Problems

Age
Difficulty
Found: 8

Show that any natural number \(n\) can be uniquely represented in the form \(n = \binom{x}{1} + \binom{y}{2} + \binom{z}{3}\) where \(x, y, z\) are integers such that \(0 \leq x < y < z\), or \(0 = x = y < z\).

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?

There are two numbers \(x\) and \(y\) being added together. The number \(x\) is less than the sum \(x+y\) by 2000. The sum \(x+y\) is bigger than \(y\) by 6. What are the values of \(x\) and \(y\)?