The sequence of numbers \(\{a_n\}\) is given by \(a_1 = 1\), \(a_{n + 1} = 3a_n/4 + 1/a_n\) (\(n \geq 1\)). Prove that:
a) the sequence \(\{a_n\}\) converges;
b) \(|a_{1000} - 2| < (3/4)^{1000}\).
Find the limit of the sequence that is given by the following conditions \(a_1 = 2\), \(a_{n + 1} = a_n/2 + a_n^2/8\) (\(n \geq 1\)).
The sequence of numbers \(\{x_n\}\) is given by the following conditions: \(x_1 \geq - a\), \(x_{n + 1} = \sqrt{a + x_n}\). Prove that the sequence \(x_n\) is monotonic and bounded. Find its limit.
Liouville’s discrete theorem. Let \(f (x, y)\) be a bounded harmonic function (see the definition in problem number 11.28), that is, there exists a positive constant \(M\) such that \(\forall (x, y) \in \mathbb {Z}^2\) \(| f (x, y) | \leq M\). Prove that the function \(f (x, y)\) is equal to a constant.
The frog jumps over the vertices of the hexagon \(ABCDEF\), each time moving to one of the neighbouring vertices.
a) How many ways can it get from \(A\) to \(C\) in \(n\) jumps?
b) The same question, but on condition that it cannot jump to \(D\)?
c) Let the frog’s path begin at the vertex \(A\), and at the vertex \(D\) there is a mine. Every second it makes another jump. What is the probability that it will still be alive in \(n\) seconds?
d)* What is the average life expectancy of such frogs?
Prove that the 13th day of the month is more likely to occur on a Friday than on other days of the week. It is assumed that we live in the Gregorian style calendar.
Find the largest number of colours in which you can paint the edges of a cube (each edge with one colour) so that for each pair of colours there are two adjacent edges coloured in these colours. Edges are considered to be adjacent if they have a common vertex.
Prove that the polynomial \(P (x) = a_0 + a_1x + \dots + a_nx^n\) has a number \(-1\) which is a root of multiplicity \(m + 1\) if and only if the following conditions are satisfied: \[\begin{aligned} a_0 - a_1 + a_2 - a_3 + \dots + (-1)^{n}a_n &= 0,\\ - a_1 + 2a_2 - 3a_3 + \dots + (-1)^{n}na_n &= 0,\\ \dots \\ - a_1 + 2^{m}a_2 - 3^{m}a_3 + \dots + (-1)^{n}n^{m}a_n &= 0. \end{aligned}\]
In a one-on-one tournament 10 chess players participate. What is the least number of rounds after which the single winner could have already been determined? (In each round, the participants are broken up into pairs. Win – 1 point, draw – 0.5 points, defeat – 0).
A castle is surrounded by a circular wall with nine towers, at which there are knights on duty. At the end of each hour, they all move to the neighbouring towers, each knight moving either clockwise or counter-clockwise. During the night, each knight stands for some time at each tower. It is known that there was an hour when at least two knights were on duty at each tower, and there was an hour when there was precisely one knight on duty on each of exactly five towers. Prove that there was an hour when there were no knights on duty on one of the towers.