Practice (Intermediate)

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If the middle term of three consecutive integers is a perfect square, then the product of these three numbers is called a $\textit{beautiful}$ number. What is the greatest common divisor of all the $\textit{beautiful}$ numbers?

Find the smallest square whose last three digits are the same but not equal $0$.

Let $A$ be a two-digit number, multiplying $A$ by 6 yields a three-digit number $B$. The difference of the two five-digit numbers obtained by appending $A$ to the left and right of $B$, respectively, is a perfect square. Find the sum of all such possible $A$s.

Consider the following $32$ numbers: $1!, 2!, 3!, \cdots, 32!$. If one of them is removed, then the product of the remaining $31$ numbers is a perfect squre. What is that removed number?


There are four wolves standing on the four corners of a square, and a rabbit standing at the center of that square. If a wolf can run at $1.4$ times of the rabbit's speed, but can only move along the sides of this square, can the rabbit escape to outside the square?

A game is played with tokens according to the following rule. In each round, the player with the most tokens gives one token to each of the other players and also places one token in the discard pile. The game ends when some player runs out of tokens. Players $A$, $B$, and $C$ start with $15$, $14$, and $13$ tokens, respectively. How many rounds will there be in the game?

Solve the following system in integers: $$ \left\{ \begin{array}{ll} x_1 + x_2 + \cdots + x_n &= n \\ x_1^2 + x_2^2 + \cdots + x_n^2 &= n \\ \cdots\\ x_1^n + x_2^n + \cdots + x_n^n &= n \end{array} \right. $$

Show that for any positive integer $n$, the following relationship holds: $$2^n+2 > n^2$$

In $\triangle{ABC}$, let $AD$, $BE$, and $CF$ be the three altitudes as shown. If $AB=6$, $BC=5$, and $EF=3$, what is the length of $BE$?


Let $\triangle{ABC}$ be an acute triangle. If the distance between the vertex $A$ and the orthocenter $H$ is equal to the radius of its circumcircle, find the measurement of $\angle{A}$.

Let $AD$ be the altitude in $\triangle{ABC}$ from the vertex $A$. If $\angle{A}=45^\circ$, $BD=3$, $DC=2$, find the area of $\triangle{ABC}$.

Cozy the Cat is going up a staircase of $10$ steps. She can either walk up $1$ step a time or jump $2$ steps a time. How many different ways can she reach the top of this staircase?


Colour all the points on a plane either white or black randomly. Show that it is always possible to find a triangle whose vertices have the same colour and its side length is either $1$ or $\sqrt{3}$.

Randomly colour all the points one a plane either black or white. Show that if any two points with a distance of $2$ units have the same colour, then all the points on this plane have the same colour.

Joe wants to write $1$ to $n$ in a $1 \times n$ grid. The number 1 can be written in any grid, while the number $2$ must be written next to $1$ (can be at either side) so that these two numbers are together. The number 3 must be written next to this two-number block. This process goes on. Every new number written must stay next to the existing number block. How many different ways can Joe fill this $1 \times n$ grid?


What is the largest $n$ such that a square cannot be partitioned into $n$ smaller, non-overlapping squares?

How many different ways are there to cover a $1\times 10$ grid with some $1\times 1$ and $1\times 2$ pieces without overlapping?



Let $a$ and $b$ be two randomly selected points on a line segment of unit length. What is the probability that their distance is not more than $\frac{1}{2}$?

Randomly select $3$ real numbers $x$, $y$, and $z$ between 0 and 1. What is the probability that $x^2 + y^2 + z^2 > 1$?

There are several equally spaced parallel lines on a table. The distance between two adjacent lines is $2a$. On the table, toss a coin with a radius of $r$, $(r < a)$. Find the probability that the coin does not touch any line.

Joe breaks a $10$-meter long stick into three shorter sticks. Find the probability that these three sticks can form a triangle.

Show that when $x$ is an integer, $x^2 + 5x + 16$ is not divisible by $169$.


Let $D_n$ be the derangement count, prove:

  • $D_n =n\cdot D_{n−1} +(−1)^n$
  • $D_n = (n−1)\cdot (D_{n−2} +D_{n−1})$

How many different ways are there to express $20$ as the sum of $1$, $2$, and $5$? (All numbers must appear.)

There are $2$ white balls, $3$ red balls, and $1$ yellow ball in a jar. How many different ways are there to retrieve $3$ balls?