1 Divisibility

• Divisibility of 3, 9, and 4 is very useful .

• Specially for squares and cubes a2 ≡ 0, 1(mod3, 4)
• Setting limits using divisibility or parity is very useful.

1. N is a 50 digit number (in the decimal scale). All digits except the
26th digit (from the left) are 1. If N is divisible by 13, find the 26th
digit.(RMO1990)

2. Find the remainder when 21990 is divided by 1990 (RMO 1990)

3. A census man on duty visited a house which the lady inmates declined
to reveal their individual ages, but said — “we do not mind giving you
the sum of the ages of any two ladies you may choose”. Thereupon the
census man said — “In that case please give me the sum of the ages of
every possible pair of you”. The gave the sums as follows : 30, 33, 41, 58,
66, 69. The census man took these figures and happily went away. How
did he calculate the individual ages of the ladies from these figures.(RMO
1990)
4. A four-digit number has the following properties : (a) it is a perfect square,
(b) its first two digits are equal to each other, (c) its last two digits are
equal to each other. Find all such four-digit numbers.(RMO 1991)
5. A leaf is torn from a paperback novel. The sum of the numbers on the re-
maining pages is 15000. What are the page numbers on the torn leaf.(RMO
1994)

6. In the group of ten persons, each person is asked to write the sum of the
ages of all the other nine persons. Of all ten sums form the nine-element
set {82, 83, 84, 85, 87, 89, 90, 91, 92}, find the individual ages of the persons,
assuming them to be whole numbers.

1
 7. Find all 6-digit natural numbers a1 a2 a3 a4 a5 a6 formed by using the digits
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, once each such that the number a1 a2 ...ak is divisible by k,
for 1 ≤ k ≤ 6.(RMO 1994)
8. Suppose N is an n-digit positive integer such that (a) all the n-digits are
distinct; and (b) the sum of any three consecutive digits is divisible by 5.
Prove that n is at most 6. Further, show that starting with any digit one
can find a six-digit number with these properties. (RMO 1994)
9. Let p1 , p2 , . . . be a sequence of primes such that p1 = 2 and for n ≥ 1, pn+1
is the largest prime factor of p1 p2 . . . pn + 1 . Prove that pn 6= 5 for any
n.(RMO 2004)
10. (i) Consider two positive integers a and b which are such that aa bb is
divisible by 2000. What is the least possible value of the product ab? (ii)
Consider two positive integers a and b which are such that ab ba is divisible
by2000. What is the least possible value of the product ab? (RMO 2000)
11. Find the least value of a + b such that 11 divides a + 13b and 13 divides
a + 11b. (RMO 2006)
12. In a book with page numbers from 1 to 100 some pages are torn off. The
sum of the numbers on the remaining pages is 4949. How many pages are
torn off?(RMO 2009)
13. Show that there is no integer a such that a2 − 3a − 19 is divisible by
289.(RMO 2009)
14. Consider the expression 20132 + 20142 + 20152 + · · · + n2 . Prove that
there exists a natural number n > 2013 for which one can change a suitable
number of plus signs to minus signs in the above expression to make the
resulting expression equal 9999. (CRMO2013 ,p 2)
15. Determine the smallest prime that does not divide any five-digit number
whose digits are in a strictly increasing order. (CRMO2013 ,p 4)
16. Determine the smallest prime that does not divide any five-digit number
whose digits are in a strictly increasing order. (CRMO2013 ,p 4)
17. Find all pairs of (x, y) of positive integers such that 2x+7y divides 7x+2y.
(CRMO2014 ,p 2)
18. Prove that there does not exist any positive integer n < 2310 such that
n(2310 − n) is a multiple of 2310. (CRMO2014 ,p 3)
19. (RMO 2015 ) Let
2 3 2015
N = 25 + 25 + 25 + · · · + 25 .

Written in the usual decimal form, find the last two digits of the number N .

2
 7k−5
20. Find all fractions which can be written simultaneously in the forms 5k−3
and 6l−1
4l−3 , for k, l (CRMO2015 ,p 1)

21. (RMO 2016 Maharashtra and Goa Region) Find distinct positive integers
n1 < n2 < . . . < n7 with the least possible sum, such that their product
n1 × n2 × . . . × n7 is divisible by 2016.

