{"year": "1997", "tier": "T3", "problem_label": "1", "problem_type": null, "exam": "BalticWay", "problem": "Determine all functions $f$ from the real numbers to the real numbers, different from the zero function, such that $f(x) f(y)=f(x-y)$ for all real numbers $x$ and $y$.", "solution": "Answer: $f(x) \\equiv 1$ is the only such function.\n\nSince $f$ is not the zero function, there is an $x_{0}$ such that $f\\left(x_{0}\\right) \\neq 0$. From $f\\left(x_{0}\\right) f(0)=f\\left(x_{0}-0\\right)=f\\left(x_{0}\\right)$ we then get $f(0)=1$. Then by $f(x)^{2}=f(x) f(x)=f(x-x)=f(0)$ we have $f(x) \\neq 0$ for any real $x$. Finally from $f(x) f\\left(\\frac{x}{2}\\right)=f\\left(x-\\frac{x}{2}\\right)=f\\left(\\frac{x}{2}\\right)$ we get $f(x)=1$ for any real $x$. It is readily verified that this function satisfies the equation.", "metadata": {"resource_path": "BalticWay/segmented/en-bw97sol.jsonl", "problem_match": "\n1.", "solution_match": "\n1."}} {"year": "1997", "tier": "T3", "problem_label": "2", "problem_type": null, "exam": "BalticWay", "problem": "Given a sequence $a_{1}, a_{2}, a_{3}, \\ldots$ of positive integers in which every positive integer occurs exactly once. Prove that there exist integers $\\ell$ and $m$, $1<\\ella_{1}$. Since $2 a_{\\ell}-a_{1}$ is a positive integer larger than $a_{1}$, it occurs in the given sequence beyond $a_{\\ell}$. In other words, there exists an index $m>\\ell$ such that $a_{m}=2 a_{\\ell}-a_{1}$. This completes the proof.\n\nRemarks. The problem was proposed in the slightly more general form where the first term of the arithmetic progression has an arbitary index. The remarks below refer to this version. The problem committee felt that no essential new aspects would arise from the generalization.", "metadata": {"resource_path": "BalticWay/segmented/en-bw97sol.jsonl", "problem_match": "\n2.", "solution_match": "\n2."}} {"year": "1997", "tier": "T3", "problem_label": "1", "problem_type": null, "exam": "BalticWay", "problem": "Determine all functions $f$ from the real numbers to the real numbers, different from the zero function, such that $f(x) f(y)=f(x-y)$ for all real numbers $x$ and $y$.", "solution": "A generalization of this problem is to ask about an existence of an $s$-term arithmetic subsequence of the sequence $\\left(a_{n}\\right)$ (such a subsequence\nalways exists for $s=3$, as shown above). It turns out that for $s=5$ such a subsequence may not exist. The proof can be found in [1]. The same problem for $s=4$ is still open!", "metadata": {"resource_path": "BalticWay/segmented/en-bw97sol.jsonl", "problem_match": "\n1.", "solution_match": "\n1."}} {"year": "1997", "tier": "T3", "problem_label": "2", "problem_type": null, "exam": "BalticWay", "problem": "Given a sequence $a_{1}, a_{2}, a_{3}, \\ldots$ of positive integers in which every positive integer occurs exactly once. Prove that there exist integers $\\ell$ and $m$, $1<\\ella$. Then, if $u_{n}$ is even we have $u_{n+1}=\\frac{1}{2} u_{n}m$ satisfies $u_{n} \\leqslant a$, and there must be an infinite set of such integers $n$.\n\nSince the set of natural numbers not exceeding $a$ is finite and such values arise in the sequence $\\left(u_{n}\\right)$ an infinite number of times, there exist nonnegative integers $m$ and $n$ with $n>m$ such that $u_{n}=u_{m}$. Starting from $u_{m}$ the sequence is then periodic with a period dividing $n-m$.\n\n![](https://cdn.mathpix.com/cropped/2024_04_17_fa027955eeb5a8b983dbg-06.jpg?height=541&width=485&top_left_y=619&top_left_x=272)\n\nFigure 1", "metadata": {"resource_path": "BalticWay/segmented/en-bw97sol.jsonl", "problem_match": "\n5.", "solution_match": "\n5."}} {"year": "1997", "tier": "T3", "problem_label": "6", "problem_type": null, "exam": "BalticWay", "problem": "Find all triples $(a, b, c)$ of non-negative integers satisfying $a \\geqslant b \\geqslant c$ and $1 \\cdot a^{3}+9 \\cdot b^{2}+9 \\cdot c+7=1997$.", "solution": "Answer: $(10,10,10)$ is the only such triple.\n\nThe equality immediately implies $a^{3}+9 b^{2}+9 c=1990 \\equiv 1(\\bmod 9)$. Hence $a^{3} \\equiv 1(\\bmod 9)$ and $a \\equiv 1(\\bmod 3)$. Since $13^{3}=2197>1990$ then the possible values for $a$ are $1,4,7,10$.\n\nOn the other hand, if $a \\leqslant 7$ then by $a \\geqslant b \\geqslant c$ we have\n\n$$\na^{3}+9 b^{2}+9 c^{2} \\leqslant 7^{3}+9 \\cdot 7^{2}+9 \\cdot 7=847<1990\n$$\n\na contradiction. Hence $a=10$ and $9 b^{2}+9 c=990$, whence by $c \\leqslant b \\leqslant 10$ we have $c=b=10$.", "metadata": {"resource_path": "BalticWay/segmented/en-bw97sol.jsonl", "problem_match": "\n6.", "solution_match": "\n6."