ell$ (in the plane of triangle $ABC$) such that the intersection of the interior of triangle $ABC$ and the interior of its reflection $A'B'C'$ in $\ell$ has area more than $\frac23$ the area of triangle $ABC$.
An $n$-term sequence $(x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n)$ in which each term is either 0 or 1 is called a binary sequence of length $n$. Let $a_n$ be the number of binary sequences of length $n$ containing no three consecutive terms equal to 0, 1, 0 in that order. Let $b_n$ be the number of binary sequences of length $n$ that contain no four consecutive terms equal to 0, 0, 1, 1 or 1, 1, 0, 0 in that order. Prove that $b_{n+1} = 2a_n$ for all positive integers $n$.
Let $ABC$ be a triangle, and $M$ an interior point such that $\angle MAB=10^\circ$, $\angle MBA=20^\circ$, $\angle MAC=40^\circ$ and $\angle MCA=30^\circ$. Prove that the triangle is isosceles.