2018 LEHIGH UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL MATH CONTEST

1. A right triangle has hypotenuse 29 and one leg 21. What is the
length of the other leg?
2. Don is 2/3 of the way through his run. After running another
1/2 mile, he is 3/4 of the way through his run. What is the
total number of miles in his run?
3. Write 81/3 · 81−1/4 in simplest form.
2 y
4. If x
= 3
= xy , then what is the value of x?
5. The changes in the population of a city in four consecutive
censuses are, respectively, 20% decrease, 20% decrease, 20%
increase, and 20% increase. Rounded to the nearest percent,
what is the overall change after the four censuses? Include the
sign of the change, positive, negative, or zero in your answer.
6. What is the sum of the solutions of |x + 3| = 3|x − 2|?
7. A small car radiator has 6-liter capacity. If it is filled with liquid
which is 40% antifreeze, how many liters of the liquid must be
replaced with pure antifreeze in order that the radiator becomes
filled with a mixture which is 60% antifreeze?
8. Suppose the earth is a perfect sphere 25000 miles in circum-
ference, and suppose it is possible to erect a telephone line on
poles around the equator. Assuming that the telephone wire
would then form a circle concentric with the equator, what
is the height of the poles, rounded to the nearest foot, if the
length of the wire is 100 feet longer than the circumference of
the earth?
9. If all people eat the same amount, and a circular pizza 12 inches
in diameter serves two people, how many inches in diameter
must each of three equal pizzas be in order to serve four people?

1
2

10. The angle of elevation to the top of a building is 45 degrees. If

you move 20 feet farther away, the angle of elevation to the top
of the building becomes 30 degrees. What is the height of the
building (in feet)?
11. Suppose f is a function such that for every real number x,
f (x) + f (1 − x) = 10 and f (1 + x) = 4 + f (x). What is the
value of f (100) + f (−100)?
12. What is the sum of the digits of the smallest positive integer
which is divisible by 99 and has all of its digits equal to 2?
13. A point is located in the interior of a rectangle so that its dis-
tances from two opposite corners are 5 and 14, while its distance
from a third corner is 10. What is its distance from the fourth
corner?
14. How many positive integers are divisors of
294 + 4 · 293 + 6 · 292 + 4 · 29 + 1?

15. A semicircle and an equilateral triangle are constructed on the

same side of the same base of length 2. What is the area of the
region inside the triangle but outside the semicircle?
16. If x > y > 0 and 2 log10 (x − y) = log10 x + log10 y, what is the
value of x/y?
17. What is the value of b if a, b, and c satisfy the following equa-
tions?
1+a+b+c
= 16 + 8a + 4b + 2c
= 81 + 27a + 9b + 3c
= 256 + 64a + 16b + 4c

200


18. What is the largest 2-digit prime factor of 100
?
 3

19. How many 6-digit numbers whose leftmost digit is 1 have ex-
actly two pairs of identical digits (and no digit occurs three or
more times)?
√
20. A point inside a circle of radius 50 lies 2 units directly below
a point on the circle, and 6 units directly to the right of a point
on the circle. What is the distance from the center of the circle
to this point?
21. List all real values of x which satisfy
6 1 7 12
√ +√ +√ +√ = 0.
x−8−9 x−8−4 x−8+4 x−8+9
22. What is the fifth smallest positive integer such that if the left-
most digit is removed, the resulting number is one-fifth of the
original?
4x2
23. The solution set of the inequality √ < 2x + 9 is of
(1 − 1 + 2x)2
the form −a ≤ x < b, x 6= 0, with a, b > 0. What is the ordered
pair (−a, b)?
24. Two noncongruent isosceles triangles with integer sides have
equal perimeters and equal areas and ratio of bases 9:8. What
is the common perimeter of the smallest pair of such triangles?

