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Combinatorics Difficulty 6.5 National olympiad Prove it Ukraine

There is a central train station at point OO, which is connected to other train stations A1,A2,,A8A_1, A_2, \dots, A_8 with tracks. There is also a track between stations AiA_i and Ai+1A_{i+1} for each 1i81 \le i \le 8 (here A1=A9A_1 = A_9). The length of each track AiAi+1A_iA_{i+1} is equal to 11, and the length of each track OAiOA_i is equal to 22, for each 1i81 \le i \le 8.

There are also 88 trains B1,B2,,B8B_1, B_2, \dots, B_8, the speed of the train BjB_j is jj. Trains can move only by the tracks above, in both directions. No time is wasted on changing directions. If two or more trains meet at some point, they will move together from now on, with the speed equal to that of the fastest of them.

Is it possible to arrange trains into stations A1,A2,,A8A_1, A_2, \dots, A_8 (each station has to contain one train initially), and to organize their movement in such a way, that all trains arrive at OO in time t<12t < \frac{1}{2}?

Solution

Answer: yes.

Arrange the trains clockwise as following: B8,B1,B7,B2,B6,B3,B5B_8, B_1, B_7, B_2, B_6, B_3, B_5 and B4B_4. Now let's show how they should move to meet in time.

Let B8B_8 move through the station of B1B_1 (at this time B1B_1 stays at place and is waiting for B8B_8), and they arrive to OO in time t8=38t_8 = \frac{3}{8}.

Let train B7B_7 move through the station of B2B_2 (at this time B2B_2 stays at place and is waiting for B7B_7), and they arrive to OO in time t7=37t_7 = \frac{3}{7}.

Let train B6B_6 move through the station of B3B_3 (at this time B3B_3 stays at place and is waiting for B6B_6) and they arrive to OO in time t7=12t_7 = \frac{1}{2}.

B5B_5 goes to OO right away in time t5=25t_5 = \frac{2}{5}.

B4B_4 goes to OO right away in time t4=12t_4 = \frac{1}{2}.

Now we see that two groups — B6+B3B_6 + B_3 and B4B_4 — arrive at the time 12\frac{1}{2}, but the groups B8+B1B_8 + B_1 and B7+B2B_7 + B_2 arrive faster than in 12\frac{1}{2}, and their speeds are larger than those of first groups. So, the group B8+B1B_8 + B_1 upon its arrival to OO goes to the group B6+B3B_6 + B_3, unites with it, and goes to the point OO with its speed. Similarly, group B7+B2B_7 + B_2 will get B4B_4 to OO faster.

It's possible to find the time of arrival of each group to OO. For example, for the last group this time is 3777<12\frac{37}{77} < \frac{1}{2}. Indeed, group B7+B2B_7 + B_2 arrives at OO at 37\frac{3}{7}, at this time B4B_4 has travelled 127\frac{12}{7} in the direction of point OO. The time before their meet is 24+7=277\frac{2}{4+7} = \frac{2}{77}, and it's equal to the time spent to arrive back to OO.

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