Canadian Junior Mathematical Olympiad 2021

Official Solutions

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Note: Each problem starts on a new page.

Problem No. 1.

Let C1 and C2 be two concentric circles with C1 inside C2 . Let P1 and P2 be two points on C1 that are not
diametrically opposite. Extend the segment P1 P2 past P2 until it meets the circle C2 in Q2 . The tangent
to C2 at Q2 and the tangent to C1 at P1 meet in a point X. Draw from X the second tangent to C2 which
meets C2 at the point Q1 . Show that P1 X bisects angle Q1 P1 Q2 .

Solution. We will show that the angles ∠Q2 P1 X and ∠Q1 P1 X are congruent. Note that, if O denotes the
centre of both circles, the points P1 , X, Q2 and Q1 lie on the circle of diameter XO since XP1 is tangent
to the circle thus ∠OP1 X = π/2, and similar for the other tangents XP2 , XQ1 , XQ2 . On the other hand,
m(∠Q2 P1 X) is half the measure of the arc XQ2 and m(∠Q1 P1 X) is half the measure of the arc XQ1 , and
these two arcs are equal because |XQ2 | = |XQ1 |.

A competition of the Canadian Mathematical Society and

supported by the Actuarial Profession.

©2021 Canadian Mathematical Society April 13, 2021

Official Solutions https://cmo.math.ca/ Canadian Junior Mathematical Olympiad 2021

Problem No. 2.

How many ways are there to permute the first n positive integers such that in the permutation, for each
value of k ≤ n, the first k elements of the permutation have distinct remainder mod k?

Solution. We show by induction that the first k elements of the permutation must be k consecutive
integers from 1, . . . , n. It is trivially true that for k = n all remainders mod n are distinct and we
induct downwards to show that, with the above condition, it is true for all k < n that first k elements
have distinct remainders mod k. Note that in any k consecutive integers, the only two with the same
remainder mod (k − 1) are the smallest and largest integers, so one of these two must be the k-th integer
of the permutation. This completes the induction, and thus at every step taking away the k-th entry of
the permutation, there are 2 choices to eliminate an integer (the largest or the smallest) and obtain a new
permutation where the first k − 1 entries have distinct remainders mod (k − 1), so the answer is 2n−1 .

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Canadian Junior Mathematical Olympiad 2021 https://cmo.math.ca/ Official Solutions

Problem No. 3.

Let ABCD be a trapezoid with AB parallel to CD, |AB| > |CD|, and equal edges |AD| = |BC|. Let I
be the center of the circle tangent to lines AB, AC and BD, where A and I are on opposite sides of BD.
Let J be the center of the circle tangent to lines CD, AC and BD, where D and J are on opposite sides
of AC. Prove that |IC| = |JB|.

Solution. Let {P } = AC ∩ BD and let ∠AP B = 180 − 2a. Since ABCD is an isosceles trapezoid, AP B
is an isosceles triangle. Therefore ∠P BA = a, which implies that ∠P BI = 90◦ − a/2 since I lies on the
external bisector of ∠P BA. Since I lies on the bisector of ∠CP B, it follows that ∠BP I = a and hence
that IP B is isosceles with |IP | = |P B|. Similarly JP C is isosceles with |JP | = |P C|. So, in the triangles
CP I and BP J we have P I ≡ P B and P J ≡ CP . Since I and J both lie on the internal bisector of
∠BP C, it follows that triangles CP I and BP J are congruent. Therefore |IC| = |JB|.

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Problem No. 4.

Let n ≥ 2 be some fixed positive integer and suppose that a1 , a2 , . . . , an are positive real numbers satisfying
a1 + a2 + · · · + an = 2n − 1.