25. What is the smallest integer n > 1 such that 3n ends with 003?

26. If (x2 − 5x + 7)(4x − 5)(2x + 1) = Ax4 + Bx3 + Cx2 + Dx + E,

what is the value of 80A + 28B + 8C + 4D?
27. In triangle ABC, D lies on BC such that AD bisects angle
A. The point P lies on AC such that BP passes through the
midpoint of AD. If AB = 3 and AC = 1, what is the length of
AP ?
28. A sequence is formed by taking products of corresponding terms
of two arithmetic sequences. Its first three terms are 10, 37, and
86. What is its 11th term?
4

1
29. Let f (x) = 3(1−x) for |x| < 1. The domain of f is the interval
(−1, 1). Let f n denote the n-fold iterate of f . Thus f 1 = f
and f n = f ◦ f n−1 . What is the largest value of n for which f n
has nonempty domain? Note that the domain dom(g ◦ h) of a
composite is the set of x in dom(h) such that h(x) is in dom(g).
30. A sequence satisfies a1 = −14, a2 = 14, and for k ≥ 3, ak =
4
ak−2 + ak−1 . What is the smallest value of k for which ak = 0?
31. The eight people in three families sit randomly around a round
table. Two families have three members, and the other has two.
What is the probability that everyone sits next to at least one
person from a family other than his/her own?
32. Triangle ABC has sides AB, AC, and CB of lengths 5, 3, and 7,
respectively. Side CB is extended through B to point D. Point
F is the intersection of the bisector of external angle ABD with
the extension of line AC. What is the length of segment AF ?
33. How many positive integers ≤ 2018 have strictly more 1’s than
0’s in their binary expansion?
34. Triangle ABC has AB = 8, AC = 9, and BC = 7. Point O is
the center of the circle inscribed in this triangle. Segment DE
passes through O and is parallel to BC, with D and E lying on
AB and AC, respectively. What is the length of DE?
35. Point P lies on the positive x-axis outside the circle x2 +y 2 = 1.
Points A and B lie on this circle, one in the first quadrant and
one in the fourth quadrant, so that P A and P B are tangent to
the circle, and angles AP O and BP O are both 45 degrees, where
O is the origin. What is the total area of the infinite sequence
of circles tangent to one another and to the two segments, and
centered on the positive x-axis such that the first of these circles
is tangent to the given circle? Do not include the given circle
in your area sum.
36. A slot machine has ten pictures, which occur randomly. One of
them is a snowman. Kenny and Audrey each have a machine,
 5

and each plays until he/she gets a snowman. What is the prob-
ability that their number of plays is within one of each other?

37. If A1 , A2 , . . . , An are consecutive vertices of a regular n-gon such

that A11A2 = A11A3 + A11A4 , what is the value of n?
38. Find all sets of three prime numbers {p, q, r} such that p+q = r
and (r − p)(q − p) − 279p is a perfect square.
39. Find the maximum value of (ab + bc + cd)/(a2 + b2 + c2 + d2 )
for positive real numbers a, b, c, and d.
40. What is the largest value of sin x which satisfies
sin x + sin 2x + cos x = 0?
6

SOLUTIONS, annotated with the number of people answering correctly, out of the
56 people who scored at least 20.

1. 20. [55] 292 − 212 = (29 − 21)(29 + 21) = 8 · 50 = 400. The

√
answer is 400.
3
2. 6. [56] − 32 = 12
4
1
. The answer is 12 · 12 .
√ √
3. 2/3. [56] 3 8 = 2 and 4 81 = 3.
√
4. 3 12. [53] x2 = 2y and y = 6/x. Thus x3 = 12.
5. −8% or 8% decrease. [52.5] The ratio of the final population to
the original is .82 · 1.22 = (1 − .04)2 = 1 − .08 + .0016.
21
6. 4
or 5.25. [54] Either x + 3 = 3(x − 2), in which case x = 4.5,
or x + 3 = −3(x − 2), in which case x = 3/4.
7. 2. [46] If x is the desired number of liters, then x + .4(6 − x) =
3.6, so .6x = 1.2.
8. 16. [48] The increase in the circumference equals 2π times the
increase in the radius, which is the height of the poles. Thus
the height of the poles is 100
2π
feet, which is approximately 16.
√ 2
9. 4 6. [49] 122 = 3d2 /4, so d2 = 288/3 = 96 = 42 · 6.
√
10. 10( 3 + 1). [56] If x is the height of the building, then the
30 degree angle will be part of a triangle with base x + 20 and
√ √
height x. Thus x+20
x
= 3, and so x = √20 = 10( 3 + 1).
3−1

11. 6. [54] Replace x by −x in the second property, and get f (1 −

x) = 4 + f (−x). Substitute this in the first property and get
f (x) + 4 + f (−x) = 10 for all x.
12. 36. [55] The number must be divisible by 9, so its number of
digits must be divisible by 9. It must be divisible by 11, so it
must have an even number of digits. Thus the number has 18
2’s.
13. 11. [51] If A, B, C, and D are the distances from the four edges,
moving around the rectangle, then A2 + B 2 = 52 , B 2 + C 2 =
√
102 , and C 2 + D2 = 142 . Our desired distance is A2 + D2 .
 7

