Try this beautiful problem from the Pre-RMO, 2019 based on Rectangle and Squares.
A \(1 \times n\) rectangle \(n \geq 1\) is divided into n unit \( 1 \times 1 \) squares. Each square of this rectangle is coloured red, blue or green. Let f(n) be the number of colourings of the rectangle in which there are an even number of red squares, find the largest prime factor of \(\frac{f(9)}{f(3)}\)
Combinations
Algebra
Integers
Answer: is 37.
PRMO, 2019, Question 24
Combinatorics by Brualdi
\(f(n)\)=\({n \choose 0}2^{n} + {n\choose2} 2^{n-2} + {n\choose 4} 2^{n-4}+.....\) and \((2+1)^{n}\)=\({n\choose0} 2^{n}+ {n\choose1} 2^{n-1} + {n\choose2} 2^{n-2} +.....\) and \((2-1)^{n}\)= \({n\choose0} 2^{n}-{n\choose1} 2^{n-1}+{n\choose2} 2^{n-2}-.....\)
adding gives \(\frac{3^{n}+1}{2}=f(n)\) \(\frac{f(9)}{f(3)}=\frac{3^{9}+1}{3^{3}+1}=3^{6}-27+1\)=703
then 703=\(19 \times 37\) then largest factor =37.

In 2025, 8 students from Cheenta Academy cracked the prestigious Regional Math Olympiad. In this post, we will share some of their success stories and learning strategies. The Regional Mathematics Olympiad (RMO) and the Indian National Mathematics Olympiad (INMO) are two most important mathematics contests in India.These two contests are for the students who are […]

Cheenta Academy proudly celebrates the success of 27 current and former students who qualified for the Indian Olympiad Qualifier in Mathematics (IOQM) 2025, advancing to the next stage — RMO. This accomplishment highlights their perseverance and Cheenta’s ongoing mission to nurture mathematical excellence and research-oriented learning.

Cheenta students shine at the Purple Comet Math Meet 2025 organized by Titu Andreescu and Jonathan Kanewith top national and global ranks.

Celebrate the success of Cheenta students in the Stanford Math Tournament. The Unified Vectors team achieved Top 20 in the Team Round.