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Given an odd prime pp. Find the largest positive integer nn such that there exist nn integer-coordinate points A1,A2,,AnA_1, A_2, \dots, A_n in the plane, with no three collinear, and for any 1i<j<kn1 \le i < j < k \le n, twice the area of triangle AiAjAkA_iA_jA_k is not divisible by pp.

Solution

It is well-known that the area of a triangle with vertices (x1,y1)(x_1, y_1), (x2,y2)(x_2, y_2), (x3,y3)(x_3, y_3) is given by
12(y2y1)(x3x1)(y3y1)(x2x1) \frac{1}{2} |(y_2 - y_1)(x_3 - x_1) - (y_3 - y_1)(x_2 - x_1)|
(This equals zero if and only if the three points are collinear). Therefore, the condition that (x1,y1)(x_1, y_1), (x2,y2)(x_2, y_2), (x3,y3)(x_3, y_3) are non-collinear and twice the area of their triangle is not divisible by pp is equivalent to (y2y1)(x3x1)(y_2 - y_1)(x_3 - x_1) and (y3y1)(x2x1)(y_3 - y_1)(x_2 - x_1) being incongruent modulo pp.

First, we show that n=p+2n = p + 2 is impossible. Let Ai(xi,yi)A_i(x_i, y_i) (i=1,,p+2i = 1, \dots, p + 2). If any three xx-coordinates are congruent modulo pp, then the corresponding three points form a triangle whose twice area is divisible by pp. Otherwise, since p+2p + 2 is odd, there exists one xx-coordinate distinct modulo pp from all others. Without loss of generality, assume x1x_1 is distinct modulo pp from all other xix_i. Consider the values yiy1xix1\frac{y_i - y_1}{x_i - x_1} modulo pp (i=2,,p+2i = 2, \dots, p+2). Since there are only pp possible residues, by the pigeonhole principle, two must be equal. If yiy1xix1=yjy1xjx1\frac{y_i - y_1}{x_i - x_1} = \frac{y_j - y_1}{x_j - x_1} (2i<jp+22 \le i < j \le p+2), then pp divides 2SA1AiAj2S_{\triangle A_1A_iA_j}.

Next, we construct an example with n=p+1n = p + 1. Let tt be a quadratic non-residue modulo pp. Consider pairs (x,y)(x, y) with x,y{0,1,,p1}x, y \in \{0, 1, \dots, p-1\} satisfying y2tx2C(modp)y^2 - tx^2 \equiv C \pmod{p} for some fixed C0C \neq 0. There are exactly p+1p+1 such pairs (including (0,0)(0, 0) when C=0C = 0, but we exclude this case).

We verify that these p+1p+1 points satisfy the condition. For any three points Ai,Aj,AkA_i, A_j, A_k:
* If two have the same xx-coordinate, their distance isn't divisible by pp, and the height from the third point is a positive integer less than pp, so twice the area isn't divisible by pp.
* If all xx-coordinates are distinct, we show yjyixjxiykyixkxi(modp)\frac{y_j - y_i}{x_j - x_i} \neq \frac{y_k - y_i}{x_k - x_i} \pmod{p}. If they were equal to some mm, then ymx+r(modp)y \equiv mx + r \pmod{p} would hold for three distinct xx-values, implying (mx+r)2tx2C(modp)(mx+r)^2 - tx^2 \equiv C \pmod{p} has three solutions. This contradicts Lagrange's theorem since m2t(modp)m^2 \neq t \pmod{p} (as tt is a non-residue).

Therefore, the maximal nn is p+1p+1. □

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