2 Diophantine equation
1. If a1 + 1b = 1c , where a, b, c are positive integers with no common factor,
prove that (a + b) is the square of an integer.(RMO 1992)
2. Find all triples (a, b, c) of positive integers such that (1+ a1 )(1+ 1b )(1+ 1c ) =
3. (RMO 1996)
3. Find all 4-tuples (a, b, c, d) of natural numbers with a ≤ b ≤ c and a! +
b! + c! = 3d . (CRMO2013 ,p 3)
4. Find all triples (p, q, r) of primes such that pq = r + 1 and 2(p2 + q 2 ) =
r2 + 1. (CRMO2013 ,Mumbai region)
5. Show that there are infinitely many triples (x, y, z) of integers such that
x3 + y 4 = z 31 . (CRMO 2015 p3)
6. (RMO 2015 )Find all integers a, b, c such that a2 = bc + 1 and b2 = ac + 1.
7. (RMO 2016 Delhi Region)
a.) A 7-tuple (a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , b1 , b2 , b3 ) of pairwise distinct positive integers
with no common factor is called a shy tuple if

a21 + a22 + a23 + a24 = b21 + b22 + b23

and for all 1 ≤ i < j ≤ 4 and 1 ≤ k ≤ 3, a2i + a2j 6= b2k . Prove that there
exists infinitely many shy tuples.
b.) Show that 2016 can be written as a sum of squares of four distinct
natural numbers.

8. (RMO 2017) Show that the equation a3 + (a + 1)3 + . . . + (a + 6)3 =

b4 + (b + 1)4 has no solutions in integers a, b.

3 Primes
• Any prime greater than 5 is of form 6k±1

1. Find all primes p and q such that p2 + 7pq + q 2 is the square of an inte-
ger.(RMO 2001)

3
 2. Let n be a positive integer and p1 , p2 , p3 , . . . pn be n prime numbers all
larger than5 such that 6 divides p21 + p22 + p23 + · · · p2n . Prove that 6 divides
n.(RMO 1998)
3. Find all primes p and q such that p divides q 2 − 4 and q divides p2 −
1.(CRMO2013,p1)

4. For any positive integer n > 1, let P (n) denote the largest prime not
exceeding n. Let N (n) denote the next prime larger than P (n). (For
exampleP (10) = 7 and N (10) = 11, while P (11) = 11 and N (11) = 13.)
1
If n + 1 is a prime number, prove that the value of the sum P (2)N (2) +
1 1 n−1
P (3)N (3) + · · · + P (n)N (n) = 2n+2 .(CRMO2014 ,p 2)

4 Algebraic Number theory

1. Prove that n4 + 4n is composite for all integer values of n greater than
1.(RMO 1991)

2. Let a, b, c be three natural numbers such that a < b < c and gcd(c − a, c −
b) = 1. Suppose there exists an integer d such that a + d, b + d, c + d form
sides of a right triangle. Prove that there exists integers l, msuch that
c + d = l2 + m2 (RMO 2007)
3. Show that 32008 + 42009 can be written as product of two positive integers
each of which is larger than 2009182 .(RMO 2009)
4. Let n be a positive integer such that 2n + 1 and 3n + 1 are both perfect
squares. Show that 5n + 3 is a composite number.(RMO2010)
5. (RMO2011) A natural number n is chosen strictly between two consec-
utive perfect squares. The smaller of these two squares is obtained by
subtracting k from n and the larger one is obtained by adding l to n.
Prove that n − kl is a perfect square.
6. Prove that there do not exist natural numbers x and y, with x > 1, such
7
−1
that xx−1 = y 5 + 1 . (CRMO2013 ,p 2)

7. Let x be a non-zero real number such that x4 + x14 and x5 + x15 are both
rational numbers. Prove that x + x1 is a rational number. (CRMO2013 ,p
4)

5 Combinatorial Number theory

1. Let A be a set of 16 positive integers with the property that the product
of any two distinct numbers of A will not exceed 1994. Show that there
are two numbers a and b in A which are not relatively prime.(RMO 1994)

4
 2. If A is a fifty-element subset of the set {1, 2, 3, ..., 100} such that no two
numbers from A add up to 100 show that A contains a square(RMO 1996)
3. Let (a1 , a2 , a3 , ..., a2011 ) be a permutation (that is a rearrangement) of the
numbers 1, 2, 3, ..., 2011. Show that there exist two numbers j, k such that
1 ≤ j < k ≤ 2011 and | aj − j |=| ak − k | . (RMO2011).