Subtracting the middle equation from the sum of the first and
third yields A2 + D2 = 25 + 196 − 100 = 112 .
14. 125. [56] The number is (29 + 1)4 = 24 · 34 · 54 . The number of
divisors of this is (4 + 1)3 .
√
15. 12 3 − π6 . [49] From the center of the base, a rhombus is formed
with other vertices the interior points of intersection of the semi-
circle and the triangle, and the vertex of the triangle. Its area
√
is that of two unit equilateral triangles, 12 3. The desired area
equals that minus 1/3 of the area of the semicircle.
√
16. [50] 12 (3 + 5). (x − y)2 = xy, so x2 − 3xy + y 2 = 0. If r = xy ,
√
then r2 − 3r + 1 = 0 so r = 12 (3 ± 5). Since x/y > 1, we choose
the + sign.
17. 35. [38] Let f (x) = x4 + ax3 + bx2 + cx. This satisfies f (1) =
f (2) = f (3) = f (4). If K denotes this common value, then
x4 + ax3 + bx2 + cx − K = (x − 1)(x − 2)(x − 3)(x − 4),
so b = 1 · 2 + 1 · 3 + 1 · 4 + 2 · 3 + 2 · 4 + 3 · 4 = 35.
18. 61. [51] The number is 200·199···101
100!
. Primes such as 97 down
through 67 will occur once in the numerator and once in the
denominator. 61 will occur twice in the numerator and once in
the denominator.
19. 22680. [27] There are 92 52 32 7 ways in which the 1 is not

paired. The first factor is “which two numbers are paired.”

The second is the positions of the larger pair of identical digits.
The 32 is the position of the smaller pair, and the 7 is which

was the non-paired non-1 digit. There are 5 · 9 · 42 · 8 · 7 ways

in which 1 is one of the paired digits. The 42 is the position of

the other paired digit, and the 8 · 7 is what digits went in the
remaining spaces. The total is 9 · 8 · 7 · 5(3 + 6).
√
20. 26. [25.5] If the circle is x2 + y 2 = 50 and the coordinates
of the desired point are (a, b), then a2 + (b + 2)2 = 50 and
(a−6)2 +b2 = 50. Thus a2 +b2 +4b = 46 and a2 +b2 −12a = 14,
8

hence 4b + 12a = 32. Thus a2 + (8 − 3a)2 − 12a = 14, or

10a2 − 60a + 50 = 0. This gives (a, b) as (1, 5) or (5, −7). The
second point lies outside the circle.
√
21. 17, 44. Let y = x − 8. [34] The equation becomes 18y−54 y 2 −81
+
8y−24 18 8
y 2 −16
= 0, or (y − 3)( y2 −81 + y2 −16 ) = 0. Thus y = 3 or
26y − (8 · 81 + 16 · 18) = 0. The second equation yields y 2 = 36,
2

so y = 6. Finally x = 32 + 8 or 62 + 8.
22. 1250. [46] If d is the first digit, with k+1 digits overall, and m is
what remains when the first digit is removed, then d · 10k + m =
5m. If k = 1, then 5d = 2m, yielding the number 25. If k ≥ 2,
then 25d · 10k−2 = m. We must have d ≤ 3, so there is no
carrying. The first five numbers are 25, 125, 250, 375, and
1250.
√
23. (− 21 , 45
8
). [22] Let y = 1 + 2x so y 2 = 1 + 2x. The inequality
becomes (y 2 − 1)2 < (1 − y)2 (y 2 + 8), hence (y + 1)2 < y 2 + 8, so
y < 72 . Thus 1 + 2x < 49 so x < 45 . We need x ≥ − 21 in order
√ 4 8
that 1 + 2x is defined. The left hand side of the inequality is
not defined when x = 0.
24. 868. [10] Let the sides of one be a, a, 16c, and the sides of
the other be b, b, 18c. Then a + 8c = b + 9c, so c = a − b.
p p
Also 8c a2 − (8c)2 = 9c b2 − (9c)2 . Since a + 8c = b + 9c,
√ √
this implies 8 a − 8c = 9 b − 9c, so 64a − 512c = 81b − 729c.
Inserting c = a − b leads to 281a = 298b. The smallest value
will occur when a = 298, b = 281, and c = 17.
25. 101. [24] Since 3n−1 ≡ 1 mod 1000, we must have n − 1 = 4k.
Mod 1000, 0 ≡ 34k − 1 = (80 + 1)k − 1 ≡ 80k + k2 · 802 . This

