Problems

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Someone arranged a 10-volume collection of works in an arbitrary order. We call a “disturbance” a situation where there are two volumes for which a volume with a large number is located to the left. For this volume arrangement, we call the number \(S\) the number of all of the disturbances. What values can \(S\) take?

Each of the three cutlets should be fried in a pan on both sides for five minutes each side. Only two cutlets can fit onto the frying pan. Is it possible to fry all three cutlets more quickly than in 20 minutes (if the time to turn over and transfer the cutlets is neglected)?

There are 18 sweets in one piles, and 23 in another. Two play a game: in one go one can eat one pile of sweets, and the other can be divided into two piles. The loser is one who cannot make a move, i.e. before this player’s turn there are two piles of sweets with one sweet in each. Who wins with a regular game?

Your task is to find out a five-digit phone number, asking questions that can be answered with either “yes” or “no.” What is the smallest number of questions for which this can be guaranteed (provided that the questions are answered correctly)?

A hostess bakes a cake for some guests. Either 10 or 11 people can come to her house. What is the smallest number of pieces she needs to cut the cake into (in advance) so that it can be divided equally between 10 and 11 guests?

The following text is obtained by encoding the original message using Caesar Cipher.

WKHVLAWKROBPSLDGRIFUBSWRJUDSKBGHGLFDWHGWKHWRILIWLHWKBHDURIWKHEULWLVKVHFUHWVHUYLFH.

The following text is also obtained from the same original text:

KYVJZOKYFCPDGZRUFWTIPGKFXIRGYPUVUZTRKVUKYVKFWZWKZVKYPVRIFWKYVSIZKZJYJVTIVKJVIMZTV.

Father Christmas has an infinite number of sweets. A minute before the New Year, Father Christmas gives some children 100 sweets, while the Snow Maiden takes one sweet from them. Within half a minute before the New Year, Father Christmas gives the children 100 more sweets, and the Snow Maiden again takes one sweet. The same is repeated for 15 seconds, for 7.5 seconds, etc. until the new Year. Prove that the Snow Maiden will be able to take away all the sweets from the children by the New Year.

What weights can three weights have so that they can weigh any integer number of kilograms from 1 to 10 on weighing scales (weights can be put on both cups)? Give an example.

A cryptogram is given:

Restore the numerical values of the letters under which all of the equalities are valid, if different letters correspond to different digits. Arrange the letters in order of increasing numerical value and to find the required string of letters.

The rook stands on the square a1 of a chessboard. For a move, you can move it by any number of cells to the right or up. The one who puts the rook on the h8 square will win. Who wins with the right strategy?