4. Suppose n is odd and each square of an n × n grid is arbitrarily filled with

either by 1 or by −1. Let rj and ck denote the product of all numbers
Pn
in j-th row and k-th column respectively, 1 ≤ j, k ≤ n. Prove that
j=1
n
P
rj + ck 6= 0 .(CRMO2014 ,p 2)
j=1

6 Binomial theorem
2000
1. Determine the largest 3-digit prime factor of the integer C1000 .
2. Show that 1993 − 1399 is a positive integer divisible by 162.(RMO 1993)
3. Given any positive integer n show that there are two positive rational
numbers a and b, a 6= b, which are not integers and which are such that
a − b, a2 − b2 , a3 − b3 , ..., an − bn are all integers. (RMO 1996)

4. Let a, b, c be positive integers such that a divides b2 , b divides c2 and c

divides a2 . Prove that abc divides (a + b + c)7 .(RMO 2002)
5. Let a, b, c be positive integers such that a divides b3 , b divides c3 and c
divides a3 . Prove that abc divides (a + b + c)13 . (CRMO2012,p1).

6. Let a, b, c be positive integers such that a divides b4 , b divides c4 and c

divides a4 . Prove that abc divides (a + b + c)21 . (CRMO2012,p2)
7. Let a, b, c be positive integers such that a divides b5 , b divides c5 and c
divides a5 . Prove that abc divides (a + b + c)31 . (CRMO2012,p3)

7 Induction
1. Prove that the ten’s digit of any power of 3 is even. [e.g. the ten’s digit
of 36 = 729 is 2].(RMO 1993)
2. Let α and β be the roots of the equation x2 + mx − 1 = 0 where m is an
odd integer. Let λn = αn + β n , n ≥ 0 Prove that (A) λn is an integer (B)
gcd ( λn , λn+1 ) = 1 . (RMO 2004)

5
GIF
• x = n + f and 0 ≤ f < 1
• Do not forget to check whether the values of f you got lies between [0, 1)

• [x] = n =⇒ n ≤ x < n + 1
1 1
• Condition on {x} like in problem 1. Cases depends on f < 2 or f ≥ 2

1 1
1. Solve for real x: [x] + [2x] = (9x) + 1, where [x] is the greatest integer less
than or equal to x and (x) = x − [x], [e.g. [3.4] = 3 and (3.4) = 0.4].(RMO
1997)
x
2. Find the number of positive integers x which satisfy the condition 99 =
x
101 (Here [z] denotes, for any real z, the largest integer not exceeding
z; e.g. [7/4] = 1.) (RMO 2001)
 
3. For each integer n ≥ 1 define an = √nn (where [x] denoted the largest
[ ]
integer not exceeding x, for any real number x). Find the number of all n
in the set {1, 2, 3, · · · , 2010} for which an > an+1 (RMO2010)

4. Find all real numbers a such that 3 < a < 4 and a(a − 3 {a}) is an
integer. (Here {a} denotes the fractional part of a. For example {1.5} =
0.5; {−3.4} = 0.6.) (CRMO2015 ,p 1)
5. Find all real numbers a such that 4 < a < 5 and a(a − 3 {a}) is an
integer. (Here {a} denotes the fractional part of a. For example {1.5} =
0.5; {−3.4} = 0.6.) (CRMO2015 ,p 2)
6. Show that there are infinitely many positive real numbers a which are
not integers such that a(a − 3 {a}) is an integer. (Here {a} denotes the
fractional part of a. For example {1.5} = 0.5; {−3.4} = 0.6.) (CRMO2015
,p 3)

7. How many√integers √m satisfy both the following properties: (i)1 ≤ m ≤

5000; (ii) [ m] = m + 125 ? (Here [x] denotes the largest integer not
exceeding x, for any real number x.) (CRMO 2015 p4)
√ 
8. (CRMO 2018 p5)Find all natural numbers such that 1 + 2n divides 2n.
where [x] denotes the GIF of x.

√ 
9. (CRMO 2018 p5) Find all natural numbers such that 1 + 2n divides
2n. where [x] denotes the GIF of x.

6
8 Sum of the digits
• If n has k digits then 10k−1 ≤ n < 10k and s(n) ≤ 9k
• s(n) ≡ n(mod9)

1. For any natural number n, let S(n) denote the sum of the digits of n. Find
the number of all 3-digit numbers n such that S(S(n)) = 2. .(CRMO2014
,p 3)
2. (RMO 2016 Mumbai Region) For any natural number n, expressed in base
10, let S(n) denote the sum of all digits of n. Find all natural numbers n
such that n = 2S(n)2 .

3. (RMO 2016 Telangana Region)For any natural number n, expressed in

base 10, let S(n) denote the sum of all digits of n. Find all positive
integers n such that n3 = 8S(n)3 + 6S(n)n + 1.