implies that k is a multiple of 5, and then that k is a multiple

of 25.
26. −68. [42] If p(x) is the given polynomial, the desired expression
equals p(3) − p(−1) = 1 · 7 · 7 − 13(−9)(−1) = 49 − 117.
27. 3/7. [36] BD = 3 · DC by the Angle Bisector Theorem. Assign
mass points so that m(B) = 1. Then m(C) = 3 and m(D) = 4.
 9

AP
Hence m(A) = 4 and PC
= 34 .
B..........
..
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.. .. ...
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...
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...
...
...
...
...
... ......... ....
..D
. ...........
... ... ...... ...
.. ... ...
...... ...
... ....... .... ...
.... ........ .... ...
.......... ... .
........................................................
A P C

28. 1270. [39] Such a sequence will be quadratic; i.e., xn = a + bn +

cn2 . Thus
a + b + c = 10
a + 2b + 4c = 37
a + 3b + 9c = 86
Solving these by row reduction shows that xn = 5−6n+11n2 , so
x11 = 5−66+113 . Alternatively, solve aa0 = 10, (a+d)(a0 +d0 ) =
37, and (a+2d)(a0 +2d0 ) = 86, and then find (a+10d)(a0 +10d0 ).

29. 5. [15] First note that f −1 (x) = 1 − 1

3x
provided x > 16 . Now
dom(f 2 ) = f −1 (−1, 1) = f −1 ( 16 , 1) = (−1, 23 )
dom(f 3 ) = f −1 (dom(f 2 )) = f −1 (−1, 32 ) = f −1 ( 61 , 23 ) = (−1, 12 )
dom(f 4 ) = f −1 (dom(f 3 )) = f −1 (−1, 21 ) = f −1 ( 61 , 12 ) = (−1, 13 )
dom(f 5 ) = f −1 (dom(f 4 )) = f −1 (−1, 31 ) = f −1 ( 61 , 13 ) = (−1, 0)
dom(f 6 ) = f −1 (dom(f 5 )) = f −1 (−1, 0) = f −1 ( 61 , 0) = ∅.

30. 51. [16] Note that ak ak−1 = ak−1 ak−2 + 4, so if pk = ak ak−1 ,

then pk = pk−1 + 4. Thus pk = −196 + 4(k − 2). This equals 0
when k = 51. Thus a50 a49 6= 0 but a51 a50 = 0.
10

31. 53/70. [12] Number the seats and treat family members as
8!
indistinguishable. There are 3!3!2! = 560 ways to seat the people.
If families A and B are the ones with three members, there are
5!
8 · 3!2! = 80 ways in which family A sits together (so that one
of their members is not sitting next to anyone from another
family) and also 80 ways in which family B sits together. There
are 8 · 3 ways in which both families A and B sit together. Thus
there are 160 − 24 = 136 ways in which someone is surrounded
by family members. The answer is (560 − 136)/560.
32. 15/2 or 7.5. [9] Let θ denote ∠F BA, and let x denote the
desired length AF . Then sin5 F = sinx θ . Note that ∠F BC =
180−∠F BD = 180−θ. Hence sin7 F = sin(180−θ)
x+3
. Since sin(180−
x x+3
θ) = sin θ, we obtain 5 = 7 , so x = 15/2.

D............................B
......
.... .......................
..... ..... .........
..... ..... ........
..... .....
..... ................
.......
. ..... ........
..
..... ..... ........
..... ..... ........
.. ..... ........
..... ..... ...
.....................................................................................................................................
..
F A C

33. 1170. [6] We will count the numbers through 2047 having this
property and then subtract 29, since all numbers from 2019 to
2047 begin with at least six 1’s. Half of the numbers with an
even number of bits have this property, since they have an odd
number of bits after their initial 1. Of the 22k numbers with
2k bits following the initial 1, the number with this property is
(2 + 2k
1 2k


2 k
) since those with k 1’s will be included, and half of
the others will. Thus the number ≤ 2047 is 12 (2047 + 00 + 21 +



