Category Archives: problem

2021-14 Perfectly normal product

Let X, Y be compact spaces. Suppose \(X \times Y\) is perfectly normal, i.e, for every disjoint closed subsets E, F in \(X \times Y\), there exists a continuous function \( f: X \times Y \to [0, 1] \subset \mathbb{R} \) such that \( f^{-1}(0) = E, f^{-1}(1) = F \). Is it true that at least one of X and Y is metrizable?

(added Sep. 11, 8AM: Assume further that \( X \times Y\) is Hausdorff.)

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2021-13 Not convex

Prove or disprove the following:

There exist an infinite sequence of functions \( f_n: [0, 1] \to \mathbb{R} , n=1, 2, \dots \) ) such that

(1) ( f_n(0) = f_n(1) = 0 ) for any ( n ),

(2) ( f_n(\frac{a+b}{2}) \leq f_n(a) + f_n(b) ) for any ( a, b \in [0, 1] ),

(3) ( f_n – c f_m ) is not identically zero for any ( c \in \mathbb{R} ) and ( n \neq m ).

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2021-12 A graduation ceremony

In a graduation ceremony, \(n\) graduating students form a circle and their diplomas are distributed uniformly at random. Students who have their own diploma leave, and each of the remaining students passes the diploma she has to the student on her right, and this is one round. Again, each student with her own diploma leave and each of the remaining students passes the diploma to the student on her right and repeat this until everyone leaves. What is the probability that this process takes exactly \(k \) rounds until everyone leaves.

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2021-10 Integral inequality

Let \( f: [0, 1] \to \mathbb{R} \) be a continuous function satisfying
\[
\int_x^1 f(t) dt \geq \int_x^1 t\, dt
\]
for all \( x \in [0, 1] \). Prove that
\[
\int_0^1 [f(t)]^2 dt \geq \int_0^1 t f(t) dt.
\]

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2021-09 Monochromatic solution of an equation

For given \(k\in \mathbb{N}\), determine the minimum natural number \(n\) satisfying the following: no matter how one colors each number in \(\{1,2,\dots, n\}\) red or blue, there always exists (not necessarily distinct) numbers \(x_0, x_1,\dots, x_k \in [n]\) with the same color satisfying \(x_1+\dots + x_k = x_0\).

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2021-08 Self-antipodal sets on the sphere

Prove or disprove that if C is any nonempty connected, closed, self-antipodal (ie., invariant under the antipodal map) set on \(S^2\), then it equals the zero locus of an odd, smooth function \(f:S^2 -> \mathbb{R}\).  

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2021-07 Odd determinant

Let \( A_N \) be an \( N \times N \) matrix whose entries are i.i.d. Bernoulli random variables with probability \( 1/2 \), i.e.,

\[\mathbb{P}( (A_N)_{ij} =0) = \mathbb{P}( (A_N)_{ij} =1) = \frac{1}{2}.\]

Let \( p_N \) be the probability that \( \det A_N \) is odd. Find \( \lim_{N \to \infty} p_N \).

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2021-06 A nondecreasing subsequence

Let \(\mathcal{A}_n\) be the collection of all sequences \( \mathbf{a}= (a_1,\dots, a_n) \) with \(a_i \in [i]\) for all \(i\in [n]=\{1,2,\dots, n\}\). A nondecreasing \(k\)-subsequence of \(\mathbf{a}\) is a subsequence \( (a_{i_1}, a_{i_2},\dots, a_{i_k}) \) such that \(i_1< i_2< \dots < i_k\) and \(a_{i_1}\leq a_{i_2}\leq \dots \leq a_{i_k}\). For given \(k\), determine the smallest \(n\) such that any sequence \(\mathbf{a}\in \mathcal{A}_n\) has a nondecreasing \(k\)-subsequence.

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