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China Western Mathematical Olympiad

Geometry Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it China

Let OO be an interior point of the triangle ABCABC. Prove that there exist positive integers p,qp, q and rr, such that
∣p⋅OA⃗+q⋅OB⃗+r⋅OC⃗∣<12007. |p \cdot \vec{OA} + q \cdot \vec{OB} + r \cdot \vec{OC}| < \frac{1}{2007}.

Solution

It is well-known that there are positive real numbers β,γ\beta, \gamma such that
OA⃗+βOB⃗+γOC⃗=0⃗. \vec{OA} + \beta \vec{OB} + \gamma \vec{OC} = \vec{0}.
So for positive integer kk, we have
kOA⃗+kβOB⃗+kγOC⃗=0⃗. k \vec{OA} + k\beta \vec{OB} + k\gamma \vec{OC} = \vec{0}.
Let m(k)=[kβ]m(k) = [k\beta], n(k)=[kγ]n(k) = [k\gamma], where [x][x] is the biggest integer which is less than or equal to xx, and {x}=x−[x]\{x\} = x - [x].

Assume TT is an integer larger than max⁡{1β,1γ}\max\left\{\frac{1}{\beta}, \frac{1}{\gamma}\right\}. Then the sequences {m(kT)∣k=1,2,… }\{m(kT) \mid k = 1, 2, \dots\} and {n(kT)∣k=1,2,… }\{n(kT) \mid k = 1, 2, \dots\} are increasing, and
∣kTOA⃗+m(kT)OB⃗+n(kT)OC⃗∣=∣−{kTβ}OB⃗−{kTγ}OC⃗∣≤∣OB⃗∣⋅{kTβ}+∣OC⃗∣⋅{kTγ}≤∣OB⃗∣+∣OC⃗∣. \begin{aligned} & |kT \vec{OA} + m(kT) \vec{OB} + n(kT) \vec{OC}| \\ & = |-\{kT\beta\} \vec{OB} - \{kT\gamma\} \vec{OC}| \\ & \leq |\vec{OB}| \cdot \{kT\beta\} + |\vec{OC}| \cdot \{kT\gamma\} \\ & \leq |\vec{OB}| + |\vec{OC}|. \end{aligned}
This shows there exists infinitely many vectors such that
kTOA⃗+m(kT)OB⃗+n(kT)OC⃗, kT \vec{OA} + m(kT) \vec{OB} + n(kT) \vec{OC},
whose endpoint is in a circle OO of radius ∣OB⃗∣+∣OC⃗∣|\vec{OB}| + |\vec{OC}|. So there are two of the vectors, such that the distance between the endpoints of the two vectors is less than 12007\frac{1}{2007}, this means there exists two integers k1<k2k_1 < k_2, such that
∣(k2TOA⃗+m(k2T)OB⃗+n(k2T)OC⃗)−(k1TOA⃗+m(k1T)OB⃗+n(k1T)OC⃗)∣<12007. \begin{aligned} & | (k_2 T \vec{OA} + m(k_2 T) \vec{OB} + n(k_2 T) \vec{OC}) \\ & \quad - (k_1 T \vec{OA} + m(k_1 T) \vec{OB} + n(k_1 T) \vec{OC}) | \\ & < \frac{1}{2007}. \end{aligned}
So, if we let p=(k2−k1)Tp = (k_2 - k_1)T, q=m(k2T)−m(k1T)q = m(k_2T) - m(k_1T), r=n(k2T)−n(k1T)r = n(k_2T) - n(k_1T), then p,q,rp, q, r are integers, and
∣pOA⃗+qOB⃗+rOC⃗∣<12007. |p \vec{OA} + q \vec{OB} + r \vec{OC}| < \frac{1}{2007}.

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