4

6
8
10

2
+ 3 + 4 + 5 ) = 12 (2047+1+2+6+20+70+252) = 1199.
34. 119/24. [12] BO bisects angle B, and since also ∠OBC =
∠DOB, triangle DOB is isosceles with DB = DO. Similarly
OE = EC. Thus the perimeter of ADE equals 8+9. By similar
triangles DE/BC equals the ratio of the perimeters which is
(8 + 9)/(8 + 9 + 7).
 11

A ...
... ....
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.
.......
. ........
... ......
. .....
... ......
.......
. .......
D .
.
.. ...........
O ...
E
...............................................................................
.. ... .......... .. ....
...
. . .. ...
... ...... ......... .... ...
.. ....... .. ...... .
.........................................................................................................
B C

π
√
35. (3 2 − 4). [7] The upper segment to which all the circles are
8 √
tangent is x + y = 2. If r is the radius of the first new circle,
with center at (1+r, 0), the point of tangency of √this circle with
√ 2
√
2
the line x + y = 2 will be√at the point (1 + r + r 2 , r 2 ). Thus
√ √ √
1 + r + r 2 = 2, so r = √2−1 2+1
= 3 − 2 2. The ratios of radii of
successive circles will have this same value of r. Thus the total
area is
πr2 /(1 − r2 ) = π( 21 ( 1−r
1 1
+ 1+r ) − 1) = π( 12 ( 2√12−2 + 1√
4−2 2
) − 1)
√ √ √
= π( 14 ( 2 + 1 + 2+2 2 ) − 1) = π8 (3 2 − 4).

36. 14/95. [11] Let p denote the desired probability. The proba-
bility that they both get a snowman on the first try is 1/100.
The probability that exactly one of them gets a snowman on
the first roll is 18/100. If that happens the probability that
the other person gets a snowman on the second roll is 1/10.
Thus the probability that their number of plays is within one of
each other and at least one got a snowman on the first play is
1 18
100
+ 1000 . If neither of them got a snowman on the first play, it
is as if they are starting over, and this happens with probability
1 18 81
81/100. Thus p = 100 + 1000 + 100 p, so p = 100
19
28
· 1000 28
= 190 .
37. 7. [6] If 2θ subtends one side, then sin1 θ = sin(2θ)
1 1
+ sin(3θ) ,
hence sin(2θ) sin(3θ) = sin(θ)(sin(2θ) + sin(3θ)). This becomes
2 cos θ sin(3θ) = sin(2θ) + sin(3θ). Using a product-to-sum for-
mula, the LHS equals sin(4θ) + sin(2θ), so we obtain sin(4θ) =
12

sin(3θ). From this, you can probably guess θ = π/7, or deduce

it from 4θ = π − 3θ.
38. [8] {2, 29, 31} and {2, 281, 283}. We must have p = 2. Then
q(q − 2) − 558 = x2 so (q − 1)2 − x2 = 559 = 13 · 43. Thus
(q − 1 − x, q − 1 + x) = (13, 43) or (1, 559). Thus q − 1 = 28 or
280. In both cases, q and q + 2 are primes.
√
39. [3] 41 ( 5+1). For any number t, ab ≤ 2t a2 + 2t1 b2 , bc ≤ 12 b2 + 12 c2 ,
√
and cd ≤ 2t1 c2 + 2t d2 by AM-GM. Choose t = 12 (1 + 5) so that
t
2
= 2t1 + 21 . Then ab + bc + cd ≤ 2t (a2 + b2 + c2 + d2 ), so the
desired max is t/2. Equality occurs if ta = b = c = td.
r q √
40. [1] 2 2 + 2( 5 − 1). sin2 (2x) = (sin x + cos x)2 = 1 +
1
√
sin(2x). Thus sin(2x) = 12 (1 ± 5). Using the + sign gives
√
a value greater than 1, so we have 2 sin x cos x = 12 (1 − 5). We
√
obtain sin2 x(1 −sin2 x) = 16
1
(6 − 2 5).The quadratic formula
2 1
q √ 1 1
q √
gives sin x = 2 1 ± 1 − (3 − 5)/2 = 2 ± 4 2( 5 − 1).
Choosing the + sign makes sin x as claimed. This solution has
sin x ≈ .945 and cos x ≈ −.327. The other solution reverses
these. It is obtained by choosing the minus sign in the final
square root.