Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /3 of 4

Geometry Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Prove it Brazil

P0=(1,0),P1=(1,1),P2=(0,1),P3=(0,0)P_0 = (1,0), P_1 = (1,1), P_2 = (0,1), P_3 = (0,0). Pn+4P_{n+4} is the midpoint of PnPn+1P_n P_{n+1}. QnQ_n is the quadrilateral PnPn+1Pn+2Pn+3P_n P_{n+1} P_{n+2} P_{n+3}. AnA_n is the interior of QnQ_n. Find n0An\bigcap_{n \ge 0} A_n.

Solution

Interpreting the points PkP_k as vectors, we have Pn+4=Pn+Pn+12P_{n+4} = \frac{P_n + P_{n+1}}{2}, which is a linear homogeneous recursion. Its characteristic polynomial is 2x4x1=(x1)(2x3+2x2+2x+1)2x^4 - x - 1 = (x - 1)(2x^3 + 2x^2 + 2x + 1). So let α,β,γ\alpha, \beta, \gamma be the roots of f(x)=2x3+2x2+2x+1f(x) = 2x^3 + 2x^2 + 2x + 1, so that Pn=Q0+Q1αn+Q2βn+Q3γnP_n = Q_0 + Q_1 \alpha^n + Q_2 \beta^n + Q_3 \gamma^n, Q0,Q1,Q2,Q3Q_0, Q_1, Q_2, Q_3 being constant vectors.

We have α2+β2+γ2=(α+β+γ)22(αβ+βγ+γα)=(22)2222=1<0\alpha^2 + \beta^2 + \gamma^2 = (\alpha + \beta + \gamma)^2 - 2(\alpha\beta + \beta\gamma + \gamma\alpha) = \left(-\frac{2}{2}\right)^2 - 2 \cdot \frac{2}{2} = -1 < 0, so ff has one real root and two conjugate complex roots. Suppose α\alpha is real. Since f(1)=1<0f(-1) = -1 < 0 and f(12)=14>0f\left(-\frac{1}{2}\right) = \frac{1}{4} > 0, 1<α<12-1 < \alpha < -\frac{1}{2} and β=γ=12<1|\beta| = |\gamma| = \sqrt{| -\frac{1}{2} |} < 1, so all roots of ff have modulus smaller than 1 and so PnP_n tends to Q0Q_0 as nn goes to infinity. This means that QnQ_n tends to Q0Q_0 and thus the intersection of all QnQ_n is Q0Q_0. To find Q0Q_0, notice that

P0=Q0+Q1+Q2+Q32P1=2Q0+Q12α+Q22β+Q32γ2P2=2Q0+Q12α2+Q22β2+Q32γ22P3=2Q0+Q12α3+Q22β3+Q32γ3P0+2P1+2P2+2P3=7Q0+f(α)Q1+f(β)Q2+f(γ)Q3=7Q0    Q0=P0+2P1+2P2+2P37=(37,47) \left| \begin{array}{l} P_0 = Q_0 + Q_1 + Q_2 + Q_3 \\ 2P_1 = 2Q_0 + Q_1 \cdot 2\alpha + Q_2 \cdot 2\beta + Q_3 \cdot 2\gamma \\ 2P_2 = 2Q_0 + Q_1 \cdot 2\alpha^2 + Q_2 \cdot 2\beta^2 + Q_3 \cdot 2\gamma^2 \\ 2P_3 = 2Q_0 + Q_1 \cdot 2\alpha^3 + Q_2 \cdot 2\beta^3 + Q_3 \cdot 2\gamma^3 \\ \Rightarrow P_0 + 2P_1 + 2P_2 + 2P_3 = 7Q_0 + f(\alpha)Q_1 + f(\beta)Q_2 + f(\gamma)Q_3 = 7Q_0 \\ \iff Q_0 = \frac{P_0 + 2P_1 + 2P_2 + 2P_3}{7} = \left(\frac{3}{7}, \frac{4}{7}\right) \end{array} \right.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.