Author: A.K. Tolpygo
An irrational number \(\alpha\), where \(0 <\alpha <\frac 12\), is given. It defines a new number \(\alpha_1\) as the smaller of the two numbers \(2\alpha\) and \(1 - 2\alpha\). For this number, \(\alpha_2\) is determined similarly, and so on.
a) Prove that for some \(n\) the inequality \(\alpha_n <3/16\) holds.
b) Can it be that \(\alpha_n> 7/40\) for all positive integers \(n\)?
There was a football match of 10 versus 10 players between a team of liars (who always lie) and a team of truth-tellers (who always tell the truth). After the match, each player was asked: “How many goals did you score?” Some participants answered “one”, Callum said “two”, some answered “three”, and the rest said “five”. Is Callum lying if it is known that the truth-tellers won with a score of 20:17?
What has a greater value: \(300!\) or \(100^{300}\)?
There are 13 weights, each weighing an integer number of grams. It is known that any 12 of them can be divided into two cups of weights, six weights on each one, which will come to equilibrium. Prove that all the weights have the same weight.
The equations \[ax^2 + bx + c = 0 \tag{1}\] and \[- ax^2 + bx + c \tag{2}\] are given. Prove that if \(x_1\) and \(x_2\) are, respectively, any roots of the equations (1) and (2), then there is a root \(x_3\) of the equation \(\frac 12 ax^2 + bx + c\) such that either \(x_1 \leq x_3 \leq x_2\) or \(x_1 \geq x_3 \geq x_2\).
Prove that if \(x_0^4 + a_1x_0^3 + a_2x_0^2 + a_3x_0 + a_4\) and \(4x_0^3 + 3a_1x_0^2 + 2a_2x_0 + a_3 = 0\) then \(x^4 + a_1x^3 + a_2x^2 + a_3x + a_4\) is divisible by \((x - x_0)^2\).
The segment \(OA\) is given. From the end of the segment \(A\) there are 5 segments \(AB_1, AB_2, AB_3, AB_4, AB_5\). From each point \(B_i\) there can be five more new segments or not a single new segment, etc. Can the number of free ends of the constructed segments be 1001? By the free end of a segment we mean a point belonging to only one segment (except point \(O\)).
There is a system of equations \[\begin{aligned} * x + * y + * z &= 0,\\ * x + * y + * z &= 0,\\ * x + * y + * z &= 0. \end{aligned}\] Two people alternately enter a number instead of a star. Prove that the player that goes first can always ensure that the system has a non-zero solution.
Two people play a game with the following rules: one of them guesses a set of integers \((x_1, x_2, \dots , x_n)\) which are single-valued digits and can be either positive or negative. The second person is allowed to ask what is the sum \(a_1x_1 + \dots + a_nx_n\), where \((a_1, \dots ,a_n)\) is any set. What is the smallest number of questions for which the guesser recognizes the intended set?
The number \(n\) has the property that when it is divided by \(q^2\) the remainder is smaller than \(q^2 / 2\), whatever the value of \(q\). List all numbers that have this property.