Special Maths Contest 2023 First Round Problems

1. A slanted ladder, 𝑥 unit long, has its top resting on a vertical wall.
Suppose the bottom of

the ladder (resting on the horizontal ground) is shifted 14 units to the wall, then top of the
ladder will move 8 units up the wall. Suppose instead that the bottom of the ladder is
shifted 21 units away from the wall, then top of the ladder will move 27 units down the
wall. How long is the ladder?
a) 65 b) 40 c) 81 d) 100 e) 125
̅̅̅̅̅̅ ̅̅̅̅̅̅ ̅̅̅̅̅̅
2. 𝑆𝑀𝐶10 , 𝑆𝐶𝑀10 and 𝐶𝑀𝑆10 are all perfect squares, where 𝑆, 𝑀 and 𝐶 are digits (from 0 to
9) of the decimal representation of the numbers. Given that 𝑆, 𝑀 and 𝐶 are not
necessarily distinct, what is the maximum value of 𝑆 + 𝑀 + 𝐶?
a) 9 b) 12 c) 16 d) 20 e) 27
3. 10 boxes are placed in a row. In how many ways can we put 5 balls, each of a different
colour into these boxes if each box can hold at most 1 ball and no 2 boxes without balls
are adjacent?
a) 1 b) 4 c) 5 d) 6 e) 252
4. Let 𝛼 = 𝐴𝐵̂ 𝐶, 𝛽 = 𝐴𝐷 ̂ 𝐶, 𝛾 = 𝐵𝐴̂𝐷 in the diagram below. Given 𝛼 + 𝛽 ≤ 𝛾, what is the
minimum value of 𝛾? (Quadrilateral 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷 is not convex and 𝐴𝐵 and 𝐴𝐷 are tangent
lines).
a) 30° b) 45° c) 60° d) 75° e) 90°

log32 2023
5. Simplify 512 .
2023
a) 2 b)162023 c) 20234 d) 202316 e) 20239/5
6. What is the probability that in a class of 18 people, there exists a group of 3 people born
on the same day of the week?
a) 0 b) 1/6 c) 5/24 d) 20/21 e) 1
7. In triangle 𝐴𝐵𝐶 with |𝐵𝐶| = 72, let 𝐷 be the midpoint of |𝐵𝐶| and let 𝐸 be a point on
|𝐴𝐷| such that |𝐵𝐸| = |𝐵𝐷|. Suppose 𝐸 lies in the interior of 𝐴𝐵𝐶 such that ∠𝐸𝐵𝐴 =
∠𝐷𝐴𝐶, ∠𝐸𝐵𝐶 = ∠𝐵𝐶𝐴. Find the length of the altitude from 𝐴 to 𝐵𝐶.
a) 32 b) 36 c) 24√3 d) 54 e) 18√7
8. Find the number of positive integers that are factors of 319 . 712 . 1025 but are multiples of
315 . 710 . 1019 .
a) 105 b) 735 c) 3240 d) 105360 e) 175760
9. Let 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷𝐸𝐹 be a regular hexagon. Suppose 𝑃𝑄𝑅𝑆𝑇𝑈 is a hexagon such that 𝐴𝑃 = 𝑃𝑄,
𝐵𝑄 = 𝑄𝑅, 𝐶𝑅 = 𝑅𝑆, 𝐷𝑆 = 𝑆𝑇, 𝐸𝑇 = 𝑇𝑈 and 𝐹𝑈 = 𝑈𝑃, as illustrated (𝑃 lies on 𝐴𝑄, 𝑄
lies on 𝐵𝑅, 𝑅 lies on 𝐶𝑆, 𝑆 lies on 𝐷𝑇, 𝑇 lies on 𝐸𝑈, and 𝑈 lies on 𝐹𝑃). Find the ratio of
the area of the bigger hexagon to the smaller one.
a) 2 b) 3 c) 4 d) 2 + √3 e) 2√3
1 2023
10. Let 𝑎 be a zero of the function 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 + 1. Find the value of 𝑎2023 + ( ) .
𝑎
a) 1 b) 2 c) 2023 d) -1 e) -2
11. A circle of radius 10 with its center at the origin is drawn in the 𝑥 − 𝑦 plane. Find the
number of lattice points that are on or inside the circle.
a) 31 b) 37 c) 173 d) 317 e) 371
12. Given positive integers 𝑎1 ≤ 𝑎2 ≤ 𝑎3 ≤ 𝑎4 , let 𝐹(𝑎1 , 𝑎2 , 𝑎3 , 𝑎4 ) denote the number of
ways of filling a 4 by 4 grid with 𝑎1 + 𝑎2 + 𝑎3 + 𝑎4 dots in such a way that each grid
contains at most 1 dot and both row 𝑘 and column 𝑘 contain exactly 𝑎𝑘 dots. Suppose
that 𝐹(1,2,2,3) = 24, 𝐹(1,2,3,3) = 13 and 𝐹(1,2,3,4) = 1. Find 𝐹(1,1,2,3).
a) 1 b) 12 c) 13 d) 24 e) 34
1 2 3 2023
13. What is the remainder when 1 + 2 + 3 + ⋯ + 2023 is divided by 7?
a) 0 b) 1 c) 2 d) 3 e) 4
11
14. A cylinder is filled to water till it is 24 full. A cone of same height and circular base is
submerged in the cylinder as illustrated. What is the height of the water now, as a fraction
of the height of the cylinder?
a) ½ b) 1 c) 11⁄24 d) 5⁄6 e) 5⁄8

