Contents

Preface vii

I Problems 1

1 Admission Tests 2015 3

2 Admission Tests 2016 7

3 Admission Tests 2017 11

4 Admission Tests 2018 15

5 Admission Tests 2019 21

6 Admission Tests 2020 25

7 Admission Tests 2021 31

II Solutions 39

8 Solutions to Admission Tests 2015 41

9 Solutions to Admission Tests 2016 61

10 Solutions to Admission Tests 2017 79

11 Solutions to Admission Tests 2018 95

12 Solutions to Admission Tests 2019 111

13 Solutions to Admission Tests 2020 127

vi Contents

14 Solutions to Admission Tests 2021 145

III Glossary 177

Other Books from XYZ Press 193

Preface

Each year, the AwesomeMath Summer Program (AMSP) brings together

mathematics students and teachers from all over the globe. The program has
been created to provide a place where math enthusiasts can interact with each
other and share the same love for the subject. Meaningful problem solving
has been at the front row of the AwesomeMath programs. In today’s compet-
itive environment, developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills has
become more important than ever.
Over the years, AMSP has become a prestigious program, not only for its rig-
orous curriculum and experienced instructors but also because of its selective
admission process. Students who aspire to participate in the program need
to take one of the three admissions tests offered every year. Based on the
performance on the test, the personal essays, and the recommendation letters,
students’ overall application is evaluated and an admission decision is made
for each applicant.
Since 2006, when the summer program started, there have been 48 admission
tests featuring a total of 510 problems. The vast majority of the problems were
created by Dr. Titu Andreescu, Co-founder and Director of AwesomeMath.
The problems are original, carefully designed, and cover all four traditional
areas of competition math: Algebra, Geometry, Number Theory, and Combi-
natorics.
This book brings to light a ”behind the scenes” story: what happens when a
creative mind and extensive involvement in mathematics competitions come
together. Dr. Andreescu has more than 30 years of experience teaching,
coaching, and mentoring the brightest mathematical minds of our times. He
is the author or co-author of over 50 mathematics books, essential for every
math enthusiast’s library. Here are some of the highlights of his career:
• Head coach and leader of the USA International Mathematical Olympiad
(IMO) for 8 years
• Director of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) American
Mathematics Competitions for 5 years
viii Preface

• Contributed hundreds of problems to various math competitions including

USA(J)MO and IMO, having his problems selected for the USA(J)MO for
every single year since 1994 (27 years! Wow!)
• Co-founder of the free online Purple Comet! Math Meet, the first interna-
tional team-based math competition, that annually gathers over 3,300 teams
from over 50 countries (purplecomet.org)
• Founder and editor-in-chief of the free online Mathematical Reflections jour-
nal (https://www.awesomemath.org/mathematical-reflections/)
The problems and solutions are divided in two volumes. Volume I focuses on
the years since the start of the summer program in 2006 through 2014. Volume
II includes the years 2015 to 2021, inclusively. Each volume starts with the
statements of the test problems. Complete and enhanced solutions to all
problems are then presented, numerous problems having multiple solutions.
We advise our summer program applicants not to be discouraged when ap-
proaching these problems. All admission tests accommodate different ages and
experience of students, applicants’ submissions being evaluated by the admis-
sion committee accordingly. Some of the problems involve complex mathemat-
ical ideas, but all can be solved using only elementary techniques, admittedly
combined in clever ways. Students should include all significant steps in their
reasoning and detailed computation as we are interested in their ability to
showcase their work.
Through complete and thorough solutions to high level competition-like prob-
lems, this book teaches students the invaluable skill of proof writing. The
multitude and variety of problems, not only in terms of difficulty but also with
respect to the areas of mathematics being covered, comprise a rich source of
beautiful mathematics and bright ideas. Advanced middle and high school
students preparing for mathematics competitions or anyone simply looking to
expand their mathematical horizons will find this book the perfect companion.
Afterthought
Students should not attend this great mathematics program only to prepare
for mathematics competitions. The main reason for participating in such a
program is to immerse yourself in mathematics that brings joy to your mind
and soul. You will be solving challenging and intriguing problems and be sur-
rounded by people from around the world who share the same enthusiasm for
problem-solving. You will be developing skills that will make you a stronger,
more confident, resilient, and successful person in your personal life and future
career.

Alina Andreescu
AwesomeMath Director of Operations
awesomemath.org
100 Solutions to Admission Tests 2018

This reduces to
(x − 1009)2
900 = ,
784
yielding
x − 1009 x − 1009
30 = or − 30 = .
28 28
Thus x = 1849 and x = 169, both satisfying the given equation.

3. Find all pairs (p, q) of twin primes such that

(2p + q)3 = p3 + 2q 3 + 2018.

