NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
NMTC Problem-Set 1
Instructions: The following are the solutions for Problem Set 1. We have
included the questions in their entirety, and then provided their solutions,
although we may only write the solutions from the next time. Furthermore,
these solutions are purposefully verbose, in order to be as clear as possible
about the steps. Future problem sets won’t be written as explicitly. The
sources to all the problems are at the bottom of the page.
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NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
Problem 1: Miscellaneous
Consider a UFO on a number line starting at x = 0. Every second the UFO
moves a constant, unknown distance d in the direction of the positive x-axis,
where d is a positive integer. For example, at time t = 1, the UFO will be
at the coordinate x = d, at time t = 2, it will be at the coordinate x = 2d,
and so on.
At any time t, you can check a random point on the number line, and see if
the UFO is there or not. Prove that you can always ’catch’ the UFO after a
finite amount of time.
(Hint: There may be more than 1 answer)
Proof. Note first, that if we let at be the coordinate of the UFO at an arbi-
trary time t, then at = td. We let bt be the coordinate that we check at time
t. Our goal is then to find a value of t such that at = bt .
1. The first solution proceeds as follows. Let bt = t2 . Then, at time t = d,
we have ad = d2 , and bd = d2 , so we catch the UFO at time t=d.
2. For the second solution, we instead define bt = t(t+1)
2
. Equating at and
bt , we see that we catch the UFO when t = 2d − 1.
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NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
Problem 2: Algebraic Manipulations
(a) There is a unique positive real number x such that the three numbers
log8 (2x), log4 (x), and log2 (x), in that order, form a geometric progres-
sion with positive common ratio. Find x.
(b) Let x, y, and z be real numbers satisfying
log2 (xyz − 3 + log5 x) = 5,
log3 (xyz − 3 + log5 y) = 4,
log4 (xyz − 3 + log5 z) = 4.
Find the value of
| log5 x| + | log5 y| + | log5 z|.
(c) Let a > b be positive integers. Find the sum of all numbers which can
1
be expressed in the form a b .
2 5
Proof. (a) Let the common ratio be r. We have:
log2 (x)
= r ⇐⇒ r = 2
log4 (x)
Now, we have:
log4 (x)
=2
log8 (2x)
log2 (x) log (2x)
⇐⇒ =2 2
log2 (4) log2 (8)
⇐⇒ log2 (x ) = log2 (16x4 )
3
1
⇐⇒ =x
16
And we’re done.
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NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
(b) We have:
xyz − 3 + log5 x = 32,
xyz − 3 + log5 y = 81,
xyz − 3 + log5 z = 256.
Summing these equations we have:
3xyz + log5 (xyz) = 378
From here, we guess(!) that xyz = 125. Since this works, and the
LHS is strictly increasing, we know this is the only solution. Now we
can find that log5 x = −90, log5 y = −41, log5 z = 134. The answer is
hence, 90 + 41 + 134 = 265
(c) Writing out the numbers, we have:
1 1 1 1 1 1
+ + ··· + 2 + + ···
5 22 23 5 23 24
∞
X 1 1 1
= + + ···
i=1
5i 2i+1 2i+2
∞
X 1 1
=
i=1
5i 2i
∞
X 1
=
i=1
10i
1
=
9
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NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
Problem 3: Angle Chasing
(a) In acute △ABC with incenter I, prove that ∠BIC = 90◦ + 12 ∠BAC
(b) In acute △ABC with incenter I. Let M be the midpoint of the arc
BC of circle ABC which does not contain A. Show that M is the
circumcenter of △BIC
(c) In acute triangle ∠ABC, let IA be the reflection of the incenter I over
M (Defined as in the previous problem). Show that BIA and CIB are
the external angle-bisector of ∠ABC and ∠ACB respectively.
(d) In acute △ABC, Define IB and IC similarly to how IA was defined
earlier. Show that I is the orthocenter of △IA IB IC (*)
The diagram on the next page will be referred to throughout the solution.
The page after that contains the proofs.
