Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad

Maclaurin paper

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Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad Maclaurin paper 2024 Solutions

1. Mike is doing a one-hour cycling challenge. He has a computer which predicts how far
he will cycle in the rest of the hour based on his average speed so far.
After cycling 1 km in 𝑡 minutes, he checks the distance the computer predicts he will
cycle in the remaining time and it shows 𝑑 km.
In the next 36 minutes, he cycles 15 km. He checks the computer again and finds it still
predicts he will cycle 𝑑 km in the remaining time.
Find the distance shown on the computer each time he looks.

Solution
Predicted distance is calculated by average speed so far multiplied by the time remaining.

60 60 − 𝑡
𝑑= ×
𝑡 60
16 × 60 60 − 𝑡 − 36
𝑑= ×
𝑡 + 36 60
These lead to the following equation:

60 − 𝑡 16(24 − 𝑡)
=
𝑡 𝑡 + 36
This can be multiplied up and simplified:

2160 + 24𝑡 − 𝑡 2 = 384𝑡 − 16𝑡 2

This simplifies down to the equation below:

(𝑡 − 12) 2 = 0.

This leads to the only solution being 𝑡 = 12. Substituting this into either of the original
equations gives 𝑑 = 4 so the computer shows a predicted distance of 4 km each time.

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Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad Maclaurin paper 2024 Solutions

2. In how many ways can we choose two different integers between −100 and 100 inclusive,
so that their sum is greater than their product?

Solution
Let the two integers be 𝑚 and 𝑛.
The condition gives the following inequality.
𝑚 + 𝑛 > 𝑚𝑛
This can be rearranged into the useful inequality below.
(𝑚 − 1)(𝑛 − 1) < 1
This inequality is not true in one of two cases.
Firstly, when both brackets are positive and at least one of them is not 1. Note that they cannot
both be 1 because 𝑚 and 𝑛 must be different
Secondly, when both brackets are negative and at least one of them is not -1. Note that they
cannot both be -1 because 𝑚 and 𝑛 must be different.
In the first case, there are 99 options for each bracket, so 99 × 98 options because 𝑚 and 𝑛 must
be different. This gives 9702 cases.
In the second case, there are 101 options for each bracket, so 101 × 100 options, because 𝑚 and
𝑛 must be different. This gives 10100 cases.
The total number of cases has 201 options for each of 𝑚 and 𝑛, which gives 201 × 200 options.
This gives 40200 cases.
This leaves 40200 − 9702 − 10100 = 20398 ways to choose 𝑚 and 𝑛.
However, these are ordered pairs, so each pair has been counted twice. Therefore there are
20398 ÷ 2 = 10199 ways to choose two different numbers between −100 and 100 inclusive, so
that their sum is greater than their product.

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Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad Maclaurin paper 2024 Solutions

3. What is the smallest number, 𝑛, which is the product of 3 distinct primes where the
mean of all its factors is not an integer?

Solution
Let 𝑛 = 𝑝𝑞𝑟, where 𝑝, 𝑞 and 𝑟 are distinct primes.
Its factors are 1, 𝑝, 𝑞, 𝑟, 𝑝𝑞, 𝑝𝑟, 𝑞𝑟 and 𝑝𝑞𝑟.
1 + 𝑝 + 𝑞 + 𝑟 + 𝑝𝑞 + 𝑝𝑟 + 𝑞𝑟 + 𝑝𝑞𝑟
The mean of its factors is .
8
(1 + 𝑝)(1 + 𝑞)(1 + 𝑟)
This can be factorised into .
8
For this to not be an integer the number of factors of 2 in the numerator must be at most 2.
This means at least one bracket must be odd, so one of the primes must be even. However, the
only even prime is 2, so one prime must be 2 and the other brackets are both even.
Therefore, neither of the other brackets can have a second factor of 2 and so be a multiple of 4,
so the primes cannot be 1 less than a multiple of 4. The smallest two examples of this are 5 and
13.
The smallest value for 𝑛 is therefore 2 × 5 × 13 = 130.

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Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad Maclaurin paper 2024 Solutions

4. A bend in a road is formed from two concentric arcs with inside radius 𝑟 and outside
radius 𝑅, each of a third of a circle with the same centre. The road is then formed of
tangents to the arcs.
A cyclist cuts the corner by following an arc of radius 𝑥 which is tangent to the outside
of the road at its ends and tangent to the inside of the road in the middle.

Prove that 𝑟 + 𝑥 = 𝑘 𝑅 for some number 𝑘 to be found.

Solution
Let the centre of the arcs for the curve of the road be 𝑂 and we label the ends of the arcs.
We extend the tangents to meet at a point 𝑋. We draw in the radii from where the cyclist leaves
the outside of the curve and label the centre of the arc and the ends of the arc. We join the
centres 𝑂𝑃 and note that this line extended goes through 𝑋. The new diagram is shown below.

