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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.5 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Italy

Problem:

The first quadrant of the Cartesian plane is the set of points (x,y)(x, y) with xx and yy strictly positive real numbers (that is x>0,y>0x>0, y>0). Each point of the first quadrant is colored red or blue. Moreover, for every point P=(x,y)P=(x, y) of the first quadrant, all the points on the half-line starting at PP with slope yy (that is, the half-line with origin at PP passing through the point with coordinates (x+1,2y)(x+1,2 y)) have the same color as PP. Prove that all the points of the first quadrant have the same color.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Solution:

Consider any two points P1=(x1,y1)P_{1} = (x_{1}, y_{1}) and P2=(x2,y1)P_{2} = (x_{2}, y_{1}) lying on the horizontal half-line given by the intersection of y=y1y = y_{1} with the first quadrant (see also the figure, where y1=1y_{1} = 1). Let r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2} be the two half-lines starting at P1,P2P_{1}, P_{2} considered in the problem. These half-lines have the same slope with respect to the horizontal axis and are therefore parallel. This can also be seen in terms of Euclidean geometry, since the triangles formed by the points P1,(x1+1,y1),(x1+1,2y1)P_{1}, (x_{1}+1, y_{1}), (x_{1}+1, 2y_{1}) and P2,(x2+1,y1),(x2+1,2y1)P_{2}, (x_{2}+1, y_{1}), (x_{2}+1, 2y_{1}) are obtained from one another by a horizontal translation of x2x1x_{2} - x_{1}, and therefore their hypotenuses (which lie on the half-lines r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2}) are parallel.

Up to symmetry, we now assume x2>x1x_{2} > x_{1}, so that the half-line r2r_{2} lies to the right of r1r_{1}. Choose any point Q=(xQ,yQ)Q = (x_{Q}, y_{Q}) on r2r_{2} distinct from P2P_{2}. In particular yQ>y1y_{Q} > y_{1}, since P2P_{2} is the point with smallest ordinate on the whole half-line r2r_{2}. The half-line rr starting at QQ and passing through (xQ+1,2yQ)(x_{Q}+1, 2y_{Q}) has slope yQy_{Q}, greater than the slope of the half-line r1r_{1}, and therefore r1r_{1} and rr meet at some point SS to the right of QQ.

Figure 1

It then follows from the hypotheses of the problem that SS has the same color as QQ (since SS belongs to the half-line rr) and that QQ has the same color as P2P_{2} (since it belongs to the half-line r2r_{2}). On the other hand, it is also true that SS belongs to the half-line r1r_{1}, and therefore has the same color as P1P_{1}. It follows therefore that P1,QP_{1}, Q and P2P_{2} all have the same color. Since the points P1,P2P_{1}, P_{2} were chosen arbitrarily on the line y=y1y = y_{1}, this shows that such a horizontal line consists entirely of points of the same color. Since y1y_{1} was also chosen arbitrarily, we obtain that every horizontal half-line is monochromatic.

Finally, take any two horizontal half-lines s1,s2s_{1}, s_{2}, given by the intersections with the first quadrant of the lines y=y1y = y_{1} and y=y2y = y_{2} respectively. Up to symmetry we may assume y1<y2y_{1} < y_{2}. Consider any point PP on the half-line s1s_{1}. The half-line rPr_{P} starting at PP with slope equal to the ordinate of PP intersects every horizontal line lying above s1s_{1}, and therefore in particular intersects s2s_{2}. Since the half-line rPr_{P} is monochromatic and contains both a point of s1s_{1} and a point of s2s_{2}, we obtain that the common color of all points of s1s_{1} equals the common color of all points of s2s_{2}. Finally, this reasoning holds for any pair of horizontal half-lines, and therefore every point of the first quadrant is colored with the same color.

We conclude by including, for completeness, an algebraic verification of the (graphically evident) claim that the half-lines rr and r1r_{1} actually meet at some point SS. The lines containing the half-lines r1r_{1}, r2r_{2} have respective equations y=y1(xx1)+y1y = y_{1}(x - x_{1}) + y_{1}, y=y1(xx2)+y1y = y_{1}(x - x_{2}) + y_{1}, where we assume x2>x1x_{2} > x_{1}. The half-lines r1r_{1} and r2r_{2} are described by these equations, restricted however to values xx1x \geq x_{1} (respectively xx2x \geq x_{2}).

If we call (xQ,yQ)(x_{Q}, y_{Q}) the coordinates of the point QQ (with xQ>x2x_{Q} > x_{2}) we then have yQ=y1(xQx2)+y1=y1(xQx2+1)y_{Q} = y_{1}(x_{Q} - x_{2}) + y_{1} = y_{1}(x_{Q} - x_{2} + 1), and the line containing the half-line rr has equation y=yQ(xxQ+1)y = y_{Q}(x - x_{Q} + 1) (the points of the half-line are those with xxQx \geq x_{Q}). Putting this equation into a system with that of the line containing r1r_{1} we find

{y=y1(xx1+1)y=yQ(xxQ+1) \left\{ \begin{array}{l} y = y_{1}(x - x_{1} + 1) \\ y = y_{Q}(x - x_{Q} + 1) \end{array} \right.

