Problems

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Found: 62

For each pair of real numbers \(a\) and \(b\), consider the sequence of numbers \(p_n = \lfloor 2 \{an + b\}\rfloor\). Any \(k\) consecutive terms of this sequence will be called a word. Is it true that any ordered set of zeros and ones of length \(k\) is a word of the sequence given by some \(a\) and \(b\) for \(k = 4\); when \(k = 5\)?

Note: \(\lfloor c\rfloor\) is the integer part, \(\{c\}\) is the fractional part of the number \(c\).

With a non-zero number, the following operations are allowed: \(x \rightarrow \frac{1+x}{x}\), \(x \rightarrow \frac{1-x}{x}\). Is it true that from every non-zero rational number one can obtain each rational number with the help of a finite number of such operations?

There is a group of 5 people: Alex, Beatrice, Victor, Gregory and Deborah. Each of them has one of the following codenames: V, W, X, Y, Z. We know that:

Alex is 1 year older than V,

Beatrice is 2 years older than W,

Victor is 3 years older than X,

Gregory is 4 years older than Y.

Who is older and by how much: Deborah or Z?

The order of books on a shelf is called wrong if no three adjacent books are arranged in order of height (either increasing or decreasing). How many wrong orders is it possible to construct from \(n\) books of different heights, if: a) \(n = 4\); b) \(n = 5\)?

A traveller rents a room in an inn for a week and offers the innkeeper a chain of seven silver links as payment – one link per day, with the condition that they will be payed everyday. The innkeeper agrees, with the condition that the traveller can only cut one of the links. How did the traveller manage to pay the innkeeper?

There are 6 locked suitcases and 6 keys for them. It is not known which keys are for which suitcase. What is the smallest number of attempts do you need in order to open all the suitcases? How many attempts would you need if there are 10 suitcases and keys instead of 6?

Orcs and goblins, 40 creatures altogether, are standing in a rectangular formation of \(4\) rows and \(10\) columns. Is it possible that the total number of orcs in each row is \(7\), while the number of orcs in each column is the same?