9 GCD-LCM
• If d = gcd(a, b), then a = da0 and b = dbo and gcd (a0 , b0 ) = 1.
• If m = nq + r, then gcd (m, n) = gcd (n, r).Hence gcd (a, b) = gcd (a, −b)
= gcd (a, b + ax) = gcd (a + bx, b)∀x ∈ Z.
• If c|ab and gcd (a, c) = 1, then, c|b

• If gcd (m, b) = 1, then , gcd (a, b) = gcd (ma, b)

• Theorem [B´ezout]
For positive integers m and n, there exist integers x and y such that

mx + ny = gcd(m, n).

1. For each positive integer n, define an = 20 + n2 , and dn = gcd(an , an+1 ).

Find the set of all values that are taken by dn and show by examples that
each of these values are attained. (RMO 1997)
2. Find the minimum possible least common multiple of twenty natural num-
bers whose sum is 801.(RMO 1998)
3. Let a, b be real numbers and, let P (x) = x3 +ax2 +b and Q(x) = x3 +bx+a.
Suppose that the roots of the equation P (x) = 0 are the reciprocals of the
roots of the equation Q(x) = 0. Find the greatest common divisor of
P (2013! + 1) and Q(2013! + 1). .(CRMO2013 ,Mumbai region)

4. Let a1 , b1 , c1 be natural numbers. We define a2 = gcd(b1 , c1 ), b2 =

gcd(c1 , a1 ), c2 = gcd(a1 , b1 ), and a3 = lcm(b2 , c2 ), b3 = lcm(c2 , a2 ),c3 =
lcm(a2 , b2 )Show that gcd(b3 , c3 ) = a2 . (CRMO2013 ,Mumbai region)

7
 5. Determine all pairs m > n of positive integers such that 1 = gcd(n +
1, m + 1) = gcd(n + 2, m + 2) = · · · = gcd(m, 2m − n). .(CRMO2014 ,p 4)
6. (RMO 2016 Dehli Region) Consider a sequence (ak )k≥1 of natural numbers
defined as follows: a1 = a and a2 = b with a, b > 1 and gcd(a, b) = 1 and
for all k > 0, ak+2 = ak+1 + ak . Prove that for all natural numbers n and
k, gcd(an , an+k ) < a2k .

10 Sequences
1. Prove that there exist two infinite sequences {an }n≥1 and {bn }n≥1 of pos-
itive integers such that the following conditions hold simultaneously: (i)
0 < a1 < a2 < a3 < · · ·; (ii) an < bn < a2n , for all n ≥ 1; (iii) an − 1
divides bn − 1, for all n ≥ 1 (iv) a2n − 1 divides b2n − 1, for all n ≥ 1 (RMO
2008)
2. (RMO 2016 Mumbai Region) Let (a1 , a2 , . . .) be a strictly increasing se-
quence of positive integers in arithmetic progression. Prove that there
is an infinite sub-sequence of the given sequence whose terms are in a
geometric progression.
3. Let a1 , a2 , ..., a2n be an arithmetic progression of positive real numbers
with common difference d. Let (i)a21 + a23 + · · · + a22n−1 = x, (ii)a22 + a24 +
· · · + a2n = y,and (iii) an + an+1 = z. Express d in terms of x, y, z, n.
(CRMO2014 ,p 1)
4. (RMO 2016 Maharashtra and Goa Region)
(a) Given any natural number N , prove that there exists a strictly increas-
ing sequence of N positive integers in harmonic progression.
(b) Prove that there cannot exist a strictly increasing infinite sequence of
positive integers which is in harmonic progression.
5. (RMO 2016 Telangana Region)Show that the infinite arithmetic progres-
sion {1, 4, 7, 10 . . .} has infinitely many 3 -term sub sequences in harmonic
progression such that for any two such triples {a1 , a2 , a3 } and {b1 , b2 , b3 }
in harmonic progression , one has
a1 a2
6=
b1 b2

Number theoretic /algebraic argument

• Take co-prime numbers by taking gcd , its helpful.
• For showing two numbers co-prime , take their gcd and show that gcd is
1.

