Sunaina thinks absurd

Yeah, I did some problems and here are a few of them! I hope you guys try them! Putnam, 2018 B3 Find all positive integers $n < 10^{100}$ for which simultaneously $n$ divides $2^n$, $n-1$ divides $2^n - 1$, and $n-2$ divides $2^n - 2$. Proof We have $$n|2^n\implies n=2^a\implies 2^a-1|2^n-1\implies a|n\implies a=2^b$$ $$\implies 2^{2^b}-2|2^{2^a}-2\implies 2^b-1|2^a-1\implies b|a\implies b=2^c.$$ Then simply bounding. USAMO 1987 Determine all solutions in non-zero integers $a$ and $b$ of the equation $$(a^2+b)(a+b^2) = (a-b)^3.$$ Proof We get $$ 2b^2+(a^2-3a)b+(a+3a^2)=0\implies b = \frac{3a-a^2\pm\sqrt{a^4-6a^3-15a^2-8a}}{4}$$ $$\implies a^4-6a^3-15a^2-8a=a(a-8)(a+1)^2\text{ a perfect square}$$ $$\implies a(a-8)=k^2\implies a^2-8a-k^2=0\implies \implies a=\frac{8\pm\sqrt{64+4k^2}}{2}=4\pm\sqrt{16+k^2}. $$ $$ 16+k^2=m^2\implies (m-k)(m+k)=16.$$ Now just bash. USAMO 1988 Suppose that the set $\{1,2,\cdots, 1998\}$ has been partitioned into disjoint pairs $\{a_i,b_i\}$ ($1...

So it's been 1 month since the INMO results were out! So here's my past 1 month's journey into problem-solving.  There hasn't been much in my life, although the Sharygin correspondence round results came out! And I qualified for the final round. I just made the cutoff though. I got 85 marks and the (unofficial) cutoff was 84 marks. I am one of the seven students selected for the final round and the only kid from India in my grade! They, however, are not inviting Indian students in the final round and have asked us to conduct the final round in India if an organization agrees. Monthly reflection: Till May 16, I tried the Awesome Math Application ( which I got accepted into woohoo! And I am taking courses in the second and third season hehe) Then I was completing 108 algebra problems along with MBL problems till June 1 June 1- June 10: Since I was feeling very guilty for not doing enough problems from the Sophie psets, I did a few Sophie psets problems. BTW Thankyou so mu...

Welcome back! I tried the previous year INMO problems. And yes, I did a lot of them, here are a few! Here are the problems! ( they are kept in random order) [2008 P2]:  Find all triples $ \left(p,x,y\right)$ such that $ p^x=y^4+4$, where $ p$ is a prime and $ x$ and $ y$ are natural numbers. [some INMO]: Find all $m,n\in\mathbb N$ and primes $p\geq 5$ satisfying $$m(4m^2+m+12)=3(p^n-1).$$ [2015 P3]  Find all real functions $f: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}$ such that $f(x^2+yf(x))=xf(x+y)$. [2005 P6]:  Find all functions $f : \mathbb{R} \longrightarrow \mathbb{R}$ such that\[ f(x^2 + yf(z)) = xf(x) + zf(y) , \]for all $x, y, z \in \mathbb{R}$. [2012 P6] Let $f : \mathbb{Z} \to \mathbb{Z}$ be a function satisfying $f(0) \ne 0$, $f(1) = 0$ and $(i) f(xy) + f(x)f(y) = f(x) + f(y)$ $(ii)\left(f(x-y) - f(0)\right ) f(x)f(y) = 0 $ for all $x,y \in \mathbb{Z}$, simultaneously. $(a)$ Find the set of all possible values of the function $f$. $(b)$ If $f(10) \ne 0$ and $f(2) = 0$, find ...