Practice

back to index

3328

While playing table tennis against Jordan, Chad came up with a new way of scoring. After the first point, the score is regarded as a ratio. Whenever possible, the ratio is reduced to its simplest form. For example, if Chad scores the first two points of the game, the score is reduced from $2:0$ to $1:0$. If later in the game Chad has $5$ points and Jordan has $9$, and Chad scores a point, the score is automatically reduced from $6:9$ to $2:3$. Chad's next point would tie the game at $1:1$. Like normal table tennis, a player wins if he or she is the first to obtain $21$ points. However, he or she does not win if after his or her receipt of the $21^{st}$ point, the score is immediately reduced. Chad and Jordan start at $0:0$ and finish the game using this rule, after which Jordan notes a curiosity: the score was never reduced. How many possible games could they have played? Two games are considered the same if and only if they include the exact same sequence of scoring.

3364

Jack wants to bike from his house to Jill's house, which is located three blocks east and two blocks north of Jack's house. After biking each block, Jack can continue either east or north, but he needs to avoid a dangerous intersection one block east and one block north of his house. In how many ways can he reach Jill's house by biking a total of five blocks?

4114

Let $SP_1P_2P_3EP_4P_5$ be a heptagon. A frog starts jumping at vertex $S$. From any vertex of the heptagon except $E$, the frog may jump to either of the two adjacent vertices. When it reaches vertex $E$, the frog stops and stays there. Find the number of distinct sequences of jumps of no more than $12$ jumps that end at $E$.

4724

$\textbf{Number of Routes}$

The shortest route from point $A$ to $B$ takes $10$ steps. How many such routes are there that do not pass point $C$?