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NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
IB
A
IC
B C
IA
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NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
Proof. (a) We have:
∠BIC = 180◦ − (∠IBC + ∠ICB)
1
= 90◦ + (180 − ∠ABC − ∠ACB)
2
◦ 1
= 90 + ∠BAC
2
as needed.
(b) We know M B = M C. Hence, it suffices to show M B = M I. Let
∠BAC = 2α, ∠ACB = 2γ, and ∠ABC = 2β. We then have:
∠M AB = ∠M CB = ∠M BC = α = ∠IAB.
Hence, A, I, M , are collinear. By part (a), we get ∠AIB = 90◦ + γ.
We then have:
∠M IB = 180◦ −∠AIB = 90◦ −γ = α+β = ∠M BC +∠ICB = ∠IBM
Hence, △IBM is isosceles and it follows M B = M I, as needed.
(c) Note that since IIA is the diameter of the circle with center M , we
have ∠IA BI = 90◦ Using the notation of the previous solution, we
know that the exterior angle of ∠ABC is given by:
180◦ − 2β = 2(90◦ − β)
= 2(∠IA BI − ∠CBI)
= 2(∠IA BC)
Hence, IA B is the exterior angle bisector of ∠ABC and similarly for
IA C.
(d) By part (c) and (b) , we have that:
∠IA AIB = ∠IA AC + ∠IB AC
= ∠IAC + ∠IB AC
1
= α + (180◦ − 2α)
2
= 90◦
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NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
Similarly, ∠IA AIC = 90. Hence, IB , A, IC are collinear. It follows
that IA A is an altitude of △IA IB IC . By symmetry, IB B, and IC C are
altitudes as well and they concur at I, proving that it must be the
orthocenter.
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NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
Problem 4: Messy Algebra?
(a) Let m, and n be non-negative integers such that n ≥ m Prove that:
m
X m n m+n
=
k=0
m − k k m
(b) n
2
n+1
=3
2 4
Prove that, for all n ≥ 3, the above equality holds.
For both problems, there’s an obvious method, and a correct method. (*)
Proof. The obvious method for both problems is to expand the binomial
coefficients in terms of their definitions and then try to cancel everything out.
We won’t be showing that here, simply because it’s completely uninstructive.
Instead, consider the following.
(a) Notice that the right hand side is simply the number of ways to choose
m elements from a collection of m + n elements.
On the other hand, consider ”splitting” the m + n objects into a col-
lection of m objects, and a collection of n objects. For any given k,
with 0 ≤ k ≤ m, the terms inside the sum in the left hand side counts
how many ways there are to choose m − k objects from the smaller
set of m objects, and SIMULTANEOUSLY(hence the multiplication)
choose k objects from the set of n objects. For each value of k, we are
choosing m objects. Summing over all possible values of k gives the
total number of ways to choose m objects from a set of m + n objects.
Hence, the terms on the LHS and RHS must be equal.
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NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
(b) Consider the LHS. Given n points on the plane, n2 is the number of
n
lines you can draw. Then (22 ) is simply the number of ways to choose
2 lines from these n2 lines, i.e the number of ways to draw 2 lines given
n points on the plane.
We now count the number of ways to draw 2 lines another way. Notice
that you can either draw 2 lines with 3 points, or 2 lines with 4 points.
If you take 3 points on the plane, there are 3 ways to draw 2 distinct
lines between them(draw them). Similarly, if you take 4 points on the
plane, there are also 3 ways to draw 2 distinct lines between them.
Thus, the total number of ways to choose 2 lines on the plane is
n n
=3 +3
3 4
n n
= 3( + )
3 4
n+1
=3
4
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NMTC Problem Set 1 Introduction 15th February 2026
Sources:
1. Rakin Khurram
2. (a) 2020 AIME I Problem 2
(b) 2016 AIME II Problem 3
(c) 2012 NIMO Day 4 Problem 5
3. Incentre-Excentre Lemma
4. (a) Vandermonde’s Identity
(b) Folk-Lore
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