Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /51 of 54

Combinatorics Difficulty 7.5 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it China

All the grids of an m×nm \times n chessboard (m3,n3m \ge 3, n \ge 3) are colored either red or blue. Two adjacent grids (with a common side) are called a *good couple* if they are of different colors. Suppose that there are SS good couples, explain how to determine whether SS is odd or even. Does it depend on certain specific color grids? (Reasoning is required.) (posed by Feng Yuefeng)

Solution

Solution I
Classify all grids into three parts: the grids at the four corners, the grids along the borderlines (not including four corners), and the other grids. Fill all red grids with label number 11, all blue grids with label number 1-1. Denote the label numbers filled in the grids in the first part by aa, bb, cc and dd, in the second part by x1,x2,,x2m+2n8x_1, x_2, \dots, x_{2m+2n-8}, and in the third part by y1,y2,,y(m2)(n2)y_1, y_2, \dots, y_{(m-2)(n-2)}. For any two adjacent grids we write a label number which is the product of two label numbers of the two grids on their common edge. Let HH be the product of all label numbers on common edges.

There are 22 adjacent grids for every grid in the first part, thus its label number appears twice in HH. There are 33 adjacent grids for every grid in the second part, thus its label number appears three times in HH. There are 44 adjacent grids for every grid in the third part, thus its label number appears four times in HH. Therefore,
H=(abcd)2(x1x2x2m+2n8)3(y1y2y(m2)(n2))4=(x1x2x2m+2n8)3. H = (abcd)^2 (x_1 x_2 \cdots x_{2m+2n-8})^3 (y_1 y_2 \cdots y_{(m-2)(n-2)})^4 = (x_1 x_2 \cdots x_{2m+2n-8})^3.
If x1x2x2m+2n8=1x_1 x_2 \cdots x_{2m+2n-8} = 1, then H=1H = 1, and in this case there are even good couples. If x1x2x2m+2n8=1x_1 x_2 \cdots x_{2m+2n-8} = -1, then H=1H = -1, and in this case there are odd good couples. It shows that whether SS is even or odd is determined by colors of the grids in the second part. Moreover, when there are odd blue grids among the grids in the second part, SS is odd. Otherwise SS is even.

Solution II
Classify all grids into three parts: the grids at the four corners, the grids along the borderlines (not containing four corners), and the other grids.

If all grids are red, then S=0S = 0, which is even. If there are blue grids we pick any one of them, say AA, and change AA into a red one. We call this changing a transformation.

(1) AA is a grid in the first part. Suppose that there are kk red grids and 2k2-k blue grids among AA's two adjacent grids. After changing AA into a red one, the number of good couples increases by 2kk=22k2-k-k = 2-2k. It follows that the parity even or odd of SS is unchanged.

(2) AA is a grid in the second part. Suppose that there are pp red grids and 3p3-p blue grids among AA's three adjacent grids. After changing AA into a red one, the number of good couples increases by 3pp=32p3-p-p = 3-2p. It follows that the parity of SS is changed.

(3) AA is a grid in the third part. Suppose that there are qq red grids and 4q4 - q blue grids among AA's four adjacent grids. After changing AA into a red one, the number of good couples increases by 4qq=42q4-q-q = 4-2q. It follows that the parity of SS is unchanged.

If there are still blue grids on the chessboard after above transformation, we continue doing the transformation over and over again until no blue grid left on the chessboard. Now SS is changed into 00.

Clearly, SS changes its parity odd times if there are odd blue grids among the second part of grids. Similarly, SS changes its parity even times if there are even blue grids among the second part of grids. It implies that the parity of SS is determined by the coloring of the second part of grids. When there exist odd blue grids among the second part of grids, SS is odd. When there exist even blue grids among the second part of grids, SS is even.

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.