Let A1,A2,…,Ak be points on the unit circle. Prove that 1≤i<j≤k∑d(Ai,Aj)2≤k2, where d(Ai,Aj) denotes the distance between Ai,Aj.
Solution
Assume that the circle mentioned in the problem is the unit circle on the complex plane. Then we can say every vertex Ai is equivalent to a complex number zi such that ∣zi∣=1. On the other hand we have d(Ai,Aj)=∣zi−zj∣. So we should prove that 1≤i<j≤k∑∣zi−zj∣2≤k2. We know that ∣zi−zj∣2=(zi−zj)(zˉi−zˉj)=∣zi∣2+∣zj∣2−(zˉizj+zˉjzi)=2−zˉizj−zˉjzi. So we have 1≤i<j≤k∑∣zi−zj∣2=2(2k)−1≤i<j≤k∑(zˉizj+zˉjzi). and 1≤i<j≤k∑(zˉizj+zˉjzi)=1≤i=j≤k∑zˉizj=1≤i≤k∑zˉi(z1+⋯+zk−zi)=(1≤i≤k∑zˉi)(1≤i≤k∑zi)−k=1≤i≤k∑zi2−k. Therefore, 1≤i<j≤k∑∣zi−zj∣2=k2−k−1≤i≤k∑zi2−k=k2−1≤i≤k∑zi2. Since ∑1≤i≤kzi2≥0, we have 1≤i<j≤k∑∣zi−zj∣2≤k2. Equality holds whenever ∑1≤i≤kzi=0, in other words, when the circumcenter and the centroid of A1A2…Ak coincide.
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