Balkan Mathematical

Olympiad 2014
Problems and Solutions
 31st Balkan
Mathematical Olympiad
May 2-7 2014
Pleven
Bulgaria

Problems and Solutions

Problem 1. Let x, y and z be positive real numbers such that xy + yz + zx = 3xyz.
Prove that
x2 y + y 2 z + z 2 x ≥ 2(x + y + z) − 3

and determine when equality holds.

1 1 1
Solution. The given condition can be rearranged to + + = 3. Using this, we obtain:
x y z
1 1 1
x2 y + y 2 z + z 2 x − 2(x + y + z) + 3 = x2 y − 2x + + y 2 z − 2y + + z 2 x − 2x + =
y z x
 2  2  2
1 1 1
= y x− +z y− +x z− ≥0
y z z

Equality holds if and only if we have xy = yz = zx = 1, or, in other words, x = y = z = 1.

1 1 1
Alternative solution. It follows from + + = 3 and Cauchy-Schwarz inequality
x y z
that
 
2 2 2 1 1 1
3(x y + y z + z x) = + + (x2 y + y 2 z + z 2 x)
x y z
2 2 2 !
√ √
  
1 1 1 √
= √ + √ + √ ((x y)2 ) + (y z)2 + (z x)2 )
y z x

≥ (x + y + z)2 .

(x + y + z)2
Therefore, x2 y + y 2z + z 2 x ≥ and if x + y + z = t it suffices to show that
3
t2
≥ 2t − 3. The latter is equivalent to (t − 3)2 ≥ 0. Equality holds when
3
√ √ √ √ √ √
x y y = y z z = z x x,

i.e. xy = yz = zx and t = x + y + z = 3. Hence, x = y = z = 1.

Comment. The inequality is true with the condition xy + yz + zx ≤ 3xyz.

Problem 2. A special number is a positive integer n for which there exist positive integers
a, b, c and d with
a3 + 2b3
n= .
c3 + 2d3
Prove that:

(a) there are infinitely many special numbers;

(b) 2014 is not a special number.

Solution. (a) Every perfect cube k 3 of a positive integer is special because we can write

a3 + 2b3 (ka)3 + 2(kb)3

k3 = k3 =
a3 + 2b3 a3 + 2b3

for some positive integers a, b.

(b) Observe that 2014 = 2.19.53. If 2014 is special, then we have,

x3 + 2y 3 = 2014(u3 + 2v 3 ) (1)

for some positive integers x, y, u, v. We may assume that x3 + 2y 3 is minimal with

this property. Now, we will use the fact that if 19 divides x3 + 2y 3, then it divides
both x and y. Indeed, if 19 does not divide x, then it does not divide y too. The
relation x3 ≡ −2y 3 (mod 19) implies (x3 )6 ≡ (−2y 3 )6 (mod 19). The latter congruence
is equivalent to x18 ≡ 26 y 18 (mod 19). Now, according to the Fermat’s Little Theorem,
we obtain 1 ≡ 26 (mod 19), that is 19 divides 63, not possible.
It follows x = 19x1 , y = 19y1 , for some positive integers x1 and y1 . Replacing in (1) we
get
192 (x31 + 2y13) = 2.53(u3 + 2v 3 ) (2)

i.e. 19|u3 + 2v 3 . It follows u = 19u1 and v = 19v1 , and replacing in (2) we get

x31 + 2y13 = 2014(u31 + 2v13 ).

Clearly, x31 + 2y13 < x3 + 2y 3 , contradicting the minimality of x3 + 2y 3.

Problem 3. Let ABCD be a trapezium inscribed in a circle Γ with diameter AB. Let
E be the intersection point of the diagonals AC and BD. The circle with center B and
radius BE meets Γ at the points K and L, where K is on the same side of AB as C. The
line perpendicular to BD at E intersects CD at M.
Prove that KM is perpendicular to DL.

Solution. Since AB k CD, we have that ABCD is isosceles trapezium. Let O be the
center of k and EM meets AB at point Q. Then, from the right angled triangle BEQ, we
have BE 2 = BO.BQ. Since BE = BK, we get BK 2 = BO.BQ (1). Suppose that KL
meets AB at P . Then, from the right angled triangle BAK, we have BK 2 = BP.BA (2)

K
D
b b
b

b
C
M
E b

b b b b b

A Q O P B

BP BO 1
From (1) and (2) we get= = , and therefore P is the midpoint of BQ (3).
BQ BA 2
However, DM k AQ and MQ k AD (both are perpendicular to DB). Hence, AQMD
is parallelogram and thus MQ = AD = BC. We conclude that QBCM is isosceles
trapezium. It follows from (3) that KL is the perpendicular bisector of BQ and CM,
that is, M is symmetric to C with respect to KL. Finally, we get that M is the orthocenter
of the triangle DLK by using the well-known result that the reflection of the orthocenter
of a triangle to every side belongs to the circumcircle of the triangle and vise versa.

Problem 4. Let n be a positive integer. A regular hexagon with side length n is divided
into equilateral triangles with side length 1 by lines parallel to its sides.
Find the number of regular hexagons all of whose vertices are among the vertices of the
equilateral triangles.

Solution. By a lattice hexagon we will mean a regular hexagon whose sides run along edges
of the lattice. Given any regular hexagon H, we construct a lattice hexagon whose edges
pass through the vertices of H, as shown in the figure, which we will call the enveloping
lattice hexagon of H. Given a lattice hexagon G of side length m, the number of regular
hexagons whose enveloping lattice hexagon is G is exactly m.

b b b b b

Yet also there are precisely 3(n−m)(n−m+1)+1 lat- b b

b b b b b

tice hexagons of side length m in our lattice: they are

b b b

those with centres lying at most n − m steps from the b b b

b b b

centre of the lattice. In particular, the total number

b b

of regular hexagons equals b b b

b b b b b

n
X n
X n
X n
X
2 2
N= (3(n − m)(n − m + 1) + 1)m = (3n + 3n) m − 3(2m + 1) m +3 m3 .
m=1 m=1 m=1 m=1

n n n  2
X n(n + 1) X 2 n(n + 1)(2n + 1) X
3 n(n + 1)
Since m = , m = and m = it is
m=1
2 m=1
6 m=1
2
 2
n(n + 1)
easily checked that N = .
2