Problems

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Given a board (divided into squares) of the size: a) \(10\times 12\), b) \(9\times 10\), c) \(9\times 11\), consider the game with two players where: in one turn a player is allowed to cross out any row or any column if there is at least one square not crossed out. The loser is the one who cannot make a move. Is there a winning strategy for one of the players?

Prove that the equation \[a_1 \sin x + b_1 \cos x + a_2 \sin 2x + b_2 \cos 2x + \dots + a_n \sin nx + b_n \cos nx = 0\] has at least one root for any values of \(a_1 , b_1, a_2, b_2, \dots, a_n, b_n\).

Two players play the following game. They take turns. One names two numbers that are at the ends of a line segment. The next then names two other numbers, which are at the ends of a segment nested in the previous one. The game goes on indefinitely. The first aims to have at least one rational number within the intersection of all of these segments, and the second aims to prevent such occurring. Who wins in this game?

The positive irrational numbers \(a\) and \(b\) are such that \(1/a + 1/b = 1\). Prove that among the numbers \(\lfloor ma\rfloor , \lfloor nb\rfloor\) each natural number occurs exactly once.

There are 8 glasses of water on the table. You are allowed to take any two of the glasses and make them have equal volumes of water (by pouring some water from one glass into the other). Prove that, by using such operations, you can eventually get all the glasses to contain equal volumes of water.

A broken calculator carries out only one operation “asterisk”: \(a*b = 1 - a/b\). Prove that using this calculator it is possible to carry out all four arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).

A rectangular billiard with sides 1 and \(\sqrt {2}\) is given. From its angle at an angle of \(45 ^\circ\) to the side a ball is released. Will it ever get into one of the pockets? (The pockets are in the corners of the billiard table).