𝐶 𝐷
𝑟 𝑟
𝐴 𝐵
𝑅 𝑂
𝐸 𝐹
𝑥 −𝑟
𝑥
𝑃
Note ∠𝑃𝐸 𝑋 = ∠𝑂𝐶 𝑋 = 90◦ because they are tangents. Note 𝑃𝑂 𝑋 is the line of symmetry
so bisects the angles at 𝑂 and 𝑃. Note ∠𝐶𝑂 𝑋 = 60◦ because the arcs are a third of a circle
and ∠𝐸 𝑃𝑋 = 60◦ because 𝑃𝐸 and 𝑂𝐶 are both perpendicular to the tangent 𝐸 𝑋, so they are
parallel.
This means triangles 𝑃𝐸 𝑋 and 𝑂𝐶 𝑋 are half of equilateral triangles. Therefore 𝑂 𝑋 = 2𝑂𝐶 =
2𝑅 and 𝑃𝑋 = 2𝑃𝐸 = 2𝑥. Note also that 𝑃𝑂 = 𝑥 − 𝑟 and 𝑃𝑋 = 2𝑅 + 𝑥 − 𝑟.
Therefore 2𝑥 = 2𝑅 + 𝑥 − 𝑟 so 𝑥 + 𝑟 = 2𝑅 and 𝑘 = 2.

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Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad Maclaurin paper 2024 Solutions

5. Two right-angled triangles are similar. The larger triangle has short sides which are
1 cm and 5 cm longer than the short sides of the smaller triangle. The area of the larger
triangle is 8 cm2 more than the area of the smaller triangle. Find all possible values for
the side lengths of the short sides of the smaller triangle.

Solution
Let the side lengths of the smaller triangle be 𝑥 and 𝑦.
There are two cases to consider: the corresponding sides are the same way round or the other
way round.
Case 1:

𝑥+1
𝑥
𝑦 5
𝑥 𝑥+1
The first case gives the equation for similarity using ratio of sides as = .
𝑦 𝑦+5
The condition on the area gives 12 𝑥𝑦 + 8 = 12 (𝑥 + 1)(𝑦 + 5).
The first equation becomes 𝑦 = 5𝑥 and this can be substituted into the second equation.
This gives 5𝑥 2 + 16 = 5𝑥 2 + 10𝑥 + 5 which can be solved to give 𝑥 = 1.1 and 𝑦 = 5.5. This is a
solution to the problem.
Case 2:

𝑥+1

𝑦
𝑥
𝑦+5
𝑥 𝑦+5
The second case gives the equation for similarity using ratio of sides as = .
𝑦 𝑥+1
The condition on the area still gives 12 𝑥𝑦 + 8 = 21 (𝑥 + 1)(𝑦 + 5).
The second equation becomes 𝑦 + 5𝑥 = 11 and this can be substituted into the first equation.
This gives 𝑥(𝑥 + 1) = (11 − 5𝑥)(16 − 5𝑥) which can be simplified to 24𝑥 2 − 136𝑥 + 176 = 0.
−22
This can be solved to give 𝑥 = 2 and 𝑦 = 1 or 𝑥 = 11 3 and 𝑦 = 3 . Since solutions cannot be
negative, only the first pair is a solution to the problem.
The solutions are (𝑥, 𝑦) = (1.1, 5.5) or (2, 1)

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Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad Maclaurin paper 2024 Solutions

6. A busy bee buzzes between the cells of a large honeycomb made up of a plane of
tessellated hexagons. A flight of length 𝑛 consists of picking any of the six neighbouring
cells and flying to the 𝑛th cell in that direction. After consecutive flights of lengths
𝑛 = 𝑁, 𝑁 − 1, . . . , 2, 1, the bee finds that it has returned to its starting location. For
which values of 𝑁 is this possible?

Solution
If 𝑁 = 1 or 𝑁 = 2, the bee cannot return to its starting position.
If 𝑁 = 3 or 𝑁 = 4, the bee can return by going up and down only. In the first case, it goes 3 up,
then 2 and 1 down. In the second case it goes 4 up, then 3 and 2 down, then 1 up.
If 𝑁 = 5 or 𝑁 = 6, the bee can return by forming an equilateral triangle. In the first case, it
goes 5 in one direction, 4 and later 1 in another direction and 3 and 2 in the third direction. In
the second case, it goes 6 and later 1 in one direction, 5 and later 2 in another direction and 4
and 3 in the third direction.
All further cases for 𝑁 can be reduced into a case 𝑁 − 4 by going up 𝑁, down 𝑁 − 1 and 𝑁 − 2,
then up 𝑁 − 3, which returns it to its starting position. This process repeated will bring it down
to one of the cases for 𝑁 being 3, 4, 5 or 6, which can be achieved.
Therefore, for all 𝑁 ≥ 3 the bee can return to its starting position.

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