from which we can obtain the xx coordinate of the intersection point, that is

x=y1yQyQy1+yQxQx1y1yQy1=1+y1(xQx2+1)xQx1y1y1(xQx2)=1+(xQx2+1)xQx1xQx2=1+xQx1xQx2+xQ. \begin{aligned} x & = \frac{y_{1} - y_{Q}}{y_{Q} - y_{1}} + \frac{y_{Q} x_{Q} - x_{1} y_{1}}{y_{Q} - y_{1}} = -1 + \frac{y_{1}(x_{Q} - x_{2} + 1) x_{Q} - x_{1} y_{1}}{y_{1}(x_{Q} - x_{2})} \\ & = -1 + \frac{(x_{Q} - x_{2} + 1) x_{Q} - x_{1}}{x_{Q} - x_{2}} = -1 + \frac{x_{Q} - x_{1}}{x_{Q} - x_{2}} + x_{Q}. \end{aligned}

It suffices now to observe that x1<x2<xQx_{1} < x_{2} < x_{Q} implies xQx1>xQx2>0x_{Q} - x_{1} > x_{Q} - x_{2} > 0, so that the ratio xQx1xQx2\frac{x_{Q} - x_{1}}{x_{Q} - x_{2}} is strictly greater than 11, and therefore the xx coordinate of the intersection point computed above is strictly greater than xQx_{Q} (hence also than x1x_{1}), that is, this point is indeed to the right of QQ and belongs to the half-lines rr and r1r_{1}.

Solution 2

Solution:

We show directly that any two points P1=(x1,y1)P_{1} = (x_{1}, y_{1}) and P2=(x2,y2)P_{2} = (x_{2}, y_{2}) of the first quadrant have the same color. Let r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2} be the half-lines starting at P1,P2P_{1}, P_{2} with respective slopes y1,y2y_{1}, y_{2}.

We observe as a special case that if r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2} meet at a point QQ, then clearly P1P_{1} and P2P_{2} have the same color, because QQ has the same color as P1P_{1} (since it lies on r1r_{1}) and also the same color as P2P_{2} (since it lies on r2r_{2}).

In the general case (that is, whether or not r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2} intersect) we can proceed as follows. Choose a point S=(xS,yS)S = (x_{S}, y_{S}) satisfying the following conditions:
(a) SS is to the right of both P1P_{1} and P2P_{2};
(b) SS is below both r1r_{1} and r2r_{2};
(c) ySy_{S} is greater than both y1y_{1} and y2y_{2}.

We will show below, algebraically, that such a point always exists. The half-line rSr_{S} starting at SS has slope ySy_{S}, greater than those of r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2}, and since SS is below r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2} and to the right of P1,P2P_{1}, P_{2}, the half-line rSr_{S} intersects both r1r_{1} and r2r_{2}, at two points which we call S1,S2S_{1}, S_{2} (that these half-lines actually intersect can be verified algebraically in a way very similar to what was done in the first solution). The common color of the points of r1r_{1} is the color of S1S_{1} and the common color of the points of r2r_{2} is the color of S2S_{2}. But on the other hand S1,S2S_{1}, S_{2} belong to the same monochromatic half-line rSr_{S}, so r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2} are indeed of the same color. In particular, P1P_{1} and P2P_{2} are colored with the same color. Since this holds for every pair of points of the first quadrant, the entire first quadrant is colored with the same color.

To show the existence of the desired point S=(xS,yS)S = (x_{S}, y_{S}), choose
xS=(x1+x2)+(1y1+1y2+y2y1+y1y2) x_{S} = (x_{1} + x_{2}) + \left(\frac{1}{y_{1}} + \frac{1}{y_{2}} + \frac{y_{2}}{y_{1}} + \frac{y_{1}}{y_{2}}\right)
and yS=max{y1,y2}+1y_{S} = \max\{y_{1}, y_{2}\} + 1. Note that xSx_{S} is greater than both x1x_{1} and x2x_{2}, that is, SS lies to the right of P1P_{1} and P2P_{2}. The lines containing the half-lines r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2} have respective equations
y=y1(xx1+1),y=y2(xx2+1) y = y_{1}(x - x_{1} + 1), \quad y = y_{2}(x - x_{2} + 1)
the half-lines r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2} are obtained by restricting to values xx1x \geq x_{1} (respectively xx2x \geq x_{2}).

The points T1,T2T_{1}, T_{2} of r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2} with abscissa xSx_{S} therefore have respective ordinates
y=y1((x1+x2)+(1y1+1y2+y2y1+y1y2)x1+1)>y1(1+y2y1+1)=y1+y2+1 y = y_{1}\left((x_{1} + x_{2}) + \left(\frac{1}{y_{1}} + \frac{1}{y_{2}} + \frac{y_{2}}{y_{1}} + \frac{y_{1}}{y_{2}}\right) - x_{1} + 1\right) > y_{1}\left(\frac{1 + y_{2}}{y_{1}} + 1\right) = y_{1} + y_{2} + 1
and
y=y2((x1+x2)+(1y1+1y2+y2y1+y1y2)x2+1)>y2(1+y1y2+1)=y1+y2+1. y = y_{2}\left((x_{1} + x_{2}) + \left(\frac{1}{y_{1}} + \frac{1}{y_{2}} + \frac{y_{2}}{y_{1}} + \frac{y_{1}}{y_{2}}\right) - x_{2} + 1\right) > y_{2}\left(\frac{1 + y_{1}}{y_{2}} + 1\right) = y_{1} + y_{2} + 1.

Note that since y1,y2y_{1}, y_{2} are positive we have y1+y2+1>max{y1,y2}+1y_{1} + y_{2} + 1 > \max\{y_{1}, y_{2}\} + 1. It follows that the point S=(xS,yS)S = (x_{S}, y_{S}) has ordinate strictly smaller than T1,T2T_{1}, T_{2} and therefore actually lies below the half-lines r1,r2r_{1}, r_{2}. On the other hand, by construction SS has ordinate strictly greater than y1,y2y_{1}, y_{2}, so it has all the desired properties.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from it; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.