CombinatoricsDifficulty 3.0Prove itUKMT Senior Kangaroo · United Kingdom · 2023
Kiran is designing a game which involves a bag of twenty-one marbles. Some of the marbles are blue, the rest are red. To play the game, two marbles are drawn out. The game is won if at least one red marble is drawn. To ensure the probability of the game being won is exactly one-half, Kiran uses B blue marbles and R red marbles. What is the value of B2+R2?
This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, then check yourself against the publisher's own solution, linked below. Be honest about it: the record is only any use to you if it is.