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Several pieces of carpet are laid along a corridor. Pieces cover the entire corridor from end to end without omissions and even overlap one another, so that over some parts of the floor lie several layers of carpet. Prove that you can remove a few pieces, perhaps by taking them out from under others and leaving the rest exactly in the same places they used to be, so that the corridor will still be completely covered and the total length of the pieces left will be less than twice the length corridor.

All integers from 1 to \(2n\) are written in a row. Then, to each number, the number of its place in the row is added, that is, to the first number 1 is added, to the second – 2, and so on.

Prove that among the sums obtained there are at least two that give the same remainder when divided by \(2n\).

At what value of \(k\) is the quantity \(A_k = (19^k + 66^k)/k!\) at its maximum?

In draughts, the king attacks by jumping over another draughts-piece. What is the maximum number of draughts kings we can place on the black squares of a standard \(8\times 8\) draughts board, so that each king is attacking at least one other?

In order to encrypt telegraph signals it is necessary to divide every possible 10 character ‘word’ – an arrangement of 10 dots and dashes – into two groups, so that any two words in the same group differed by no fewer than three characters. Find a method of doing this or prove that no such method exists.

Four lamps need to be hung over a square ice-rink so that they fully illuminate it. What is the minimum height needed at which to hang the lamps if each lamp illuminates a circle of radius equal to the height at which it hangs?

Is it possible to place the numbers \(1, 2,\dots 12\) around a circle so that the difference between any two adjacent numbers is 3, 4, or 5?

The number \(n\) has the property that when it is divided by \(q^2\) the remainder is smaller than \(q^2 / 2\), whatever the value of \(q\). List all numbers that have this property.

Airlines connect pairs of cities. How can you connect 50 cities with the fewest number of airlines so that from every city you can get to any other city by taking at most two flights?