Study guideline for RMO

www.rmomah.org

Introduction
This document provides an overview of the topics that students need to be familiar with, while preparing
for the Regional Mathematics Olympiad. However, it is important to note that while the scope of this
document begins at RMO, it does not end there. In other words, there are a few topics mentioned here,
which may not perhaps be required at the RMO level; nevertheless they will be important for the students
to prepare for the further stages such as INMO and beyond.
Most of all, what matters at RMO is one's raw problem-solving ability. This includes a number of related
skills, such as the ability to try small experiments, spot patterns from the same, make logical connections
and deductions, and most importantly, the ability to present one's ideas and thoughts in an accurate manner.

Geometry
• Basic manipulation of angle measures, segment lengths and other properties by applying elementary
concepts, such as:
 Congruence and similarity relations between triangles, quadrilaterals, circles and so on.
 Parallel or perpendicular lines, and properties between related angles and length ratios
 Properties related to special gures, such as equilateral triangles, or parallelograms etc.
• Various properties related to triangles; including:
 Some standard congurations, such as incenter-excenter conguration, orthocenter conguration,
nine-point-circle conguration, etc.
 Concurrency and collinearity results, such as Ceva's theorem and Menelaus' theorem
 Properties of right-angled triangles, the Pythagoras theorem conguration, as well as extensions
or further related ideas, such as Stewart's theorem
 Simson's line and related properties
• Various properties related to circles; including:
 Properties related to angles, triangles and quadrilaterals inscribed in circles,
 Results related to tangent circles, or tangent lines to circles.
 The power of a point with respect to a given circle; and related concepts such as the radical axis

Algebra
• Basic manipulation of algebraic expressions and equations, including:
 Regrouping terms, expanding or factorizing expressions
 Solving basic linear equations, as well as systems of multiple equations and unknowns
 Quadratic equations, understanding the relation between roots, coecients and the discriminant
 Techniques such as elimination of variables, or change of variables

1
 • Properties of polynomials; including:
 Relations between the roots and coecients of polynomials
 Understanding the nature of roots (real or complex, rational or irrational etc.)
 Operations on polynomials, such as addition or multiplication of polynomials
 Factorization of polynomials, and related results such as the Remainder theorem
• Some standard inequalities, such as:
 ∀x ∈ R, x2 ≥ 0; a.k.a. the `squares are non-negative' inequality
 RMS-AM-GM-HM inequality, Cauchy-Schwartz inequality
 Rearrangement inequality; Chebyschev inequality

Combinatorics
• Basic counting methods, and their application for standard problems, such as
 Addition Principle, Multiplication Principle, Bijection Principle
 Permutations and combinations; with and without repetitions allowed
 Distributing distinct or identical objects into distinct or identical boxes
 Circular permutations
• The Principle of Inclusion-Exclusion, and its applications
• Recurrence relations, including the solution of linear homogeneous recurrence relations
• The pigeonhole principle, in its various forms and applications

Number Theory
• Mathematical induction: weak and strong form, as well as its applications
• Basic properties of integers, such as

 Divisibility, the division algorithm

 Prime factorization, GCD and LCM, Euclid's algorithm
 Theory related to the linear Diophantine equation; and its connection with GCD
• The congruence notation, and some standard results expressed in the same, such as:

 Solving linear congruences, or systems or linear congruences (i.e. Chinese Remainder Theorem)
 Fermat's theorem, Euler's theorem
 Wilson's theorem
• Some number-theoretic functions, such as the Euler's φ function, and their properties.

• The complete characterization of Pythagorean triples