Problems

A cat tries to catch a mouse in labyrinths A, B, and C. The cat walks first, beginning with the node marked with the letter “K”. Then the mouse (from the node “M”) moves, then again the cat moves, etc. From any node the cat and mouse go to any adjacent node. If at some point the cat and mouse are in the same node, then the cat eats the mouse.

Can the cat catch the mouse in each of the cases A, B, C?

Two play a game on a chessboard \(8 \times 8\). The player who makes the first move puts a knight on the board. Then they take turns moving it (according to the usual rules), whilst you can not put the knight on a cell which he already visited. The loser is one who has nowhere to go. Who wins with the right strategy – the first player or his partner?

Two players in turn increase a natural number in such a way that at each increase the difference between the new and old values of the number is greater than zero, but less than the old value. The initial value of the number is 2. The winner is the one who can create the number 1987. Who wins with the correct strategy: the first player or his partner?

What is the minimum number of squares that need to be marked on a chessboard, so that:

1) There are no horizontally, vertically, or diagonally adjacent marked squares.

2) Adding any single new marked square breaks rule 1.

What figure should I put in place of the “?” in the number \(888 \dots 88\,?\,99 \dots 999\) (eights and nines are written 50 times each) so that it is divisible by 7?

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 \(A \subset B \subset C\).

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”).

Sage thought of the sum of some three natural numbers, and the Patricia thought about their product.

“If I knew,” said Sage, “that your number is greater than mine, then I would immediately name the three numbers that are needed.”

“My number is smaller than yours,” Patricia answered, “and the numbers you want are ..., ... and ....”

What numbers did Patricia name?

Ben noticed that all 25 of his classmates have a different number of friends in this class. How many friends does Ben have?

Initially, a natural number \(A\) is written on a board. You are allowed to add to it one of its divisors, distinct from itself and one. With the resulting number you are permitted to perform a similar operation, and so on.

Prove that from the number \(A = 4\) one can, with the help of such operations, come to any given in advance composite number.