8
 • If sides of right triangle are co-prime then can be replace by primitive
Pythagorean triplet (m2 − n2 , 2mn, m2 + n2 )

1. If a1 + 1b = 1c , where a, b, c are positive integers with no common factor,

prove that (a + b) is the square of an integer.(RMO 1992)
2. Find all primes p and q such that p2 + 7pq + q 2 is the square of an inte-
ger.(RMO 2001)

3. Suppose the integers 1, 2, 3, ..., 10 are split into two disjoint collections
a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 and b1 , b2 , b3 , b4 , b5 such that a1 < a2 < a3 < a4 < a5 ,
b1 > b2 > b3 > b4 > b5 . (i) Show that the larger number in any pair
{aj , bj },1 ≤ j ≤ 5, is at least 6. (ii) Show that |a1 − b1 | + |a2 − b2 | + |a3 −
b3 | + |a4 − b4 | + |a5 − b5 | = 25 for every such partition. (RMO 2002)
4. If n is an integer greater than 7, prove that n7 − n7 is divisible by 7.

 

(RMO 2003)
5. Let p1 , p2 , . . . be a sequence of primes such that p1 = 2 and for n ≥ 1, pn+1
is the largest prime factor of p1 p2 . . . pn + 1 . Prove that pn 6= 5 for any
n.(RMO 2004)
6. If a, b, c are three real numbers such that | a − b |≥| c |, | b − c |≥| a |, |
c−a |≥| b |, then prove that one of a, b, c is the sum of the other two.(RMO
2005)
7. Let a, b, c be three natural numbers such that a < b < c and gcd (c − a, c −
b) = 1. Suppose there exists an integer d such that a + d, b + d, c + d form
sides of a right triangle. Prove that there exists integers l, m such that
c + d = l2 + m2 (RMO 2007)
8. Let n be a positive integer such that 2n + 1 and 3n + 1 are both perfect
squares. Show that 5n + 3 is a composite number.(RMO2010)
9. A natural number n is chosen strictly between two consecutive perfect
squares. The smaller of these two squares is obtained by subtracting k
from n and the larger one is obtained by adding l to n. Prove that n − kl
is a perfect square.(RMO2011)
10. Prove that there do not exist natural numbers x and y, with x > 1, such
7
−1
that xx−1 = y 5 + 1 . (CRMO2013 ,p 2)

11. Find all primes p and q such that p divides q 2 − 4 and q divides p2 −
1.(CRMO2013,p1)
12. Consider the expression 20132 + 20142 + 20152 + · · · + n2 . Prove that
there exists a natural number n > 2013 for which one can change a suitable
number of plus signs to minus signs in the above expression to make the
resulting expression equal 9999. (CRMO2013 ,p 2)

9
13. Let x be a non-zero real number such that x4 + x14 and x5 + x15 are both
rational numbers. Prove that x + x1 is a rational number. (CRMO2013 ,p
4)
14. Find all triples (p, q, r) of primes such that pq = r + 1 and 2(p2 + q 2 ) =
r2 + 1. (CRMO2013 ,Mumbai region)

15. Suppose for some positive integers r and s, the digits of 2r is obtained
by permuting the digits of 2s in decimal expansion. Prove that r = s.
(CRMO2014 ,p 1)
7k−5
16. Find all fractions which can be written simultaneously in the forms 5k−3
and 6l−1
4l−3 , for k, l (CRMO2015 ,p 1)

17. Find all pairs of (x, y) of positive integers such that 2x+7y divides 7x+2y.
(CRMO2014 ,p 2)

18. For any positive integer n > 1, let P (n) denote the largest prime not
exceeding n. Let N (n) denote the next prime larger than P (n). (For
exampleP (10) = 7 and N (10) = 11, while P (11) = 11 and N (11) = 13.)
1
If n + 1 is a prime number, prove that the value of the sum P (2)N (2) +
1 1 n−1
P (3)N (3) + · · · + P (n)N (n) = 2n+2 .(CRMO2014 ,p 2)

19. (RMO 2016 Delhi Region)

a.) A 7-tuple (a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , b1 , b2 , b3 ) of pairwise distinct positive integers
with no common factor is called a shy tuple if

a21 + a22 + a23 + a24 = b21 + b22 + b23

and for all 1 ≤ i < j ≤ 4 and 1 ≤ k ≤ 3, a2i + a2j 6= b2k . Prove that there
exists infinitely many shy tuples.
b.) Show that 2016 can be written as a sum of squares of four distinct
natural numbers.

20. (Mumbai RMO 2018) For a rational number r, its period is the length of
the smallest repeating block in its decimal expansion. For example, the
numberr = 0.123123123··· has period 3. If S denotes the set of all rational
numbers r of the form r = 0.abcdef gh having period 8, find the sum of
all the elements of S.

10