Find the minimum possible value of

a1 a2 a3 an
+ + + ··· + .
1 1 + a1 1 + a1 + a2 1 + a1 + a2 + · · · + an−1

Solution. We claim the the minimum possible value of this expression is n. Observe that by AM-GM, we
have that
a1 a2 an
+ + ··· +
1 1 + a1 1 + a1 + a2 + · · · + an−1
1 + a1 1 + a1 + a2 1 + a1 + a2 + · · · + an
= + + ··· + −n
1 1 + a1 1 + a1 + a2 + · · · + an−1
s
1 + a1 1 + a1 + a2 1 + a1 + a2 + · · · + an
≥n· n · ··· −n
1 1 + a1 1 + a1 + a2 + · · · + an−1
√
= n · n 1 + a1 + a2 + · · · + an − n
= 2n − n = n.

Furthermore, equality is achieved when ak = 2k−1 for each 1 ≤ k ≤ n.

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Canadian Junior Mathematical Olympiad 2021 https://cmo.math.ca/ Official Solutions

Problem No. 5.

A function f from the positive integers to the positive integers is called Canadian if it satisfies
 
gcd f (f (x)), f (x + y) = gcd (x, y)

for all pairs of positive integers x and y.

Find all positive integers m such that f (m) = m for all Canadian functions f .

Solution. Define an m ∈ N to be good if f (m) = m for all such f . It will be shown that m is good if and
only if m has two or more distinct prime divisors. Let P (x, y) denote the assertion

gcd (f (f (x)), f (x + y)) = gcd (x, y)

for a pair x, y ∈ N. Let x be a positive integer with two or more distinct prime divisors and let pk be
largest power of one of these prime divisors such that pk | x. If x = pk · q, then pk and q are relatively prime
and x > pk , q > 1. By P (q, x − q),

gcd(f (f (q)), f (x − q + q)) = gcd(f (f (q)), f (x)) = gcd(q, x − q) = q

which implies that q | f (x). By P (pk , x − pk ),

gcd(f (f (pk )), f (x − pk + pk )) = gcd(f (f (pk )), f (x)) = gcd(pk , x − pk ) = pk

which implies that pk | f (x). Since pk and q are relatively prime, x = pk · q divides f (x), which implies that
f (x) ≥ x. Now assume for contradiction that f (x) > x. Let y = f (x) − x > 0 and note that, by P (x, y),
it follows that

f (f (x)) = gcd(f (f (x)), f (x + f (x) − x)) = gcd(x, f (x) − x) = gcd(x, f (x)).

Therefore f (f (x)) | x and f (f (x)) | f (x). By P (x, x), it follows that

gcd (f (f (x)), f (2x)) = gcd(x, x) = x.

This implies that x | f (f (x)), which when combined with the above result, yields that f (f (x)) = x. Since
x | f (x) and x is divisible by at least two distinct prime numbers, f (x) is also divisible by at least two
distinct prime numbers. As shown previously, this implies that f (x) | f (f (x)) = x, which is a contradiction
since f (x) > x. Therefore f (x) = x for all positive integers x with two or more distinct prime divisors.
Now it will be shown that all m ∈ N such that either m has one prime divisor or m = 1 are not good.
In either case, let m = pk where k ≥ 0 and p is a prime number and consider the function satisfying
that f (pk ) = pk+1 , f (pk+1 ) = pk and f (x) = x for all x 6= pk , pk+1 . Note that this function also satisfies
that f (f (x)) = x for all positive integers x. If x + y 6= pk , pk+1 , then P (x, y) holds by the Euclidean

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algorithm since f (f ((x)) = x and f (x + y) = x + y. If x + y = pk+1 , then P (x, y) is equivalent to

gcd (x, pk ) = gcd (x, pk+1 − x) = gcd(x, pk+1 ) for all x < pk+1 which holds since the greatest power of p that
can divide x is pk . If x + y = pk , then P (x, y) is equivalent to gcd (x, pk+1 ) = gcd (x, pk − x) = gcd(x, pk )
for all x < pk which holds as shown above. Note that if m = 1 then this case cannot occur. Since this
function satisfies P (x, y), m is good if and only if m has two or more distinct prime divisors.

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