}} {"year": "1997", "tier": "T3", "problem_label": "7", "problem_type": null, "exam": "BalticWay", "problem": "Let $P$ and $Q$ be polynomials with integer coefficients. Suppose that the integers $a$ and $a+1997$ are roots of $P$, and that $Q(1998)=2000$. Prove that the equation $Q(P(x))=1$ has no integer solutions.", "solution": "Suppose $b$ is an integer such that $Q(P(b))=1$. Since $a$ and $a+1997$ are roots of $P$ we have $P(x)=(x-a)(x-a-1997) R(x)$ where $R$ is a polynomial with integer coefficients. For any integer $b$ the integers $b-a$ and\n$b-a-1997$ are of different parity and hence $P(b)=(b-a)(b-a-1997) R(b)$ is even. Since $Q(1998)=2000$ then the constant term in the expansion of $Q(x)$ is even (otherwise $Q(x)$ would be odd for any even integer $x$ ), and $Q(c)$ is even for any even integer $c$. Hence $Q(P(b))$ is also even and cannot be equal to 1 .", "metadata": {"resource_path": "BalticWay/segmented/en-bw97sol.jsonl", "problem_match": "\n7.", "solution_match": "\n7."}} {"year": "1997", "tier": "T3", "problem_label": "8", "problem_type": null, "exam": "BalticWay", "problem": "If we add 1996 and 1997, we first add the unit digits 6 and 7. Obtaining 13, we write down 3 and \"carry\" 1 to the next column. Thus we make a carry. Continuing, we see that we are to make three carries in total:\n\n$$\n\\begin{array}{r}\n111 \\\\\n1996 \\\\\n+1997 \\\\\n\\hline 3993\n\\end{array}\n$$\n\nDoes there exist a positive integer $k$ such that adding $1996 \\cdot k$ to $1997 \\cdot k$ no carry arises during the whole calculation?", "solution": "Answer: yes.\n\nThe key to the proof is noting that if we add two positive integers and the result is an integer consisting only of digits 9 then the process of addition must have gone without any carries. Therefore it is enough to prove that there exists an integer $k$ such that $3993 k$ is of the form $999 \\ldots 9$.\n\nConsider the first 3994 positive integers consisting only of digits 9:\n\n$$\n9,99,999, \\ldots, \\underbrace{999 \\ldots 9}_{3994} .\n$$\n\nBy the pigeonhole principle some two of these give the same remainder upon division by 3993 , so their difference\n\n$$\n\\underbrace{99 \\ldots 9}_{n} \\underbrace{00 \\ldots 0}_{r}=\\underbrace{99 \\ldots 9}_{n} \\cdot 10^{r}\n$$\n\nis divisible by 3993 . Since 10 and 3993 are coprime we get an integer consisting only of digits 9 and divisible by 3993 .\n\n## Remarks.", "metadata": {"resource_path": "BalticWay/segmented/en-bw97sol.jsonl", "problem_match": "\n8.", "solution_match": "\n8."}} {"year": "1997", "tier": "T3", "problem_label": "1", "problem_type": null, "exam": "BalticWay", "problem": "Determine all functions $f$ from the real numbers to the real numbers, different from the zero function, such that $f(x) f(y)=f(x-y)$ for all real numbers $x$ and $y$.", "solution": "The existence of an integer $10^{\\ell}-1$ consisting only of digits 9 and divisible by 3993 may also be demonstrated quite elegantly by means of Euler's Theorem. The numbers 10 and 3993 are coprime, so $10^{\\varphi(3993)}-1$ is divisible by 3993 . Thus we may take $\\ell=\\varphi(3993)$.\n\n2 . By a computer search it can be found that the smallest integer $k$ satisfying the condition of the problem is $k=162$. Then $1996 \\cdot 162=323352$; $1997 \\cdot 162=323514$ and\n\n$$\n\\begin{array}{r}\n323352 \\\\\n+323514 \\\\\n\\hline 646866\n\\end{array}\n$$", "metadata": {"resource_path": "BalticWay/segmented/en-bw97sol.jsonl", "problem_match": "\n1.", "solution_match": "\n1."}} {"year": "1997", "tier": "T3", "problem_label": "9", "problem_type": null, "exam": "BalticWay", "problem": "The worlds in the Worlds' Sphere are numbered $1,2,3, \\ldots$ and connected so that for any integer $n \\geqslant 1$, Gandalf the Wizard can move in both directions between any worlds with numbers $n, 2 n$ and $3 n+1$. Starting his travel from an arbitrary world, can Gandalf reach every other world?", "solution": "Answer: yes.\n\nFor any two given worlds, Gandalf can move between them either in both\ndirections or none. Hence, it suffices to show that Gandalf can move to the world 1 from any given world $n$. For that, it is sufficient for him to be able to move from any world $n>1$ to some world $m$ such that $m1$.", "solution": "a) Let $A$ be the set of non-negative integers whose only non-zero decimal digits are in even positions counted from the right, and $B$ the set of nonnegative integers whose only non-zero decimal digits are in odd positions counted from the right. It is obvious that $A$ and $B$ have the required property.\n\nb) Since the only possible representation of 0 is $0+0$, we have $0 \\in A \\cap B$. The only possible representations of 1 are $1+0$ and $0+1$. Hence 1 must belong to at least one of the sets $A$ and $B$. Let $1 \\in A$, and let $k$ be the smallest positive integer such that $k \\notin A$. Then $k>1$. If any number $b$ with $0