International Mathematical Olympiad 7. [IMO-HK-Pre 1994-1995 Q.

11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]

Preliminary Selection Contest - Hong Kong What is x + y + z if x, y, z are integers greater than 1
All Q.11’s such that xy − 1 is divisible by z, yz − 1 is divisible by x,
and zx − 1 is divisible by y?
1. [IMO-HK-Pre 1987-1988 Q.11, 2 marks]
In the Figure 1, the two circles are of radii 8 cm and 6 8. [IMO-HK-Pre 1995-1996 Q.11, 3 marks, 18 minutes]
cm and their centres are 12 cm apart. Through one of the Find the greatest natural number possessing the property
points of intersection P , a line QR is drawn in such a way that each of its digits except the first and the last one
that the chords QP and P R have equal lengths. Find the is less than the arithmetic mean of the two neighbouring
length QP in surd form. digits.
Q 9. [IMO-HK-Pre 1996-1997 Q.11, 2 marks, 7.5 minutes]
P For all integers x, the function f (x) satisfies f (x + 1) =
1 + f (x)
. If f (1) = 2, find the value of f (1996).
R 1 − f (x)
10. [IMO-HK-Pre 1997-1998 Q.11, 1 mark, 6 minutes]
A square whose sides are of integral lengths is cut into 25
smaller squares whose sides are also of integral lengths.
Figure 1 Exactly 24 of these smaller squares are unit squares. Find
the area of the original square.

2. [IMO-HK-Pre 1988-1989 Q.11, 2 marks] 11. [IMO-HK-Pre 1998-1999 Q.11, 1 mark, 6 minutes]
D Given that [x] represents the greatest integer not exceed-
1099

ing x. Find the last three digits of the integer .
1033 + 3
B C
12. [IMO-HK-Pre 1999-2000 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
A
O A sequence of integers a1 , a2 , . . . , an , . . . is defined by an =
an−1 − an−2 for n ≥ 3. The sum of the first 1588 terms
of the sequence is 1997, and the sum of the first 1997
terms is 1588. Find the sum of the first 1999 terms of the
In the figure, chord AD is bisected by chord BC. The sequence.
radius of the circle is 5 and BC = 6. Suppose that AD
is the only chord starting at A which is bisected by BC. 13. [IMO-HK-Pre 2000-2001 Q.11, 1 mark, 6 minutes]
Find sin ∠AOB, where O is the centre of the circle. (Leave A circle is inscribed in △ABC. D, E are points on AB
the answer as a fraction.) and AC respectively, such that DE is parallel to BC and
is tangent to the circle. If the perimeter of △ABC is p,
3. [IMO-HK-Pre 1990-1991 Q.11, 2 marks, 11.3 minutes] find the maximum length of DE.
Find the largest positive integer n for which n! can be
expressed as the product of (n − 3) consecutive positive 14. [IMO-HK-Pre 2001-2002 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
integers. In △ABC, M and N are two points on BC such that
BM < BN , BM = N C = 4 and M N = 3. If ∠BAM =
4. [IMO-HK-Pre 1991-1992 Q.11, 1 mark, 4.5 minutes]
∠M AN = ∠N AC, find the length of AC.
Let N be a positive integer satisfying the following prop-
erties: 15. [IMO-HK-Pre 2002-2003 Q.11, 1 mark, 6 minutes]
Find the 2002nd positive integer that is not the difference
(i) N is a perfect cube.
of two square integers.
(ii) None of the last 3 digits of N is zero.
(iii) If the last 3 digits of N are removed, the number so 16. [IMO-HK-Pre 2003-2004 Q.11, 1 mark, 6 minutes]
formed is also a perfect cube. On a certain planet there are 100 countries. They all agree
to form unions, each with a maximum of 50 countries, and
Determine the maximum possible value of N . that each country will be joining a number of unions, so
5. [IMO-HK-Pre 1992-1993 Q.11, 2 marks, 14.4 minutes] that every two different countries will belong to a same
union. At least how many unions must be formed?
For any two positive numbers x and y, let s be the smallest
1 1 17. [IMO-HK-Pre 2004-2005 Q.11, 1 mark, 6 minutes]
value of x, y and + . Find the greatest possible value
x y 
1 1 1
of s. A =
 + + ··· +
If 1 × 2 3 × 4 2003 × 2004 ,
6. [IMO-HK-Pre 1993-1994 Q.11, 3 marks, 18 minutes] 1 1 1
B = + + ··· +

1003 × 2004 1004 × 2003 2004 × 1003
Let n be a natural number. For  1 ≤ x ≤ 2n, find the A
number of solutions of x2 − x2 = (x − [x]) , where [x] find .
B
denote the greatest integer not exceeding x.