First Solution. If q = p + 2, then

(3p + 2)3 = p3 + 2(p + 2)3 + 2018,

which reduces to
24p3 + 42p2 + 12p = 2026.
This equation does not have a solution in integers as the left-hand side
is divisible by 3, while 2026 is not.
If p = q + 2, then

(3q + 4)3 = (q + 2)3 + 2q 3 + 2018,

which reduces to

24q 3 + 102q 2 + 132q − 1962 = 0

or
3(q − 3)(8q 2 + 58q + 218) = 0.
It follows that q = 3 and so the only pair is (p, q) = (5, 3).
Second Solution. Observe that (2p + q)3 − p3 − q 3 = q 3 + 2018 is
divisible by (2p + q − p − q) = p. So p | (p ± 2)3 + 2018, i.e., p | 2010
or p | 2026. In the first case, p = 2, 3, 5, 67, which gives q = 0, 1, 3, 65,
respectively. In the second case, p = 2, 1013, which gives q = 4, 1015,
respectively. Thus (p, q) = (5, 3).

4. Let a, b, c be nonnegative real numbers such that a2 + b2 + c2 ≤ 1.

Prove that
(9a + 16b + 41c)(5a + 12b + 43c) < 2018.

Solution. From the Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality,

(9a + 16b + 41c)2 ≤ (92 + 162 + 412 )(a2 + b2 + c2 ) ≤ 2018

Solutions to Admission Tests 2018 101

and

(5a + 12b + 43c)2 ≤ (52 + 122 + 432 )(a2 + b2 + c2 ) ≤ 2018.

It follows that

(9a + 16b + 41c)2 (5a + 12b + 43c)2 ≤ 20182 .

a b c a b c
We cannot have simultaneously = = and = = , hence
5 12 43 9 16 41
the conclusion.

5. Find all pairs (a, b) of positive integers such that a3 − 6b2 = 2018 and
b3 − 6a2 = 155 hold simultaneously.
Solution. From the first equation, we have a ≥ 13 and from the second,
b3 ≥ 6 · 132 + 155, so b ≥ 11. By subtraction and factoring,

(a − b)(a2 + ab + b2 + 6(a + b)) = 1863.

The prime factorization of 1863 is 34 · 23. Since

a2 + ab + b2 + 6(a + b)) ≥ 169 + 143 + 121 + 144 = 577,

we have a − b ≤ 3. It follows that a − b = 1 or a − b = 3. In the first

case, b2 + 5b − 618 = 0, equation with no integer solution, while in the
second, b2 + 7b − 198 = 0, whose positive solution is b = 11. Hence the
only pair is (a, b) = (14, 11).

6. Solve in positive real numbers the system of equations

 √ 1√
 (x + 3y) x = 2018 −
 x
3
 (3x + y)√y = 2078 + 1 √x .

3
√ √
Solution. Let x = u and y = v. Then
 1
 u3 + 3uv 2 = 2018 − u

3
 3u2 v + v 3 = 2078 + 1 u.

3
Adding up we get (u + v)3 = 4096 and subtracting,
2
(u − v)3 = −60 − u,
3
102 Solutions to Admission Tests 2018

implying r
3 2
(u + v) + (u − v) = 16 − 60 + u.
3
It follows that r
3 2
2u + 60 + u = 16.
3
Clearly, the function in the left-hand side is increasing, so the above
equation has unique solution. It is easy to see that this is u = 6.
Hence (x, y) = (36, 100), is the solution that satisfies both equations of
the system.

7. Let f : Z+ × Z+ → Z+ ∪ {0} be a function such that

f (1, 1) = 1, f (m + 1, n) = f (m, n) + m, and f (m, n + 1) = f (m, n) − n

for all positive integers m and n.

Find all pairs (a, b) such that f (a, b) = 2018.
Solution. We have

f (a, b) = f (a − 1, b) + a − 1 = f (a − 2, b) + (a − 2) + (a − 1) = . . .
a(a − 1) a(a − 1)
= f (1, b) + = f (1, b − 1) − (b − 1) + = ...
2 2
b(b − 1)
= f (1, 1) − + a(a − 1) = 2018.
2
It follows that
a(a − 1) b(b − 1)
− = 2017,
2 2
hence
(a − b)(a + b − 1) = 2 · 2017.
Note that 2017 is a prime and that a − b < a + b − 1 for all a and b in
Z+ . We have the following two cases:

(i) a − b = 1 and a + b − 1 = 4034, implying a = 2018 and b = 2017;

(ii) a − b = 2 and a + b − 1 = 2017, implying a = 1010 and b = 1008.

Therefore (a, b) = (2018, 2017) or (1010, 1008).

8. Solve in positive integers the equation x3 + y 3 + 3xyz = z 3 + 2018.

Solution. Rewrite the equation as

(x + y − z)[(x − y)2 + (y + z)2 + (z + x)2 ] = 2 · 2018.