Problems

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a) We are given two cogs, each with 14 teeth. They are placed on top of one another, so that their teeth are in line with one another and their projection looks like a single cog. After this 4 teeth are removed from each cog, the same 4 teeth on each one. Is it always then possible to rotate one of the cogs with respect to the other so that the projection of the two partially toothless cogs appears as a single complete cog? The cogs can be rotated in the same plane, but cannot be flipped over.

b) The same question, but this time two cogs of 13 teeth each from which 4 are again removed?

We are given 101 rectangles with integer-length sides that do not exceed 100.

Prove that amongst them there will be three rectangles \(A, B, C\), which will fit completely inside one another so that \(A \subset B \subset C\).

A staircase has 100 steps. Vivian wants to go down the stairs, starting from the top, and she can only do so by jumping down and then up, down and then up, and so on. The jumps can be of three types – six steps (jumping over five to land on the sixth), seven steps or eight steps. Note that Vivian does not jump onto the same step twice. Will she be able to go down the stairs?

10 friends sent one another greetings cards; each sent 5 cards. Prove that there will be two friends who sent cards to one another.

In a certain kingdom there were 32 knights. Some of them were vassals of others (a vassal can have only one suzerain, and the suzerain is always richer than his vassal). A knight with at least four vassals is given the title of Baron. What is the largest number of barons that can exist under these conditions?

(In the kingdom the following law is enacted: “the vassal of my vassal is not my vassal”).

A gang contains 101 gangsters. The whole gang has never taken part in a raid together, but every possible pair of gangsters have taken part in a raid together exactly once. Prove that one of the gangsters has taken part in no less than 11 different raids.

An after school club was attended by 60 pupils. It turns out that in any group of 10 there will always be 3 classmates. Prove that within the group of 60 who attended there will always be at least 15 pupils from the same class.

A village infant school has 20 pupils. If we pick any two pupils they will have a shared granddad.

Prove that one of the granddads has no fewer than 14 grandchildren who are pupils at this school.