IMO Shortlist 2012

Algebra

A1 Find all functions f : Z → Z such that, for all integers a, b, c that satisfy a + b + c = 0, the
following equality holds:
f (a)2 + f (b)2 + f (c)2 = 2f (a)f (b) + 2f (b)f (c) + 2f (c)f (a).
(Here Z denotes the set of integers.)
Proposed by Liam Baker, South Africa
A2 Let Z and Q be the sets of integers and rationals respectively. a) Does there exist a partition
of Z into three non-empty subsets A, B, C such that the sets A + B, B + C, C + A are disjoint?
b) Does there exist a partition of Q into three non-empty subsets A, B, C such that the sets
A + B, B + C, C + A are disjoint?
Here X + Y denotes the set {x + y : x ∈ X, y ∈ Y }, for X, Y ⊆ Z and for X, Y ⊆ Q.

A3 Let n ≥ 3 be an integer, and let a2 , a3 , . . . , an be positive real numbers such that a2 a3 · · · an =

1. Prove that
(1 + a2 )2 (1 + a3 )3 · · · (1 + an )n > nn .
Proposed by Angelo Di Pasquale, Australia
A4 Let f and g be two nonzero polynomials with integer coefficients and deg f > deg g. Suppose
that for infinitely many primes p the polynomial pf + g has a rational root. Prove that f has
a rational root.
A5 Find all functions f : R → R that satisfy the conditions
f (1 + xy) − f (x + y) = f (x)f (y) for all x, y ∈ R,
and f (−1) 6= 0.

A6 Let f : N → N be a function, and let f m be f applied m times. Suppose that for every n ∈ N
there exists a k ∈ N such that f 2k (n) = n + k, and let kn be the smallest such k. Prove that
the sequence k1 , k2 , . . . is unbounded.
A7 We say that a function f : Rk → R is a metapolynomial if, for some positive integer m and
n, it can be represented in the form
f (x1 , · · · , xk ) = max min Pi,j (x1 , · · · , xk ),
i=1,··· ,m j=1,··· ,n

where Pi,j are multivariate polynomials. Prove that the product of two metapolynomials is
also a metapolynomial.

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 IMO Shortlist 2012

Combinatorics

C1 Several positive integers are written in a row. Iteratively, Alice chooses two adjacent numbers
x and y such that x > y and x is to the left of y, and replaces the pair (x, y) by either (y +1, x)
or (x − 1, x). Prove that she can perform only finitely many such iterations.

C2 Let n ≥ 1 be an integer. What is the maximum number of disjoint pairs of elements of the
set {1, 2, . . . , n} such that the sums of the different pairs are different integers not exceeding
n?

C3 In a 999 × 999 square table some cells are white and the remaining ones are red. Let T be
the number of triples (C1 , C2 , C3 ) of cells, the first two in the same row and the last two in
the same column, with C1 , C3 white and C2 red. Find the maximum value T can attain.

C4 Players A and B play a game with N ≥ 2012 coins and 2012 boxes arranged around a circle.
Initially A distributes the coins among the boxes so that there is at least 1 coin in each box.
Then the two of them make moves in the order B, A, B, A, . . . by the following rules: (a) On
every move of his B passes 1 coin from every box to an adjacent box. (b) On every move of
hers A chooses several coins that were not involved in B’s previous move and are in different
boxes. She passes every coin to and adjacent box. Player A’s goal is to ensure at least 1 coin
in each box after every move of hers, regardless of how B plays and how many moves are
made. Find the least N that enables her to succeed.

C5 The columns and the row of a 3n × 3n square board are numbered 1, 2, . . . , 3n. Every square
(x, y) with 1 ≤ x, y ≤ 3n is colored asparagus, byzantium or citrine according as the modulo 3
remainder of x + y is 0, 1 or 2 respectively. One token colored asparagus, byzantium or citrine
is placed on each square, so that there are 3n2 tokens of each color. Suppose that on can
permute the tokens so that each token is moved to a distance of at most d from its original
position, each asparagus token replaces a byzantium token, each byzantium token replaces a
citirine token, and each citrine token replaces an aspargus token. Prove that it is possible
to permute the tokens so that each token is moved to a distance of at most d + 2 from its
original position, and each square contains a token with the same color as the square.

C6 The liar’s guessing game is a game played between two players A and B. The rules of the
game depend on two positive integers k and n which are known to both players.
At the start of the game A chooses integers x and N with 1 ≤ x ≤ N. Player A keeps x
secret, and truthfully tells N to player B. Player B now tries to obtain information about x
by asking player A questions as follows: each question consists of B specifying an arbitrary
set S of positive integers (possibly one specified in some previous question), and asking A
whether x belongs to S. Player B may ask as many questions as he wishes. After each

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 IMO Shortlist 2012

question, player A must immediately answer it with yes or no, but is allowed to lie as many
times as she wants; the only restriction is that, among any k + 1 consecutive answers, at least
one answer must be truthful.
After B has asked as many questions as he wants, he must specify a set X of at most n
positive integers. If x belongs to X, then B wins; otherwise, he loses. Prove that:
1. If n ≥ 2k , then B can guarantee a win. 2. For all sufficiently large k, there exists an
integer n ≥ (1.99)k such that B cannot guarantee a win.
Proposed by David Arthur, Canada

C7 There are given 2500 points on a circle labeled 1, 2, . . . , 2500 in same order. Prove that one
can choose 100 pairwise disjoint chords joining some of theses points so that the 100 sums of
the pairs of numbers at the endpoints of the chosen chord are equal.