15. Find the number of integers greater than 𝟔𝟐𝟎𝟎 that is formed from the digits 1, 3, 6, 8
and 9, where each digit is used at most once.
a) 54 b) 66 c) 120 d) 186 e) 240
16. Three sequences, 𝑎𝑛 , 𝑏𝑛 and 𝑐𝑛 satisfy 𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎𝑛+1 𝑎𝑛−1 , 𝑏𝑛 + 1 = 𝑏𝑛+1 𝑏𝑛−1 and 𝑐𝑛 =
𝑎𝑛+1 𝑏𝑛−1 for all integers 𝑛. Find the least value for 𝑇 > 0 such that we must have
𝑐𝑛+𝑇 = 𝑐𝑛 for all 𝑛.
a) 3 b) 5 c) 6 d) 15 e) 30
12 7
17. Which of the following is not a factor of 𝑡 − 𝑡 + 𝑡 − 1?
a) 𝑡 + 1 b) 𝑡 2 − 𝑡 + 1 c) 𝑡 2 + 𝑡 + 1 d) 𝑡 4 − 𝑡 + 1
e) 𝑡 6 − 𝑡 + 1
18. What is the perimeter of triangle 𝐵𝐶𝐸 in the diagram below? (𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷 is cyclic)
a) 104 b) 3200/33 c) 176 d) 350/3 e) 1000/11

19. How many ordered pairs of positive integers (𝑚, 𝑛) satisfy,
1 1 1
+ = ?
𝑚! 𝑛! 𝑙𝑐𝑚(𝑚, 𝑛)
a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4 e) 5
20. What is the sum of the coefficients of terms with even powers of 𝑥 (terms of the form
𝑥 2𝑚 𝑦 𝑛 , 𝑚 and 𝑛 are integers) in the expansion of (1 − 2𝑥 + 𝑦)2023 ?
a) 0 b) 24045 c) 24046 d) 22023 e) 22022
21. Super Eagles coach is tasked with carrying a squad of 23 men for the FIFA’s world cup
tournament. This squad must consist of at least one goalkeeper, one defender, one
midfielder and one attacker. Given that the number of defenders must not be less than the
number of midfielders which also must not be less than the number of attackers which
also must not be less than the number of goalkeepers, how many possible squad
formations are possible? (A possible formation would be 2 goalkeepers, 8 defenders, 7
midfielders and 6 attackers)
a) 94 b) 64 c) 1540 d) 1771 e) 8855
22. An octagon of perimeter 32 units is such that 4 sides have equal lengths of 3 units and the
remaining 4 sides have equal lengths of 5 units as well. Order does not matter. Given that
this octagon is cyclic, find its circumradius.
4+√15 34+15√2 15+20√2
a) 4 b) 5 c) d) √ e) √
2 2 2
23. Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 be positive real numbers such that,
1 1 1
𝑎 + 𝑏 + 𝑐 = 5 and + + =2
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
The range of possible values of 𝑐 is the real number interval [𝑒, 𝑓]. Find the value of 𝑓 −
𝑒.
a) 1 b) ½ c) 3/2 d) ¾ e) 5/4
24. How many quadruples of positive integers (𝑑1 , 𝑑2 , 𝑑3 , 𝑑4 ) are there such that 𝑑1 |5!,
𝑑2 |5!, 𝑑3 |5!, 𝑑4 |5! and 𝑔𝑐𝑑(𝑑1 , 𝑑2 , 𝑑3 , 𝑑4 ) = 1? (𝑎|𝑏 means 𝑎 divides 𝑏)
a) 24 ∙ 32 ∙ 5 ∙ 7 b) 32 ∙ 54 ∙ 7 c) 23 ∙ 3 ∙ 5 d) 23 ∙ 32 ∙ 5 ∙ 7 e) 216
2023
25. For all ( 𝑖 ) = 3𝑎𝑖 ∙ 𝑏𝑖 , gcd(𝑏𝑖 , 3) = 1 with 𝑎𝑖 , 𝑏𝑖 integers for 𝑖 = 0, 1, 2, … , 2023. Find
the largest value of 𝑖 that maximises 𝑎𝑖 . ((𝑛𝑘) represents the number of ways of selecting
𝑘 items from 𝑛 items, gcd (𝑎, 𝑏) represents the highest common factor of positive
integers 𝑎 and 𝑏)
a) 1943 b) 728 c) 729 d) 1376 e) 1457

Special Maths Contest 2023 First Round Problems

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1. A slanted ladder, 𝑥 unit long, has its top resting on a vertical wall.

Suppose the bottom of

a) 30° b) 45° c) 60° d) 75° e) 90°

a) ½ b) 1 c) 11⁄24 d) 5⁄6 e) 5⁄8

a) 104 b) 3200/33 c) 176 d) 350/3 e) 1000/11

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