1. Graph on the coordinate plane all points (x, y) such that min (x, y) = 1.

(min (x, y) means the smaller of x and y; if x = y, then min (x, y) = x = y.)

2. Which is larger: 2300 or 3200 ?

3. Is it possible to find two numbers whose difference is one such that their
hundredth powers are equal?

4. Take an acute triangle ABC and draw points K and L such that triangles ABK and
BCL are equilateral. Segment AL is 17 cm long. How long is segment KC?

𝑥𝑥 𝑦𝑦
5. Graph on the coordinate plane all points (x,y) such that =
|x| |y|

6. There are 8 numbers on a chalkboard. When each of them is increased by 1,

the sum of their squares does not change. Each is increased by 1 once again.
Did the sum of their squares change this time? If so, by how much?
7. We know that the quadratic equation ax2+bx+c=0 does not have roots, and that
a+b+c>0. Determine the sign of c.

8. The sum of four numbers is 81. If we increase the first by 2, decrease the second
by 2, multiply the third by 2, and divide the fourth by 2, the numbers will be
equal. Find these (initial) four numbers.
 SOLUTIONS

Problem 1
These are two rays emerging from the point (1,1), one directed up and one to the
right.
We need all the points on the plane for which x = 1 and y ≥ 1, and all the points for
which y = 1 and x ≥ 1.

Problem 2
3200.
3200= 9100 > 8100= 2300

Problem 3
Yes: 0.5 and -0.5.
The hundredth powers of two numbers are equal in two cases: if they are equal,
and if one is -1 times the other.

Problem 4
17 cm.

The triangles KBC and ABL are equal by side-angle-side (two equal side lengths and
the same angle between them). So KC = AL = 17 cm.
Problem 5
Color the first and third quadrant, excluding the axes with a dotted line.
𝑡𝑡
The expression is equal to 1 if t > 0 and -1 if t < 0. (It is undefined if t = 0.)
|t|
𝑥𝑥 𝑦𝑦
So = holds if and only if x and y are either both greater than zero or both less
|x| |y|

than zero.

Problem 6
It will increase by 16.
(a+1)2=a2+2a+1. Therefore, increasing each number by one will add twice the sum
of those numbers plus eight to the sum of their squares. The first time, this change
was equal to zero, so the sum of the original eight numbers was -8/2 = -4. After one
was added to each number for the first time, they added up to 4. This means that the
second time, the sum of the squares increased by 2 * 4 + 8 = 16.

Problem 7
C is positive.
Consider the graph of the function y = ax2+bx+c. Since it has no roots, it does
not cross the x-axis. Observe that this function at x = 1 is y = a+b+c > 0, so
the point (1, a+b+c) of our function is above the x-axis; as a result, the entire
function lies above the x-axis. Applying this fact for x = 0, the point (0,c) must
also satisfy this, so c > 0.

Problem 8
16, 20, 9 and 36.
Denote the resulting equal number by x. Then the first number is (x-2), the second
is (x+2), the third is 0.5x, and the fourth is 2x. Plugging in, we have the simple
equation x-2 + x+2 + 0.5x + 2x = 81, which gives x=18 and the initial four numbers.