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18. [IMO-HK-Pre 2005-2006 Q.11, 1 mark, 6 minutes]
When n fair dice are thrown, the probability of obtaining
a sum of 2005 and the probability of obtaining a sum of S
are both equal to a positive number p. Find the smallest
possible value of S.
be a ‘dragon sequence’. For example, {414}, {208, 82}
and {1, 17, 73, 321} are all ‘dragon sequences’. At least
how many two-digit numbers must be chosen at random
to ensure that a ‘dragon sequence’ can be formed among
some of the chosen numbers?

19. [IMO-HK-Pre 2006-2007 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes] 28. [IMO-HK-Pre 2015-2016 Q.11, 2 mark, 12 minutes]
Two concentric circle have radii 2006 and 2007. ABC is Let n be a positive integer. If the two numbers (n+1)(2n+
an equilateral triangle inscribed in the smaller circle and P 15) and n(n + 5) have exactly the same prime factors, find
is a point on the circumference of the larger circle. Given the greatest possible value of n.
that a triangle√with side lengths equal to P A, P B and
29. [IMO-HK-Pre 2016-2017 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
a b
P C has area , where a, b, c are positive integers such In △ABC, ∠B = 40◦ and AB + BC = 2AC. K and
c
that a and c are relatively prime and b is not divisible by M are the mid-points of AB and BC respectively, while
the square of any prime, find a + b + c. L is a point on AC such that BL bisects ∠ABC. Find
∠KLM .
20. [IMO-HK-Pre 2007-2008 Q.11, 1 mark, 6 minutes]
Let A1 , A2 , . . . , A11 be 11 points on a straight line in order, 30. [IMO-HK-Pre 2017-2018 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
where A1 A11 = 56. Given that Ai Ai+2 ≤ 12 for i = Ann and Ben compete in the election for the class club
1, 2, . . . , 9 and Aj Aj+3 ≥ 17 for j = 1, 2, . . . , 8, find A2 A7 . chairman. 8 eligible voters take turns to vote, and the
vote count is updated immediately. A candidate wins
21. [IMO-HK-Pre 2008-2009 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes] once he/she leads the other by 4 votes during the pro-
In a drawer there are x white gloves and y red gloves with cess; otherwise there is no winner. If all votes cast a vote
x > y and x + y ≤ 2008. When two gloves are drawn to one of Ann or Ben at random, what is the probability
at random, the probability that the two gloves are of the for Ann to win?
same colour is exactly one-half. Find the largest possible
value of x. 31. [IMO-HK-Pre 2018-2019 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
Find the last four digits of 227653 − 1.
22. [IMO-HK-Pre 2009-2010 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]

1 1 32. [IMO-HK-Pre 2019-2020 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
Find the value of tan tan−1 + tan−1 2 Let ABC be a triangle. D and E are points on AB such
2 2 × 2
1 1 that AD : DE : EB = 2 : 3 : 2. F and G are points
+ tan−1 2 + · · · + tan
−1
. on BC such that BF : F G : GC = 1 : 3 : 1. H and K
2×3 2 × 20092
are points on AC such that AH : HK : KC = 2 : 3 : 1.
23. [IMO-HK-Pre 2010-2011 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes] The line DG meets F H and EK at P and Q respectively.
Let ABCD be a square of side length 1. P and Q are Find DP : QG.
two points on the plane such that Q is the circumcentre
33. [IMO-HK-Pre 2020-2021 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
of △BP C and D is the circumcentre of △P QA. Find
the largest possible value of P Q2 . Express the answer in Let a, b, c be the three roots of the equation x3 − (k +
√ √ 1)x2 + kx + 12 = 0, where k is a real number. If (a − 2)3 +
the form a + b and a − b, where a and b are rational (b − 2)3 + (c − 2)3 = −18, find the value of k.
numbers.
34. [IMO-HK-Pre 2021-2022 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
24. [IMO-HK-Pre 2011-2012 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
Suppose (21x + 20y)2021 + x2021 + 484x + 440y = 0 for
The lengths of the three altitudes of a triangle are in the x
some non-zero real numbers x and y. Find .
ratio 3 : 4 : 6. If the radius of the inscribed circle of y
the triangle is 1, find the radius of the circumcircle of the
triangle.
25. [IMO-HK-Pre 2012-2013 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
An n-digit number x has the following property: if the
last digit of x is moved to the front, the result is 2x. Find
the smallest possible value of n.
26. [IMO-HK-Pre 2013-2014 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
Let α, β and γ be the three roots of the equation 8x3 +
2012x + 2013 = 0. Find the value of (α + β)3 + (β + γ)3 +
(γ + α)3 .
27. [IMO-HK-Pre 2014-2015 Q.11, 2 marks, 12 minutes]
If a sequence {a1 , a2 , . . . , an } of positive integers (where n
is a positive integer) has the property that the last digit of
ak is the same as the first digit of ak+1 (here k = 1, 2, . . . , n
and we define an+1 = a1 ), then the sequence is said to