The Fifty-Sixth William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition Saturday, December 2, 1995

A1 Let be a set of real numbers which is closed under multiplication (that is, if and are in , then so is ). Let and be disjoint subsets of whose union is . Given that the product of any three (not necessarily distinct) elements of is in and that the product of any three elements of is in , show that at least one of the two subsets is closed under multiplication. A2 For what pairs
 of positive real numbers does the improper integral

different columns independent of each other. Let the row sums d8e of the resulting matrix be rearranged (if necessary) so that 90f40fe . Show that for some Ffgh/D5=5%> , it is at least four times as likely that both i;W  / and e;W  E as that Q;[j;We . B1 For a partition k of l-/=E8bA)mJ>BSn"8oA85Sp , let kq  be the number of elements in the part containing  . Prove that for any two partitions k and kr , there are two distinct numbers  and s in l%/=EbS)mJ>S8BSn"oS85Sp such that kq  ;tkq]sS and kru  ;tkrv]sS . [A partition of a set is a collection of disjoint subsets (parts) whose union is .] B2 An ellipse, whose semi-axes have lengths and , rolls without slipping on the curve sw;teyx)zN{R|(}~J . How are .e related, given that the ellipse completes one revolution when it traverses one period of the curve? B3 To each positive integer with F decimal digits, we associate the determinant of the matrix obtained by writing the digits in order across the rows. For example, for

 

             

 

converge? A3 The number "!#%$'&&(&)%* has nine (not necessarily distinct) decimal digits. The number + ! + $ &&(&)+ * is such that each of the nine 9-digit numbers formed by replacing just one of the digits -, is  !  $ &&& * by the corresponding digit +., ( /10324065 ) is divisible by 7. The number 7 ! 7 $ &&(&7 * is related to + ! + $ &&(&8+ * is the same way: that is, each of the nine numbers formed by replacing one of the + , by the corresponding 7 , is divisible by 7. Show that, for each 2 ,  , 97 , is divisible by 7. [For example, if !-$:&(&&8-*<; /(5=5->@?A/(5=5%B , then +DC may be 2 or 9, since /(5%5%>=?%E@5%5=B and /(5%5%>=?=5=5%5=B are multiples of 7.] A4 Suppose we have a necklace of F beads. Each bead is labeled with an integer and the sum of all these labels is FGH/ . Prove that we can cut the necklace to form a string whose consecutive labels  !@  $@&(&&( JI satisfy

oB F;[E , to the integer 8617 we associate S#  [; /n >@? . Find, as a function of F , the sum of all the determi$ nants associated with F -digit integers. (Leading digits are assumed to be nonzero; for example, for Ft;E ,
there are 9000 determinants.)

B4 Evaluate

E=E=?-n /

,NM !

 , 0POQP/

for

OR;

/%ES&&(&)F:&

& ! E=E@?"ni $$)# YY ~  Express your answer in the form , where .ed8
are integers. B5 A game starts with four heaps of beans, containing 3,4,5 and 6 beans. The two players move alternately. A move consists of taking either a) one bean from a heap, provided at least two beans are left behind in that heap, or b) a complete heap of two or three beans. The player who takes the last heap wins. To win the game, do you want to move rst or second? Give a winning strategy. B6 For a positive real number , dene

A5 Let  !  $ &&(&#  I be differentiable (real-valued) functions of a single variable 7 which satisfy

  ! %T   $ %T   I %T

. . .

!! !  ) ! $  $ HV(VVD ! I  I ;U  $! !   $ $  $ HV(VVD $ I  I ;U

. . .

;U I !  !  I $  $ WVVV. I@I"I

for some constants ",YX[Z\? . Suppose that for all 2 ,  ,]T) _^`? as T_^\a . Are the functions  !  $ &(&&(  I necessarily linearly dependent? A6 Suppose that each of F people writes down the numbers 1,2,3 in random order in one column of a bc4F matrix, with all orders equally likely and with the orders for

u ';

l]F@F;/=ES8bA&&(&p%&

Prove that l-/=E8bA&(&&p cannot be expressed as the disjoint union of three sets u #
and  . [As usual,  is the greatest integer 0  .]