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 IMO Shortlist 2012

Geometry

G1 Given triangle ABC the point J is the centre of the excircle opposite the vertex A. This
excircle is tangent to the side BC at M , and to the lines AB and AC at K and L, respectively.
The lines LM and BJ meet at F , and the lines KM and CJ meet at G. Let S be the point
of intersection of the lines AF and BC, and let T be the point of intersection of the lines AG
and BC. Prove that M is the midpoint of ST.
(The excircle of ABC opposite the vertex A is the circle that is tangent to the line segment
BC, to the ray AB beyond B, and to the ray AC beyond C.)
Proposed by Evangelos Psychas, Greece

G2 Let ABCD be a cyclic quadrilateral whose diagonals AC and BD meet at E. The extensions
of the sides AD and BC beyond A and B meet at F . Let G be the pint such that ECGD is
a parallelogram, and let H be the image of E under reflection in AD. Prove that D, H, F, G
are concyclic.

G3 In an acute triangle ABC the points D, E and F are the feet of the altitudes through A, B
and C respectively. The incenters of the triangles AEF and BDF are I1 and I2 respectively;
the circumcenters of the triangles ACI1 and BCI2 are O1 and O2 respectively. Prove that
I1 I2 and O1 O2 are parallel.

G4 Let ABC be a triangle with AB 6= AC and circumcenter O. The bisector of ∠BAC intersects
BC at D. Let E be the reflection of D with respect to the midpoint of BC. The lines through
D and E perpendicular to BC intersect the lines AO and AD at X and Y respectively. Prove
that the quadrilateral BXCY is cyclic.

G5 Let ABC be a triangle with ∠BCA = 90◦ , and let D be the foot of the altitude from C. Let
X be a point in the interior of the segment CD. Let K be the point on the segment AX such
that BK = BC. Similarly, let L be the point on the segment BX such that AL = AC. Let
M be the point of intersection of AL and BK.
Show that M K = M L.
Proposed by Josef Tkadlec, Czech Republic

G6 Let ABC be a triangle with circumcenter O and incenter I. The points D, E and F on the
sides BC, CA and AB respectively are such that BD + BF = CA and CD + CE = AB. The
circumcircles of the triangles BF D and CDE intersect at P 6= D. Prove that OP = OI.

G7 Let ABCD be a convex quadrilateral with non-parallel sides BC and AD. Assume that
there is a point E on the side BC such that the quadrilaterals ABED and AECD are

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 IMO Shortlist 2012

circumscribed. Prove that there is a point F on the side AD such that the quadrilaterals
ABCF and BCDF are circumscribed if and only if AB is parallel to CD.

G8 Let ABC be a triangle with circumcircle ω and l a line without common points with ω. Denote
by P the foot of the perpendicular from the center of ω to l. The side-lines BC, CA, AB
intersect l at the points X, Y, Z different from P . Prove that the circumcircles of the triangles
AXP , BY P and CZP have a common point different from P or are mutually tangent at P .

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 IMO Shortlist 2012

Number Theory

N1 Call admissible a set A of integers that has the following property: If x, y ∈ A(possibly x = y)
then x2 + kxy + y 2 ∈ A for every integer k. Determine all pairs m, n of nonzero integers such
that the only admissible set containing both m and n is the set of all integers.

N2 Find all triples (x, y, z) of positive integers such that x ≤ y ≤ z and

x3 (y 3 + z 3 ) = 2012(xyz + 2).

m m
N3 Determine all integers m ≥ 2 such that every n with 3 ≤ n ≤ 2 divides the binomial
n


coefficient m−2n .

N4 An integer a is called friendly if the equation (m2 + n)(n2 + m) = a(m − n)3 has a solution
over the positive integers. a) Prove that there are at least 500 friendly integers in the set
{1, 2, . . . , 2012}. b) Decide whether a = 2 is friendly.

N5 For a nonnegative integer n define rad(n) = 1 if n = 0 or n = 1, and rad(n) = p1 p2 · · · pk where

p1 < p2 < · · · < pk are all prime factors of n. Find all polynomials f (x) with nonnegative
integer coefficients such tat rad(f (n)) divides rad(f (nrad(n) )) for every nonnegative integer
n.
n
N6 Let x and y be positive integers. If x2 − 1 is divisible by 2n y + 1 for every positive integer
n, prove that x = 1.

N7 Find all positive integers n for which there exist non-negative integers a1 , a2 , . . . , an such that

1 1 1 1 2 n
a
+ a2 + · · · + an = a1 + a2 + · · · + an = 1.
2 1 2 2 3 3 3

Proposed by Dusan Djukic, Serbia

N8 Prove that for every prime p > 100 and every integer r, there exist two integers a and b such
that p divides a2 + b5 − r.

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