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Geometry Difficulty 7.5 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Ireland

Let a0,a1,a2,a_0, a_1, a_2, \dots be an arithmetic sequence of positive integers. A hexagon is called equiangular if all its internal angles have the same measure. Determine with proof for each i0i \ge 0 the number of incongruent equiangular hexagons the side lengths of which are the numbers ai,ai+1,ai+2,ai+3,ai+4,ai+5a_i, a_{i+1}, a_{i+2}, a_{i+3}, a_{i+4}, a_{i+5} in some order.

NOTE: A sequence a0,a1,a2,a_0, a_1, a_2, \dots is called an arithmetic sequence if ai+1ai=aiai1a_{i+1} - a_i = a_i - a_{i-1} for all i1i \ge 1.

Solution

If d=ai+1aid = a_{i+1} - a_i is the constant difference of the given arithmetic sequence, we have ai=a0+dia_i = a_0 + d i for all i0i \ge 0. Because we are given ai>0a_i > 0 for all ii, it follows that a0>0a_0 > 0 and d0d \ge 0.

If d=0d = 0, the sequence is constant and any equiangular hexagon with side lengths ai,ai+1,ai+2,ai+3,ai+4,ai+5a_i, a_{i+1}, a_{i+2}, a_{i+3}, a_{i+4}, a_{i+5} has all sides of length a0a_0 and so is a regular hexagon. There is only one such hexagon (up to congruence).

If d>0d > 0, the sequence is not constant and the hexagons we consider have six sides of different lengths. Consider an equiangular hexagon with side lengths a,b,c,a,b,ca, b, c, a', b', c' (in this order) and extend the sides b,ab, a' and cc' so that we obtain a triangle as shown in the diagram.

Figure 1

Because all internal angles in an equiangular hexagon have a measure of 120120^\circ, the large triangle and the three small triangles are equilateral. Hence the side length of the large equilateral triangle is b+c+a=a+b+c=c+a+bb' + c' + a = a + b + c = c + a' + b'. Subtracting aa from the first and bb from the second equation we see that the six side lengths of any equiangular hexagon satisfy

a+b=a+bandb+c=b+c.(1) a + b = a' + b' \quad \text{and} \quad b + c = b' + c'. \qquad (1)

Subtracting these and rearranging gives us a+c=a+ca' + c = a + c' as well. We now show that for any six positive numbers a,b,c,a,b,ca, b, c, a', b', c' that satisfy (1), there exists an equiangular hexagon with these side lengths.

We essentially retrace the steps of our argument above: Equations (1) imply b+c+a=a+b+c=c+a+bb' + c' + a = a + b + c = c + a' + b'. We then draw an equilateral triangle with this side length and cut off small equilateral triangles as shown in the diagram above. The resulting equiangular hexagon has the required side lengths.

Given ai,ai+1,ai+2,ai+3,ai+4,ai+5a_i, a_{i+1}, a_{i+2}, a_{i+3}, a_{i+4}, a_{i+5}, the question is in how many ways can we order these numbers such that they satisfy (1). First note that the six numbers a,b,c,a,b,ca, b, c, a', b', c' satisfy (1) iff a+K,b+K,c+K,a+K,b+K,c+Ka+K, b+K, c+K, a'+K, b'+K, c'+K satisfy (1). Therefore, it is sufficient to count the number of incongruent equiangular hexagons with side lengths a0,a1,a2,a3,a4,a5a_0, a_1, a_2, a_3, a_4, a_5 in some order. For the same reason, we may assume a0=0a_0 = 0 so that ai=dia_i = d i. Moreover, the six numbers a,b,c,a,b,ca, b, c, a', b', c' satisfy (1) iff da,db,dc,da,db,dcd a, d b, d c, d a', d b', d c' do so. Hence, it is sufficient to study the case d=1d = 1, i.e. ai=ia_i = i. In other words, we need to count the number of ways the numbers 0,1,2,3,4,50, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 can be ordered such that equations (1) hold. Cyclic changes of the order lead to congruent hexagons, hence we may assume b=5b = 5.

Adding the equations (1) gives us (a+b+c)+b=(a+b+c)+b(a + b + c) + b = (a' + b' + c') + b', which we rewrite as bb=(a+b+c)(a+b+c)=152(a+b+c)b - b' = (a' + b' + c') - (a + b + c) = 15 - 2(a + b + c). The last equality comes from a+b+c+a+b+c=0+1+2+3+4+5=15a + b + c + a' + b' + c' = 0 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = 15. Since we have chosen b=5b = 5 to be the largest available number, we have bb>0b - b' > 0, hence 15>2(a+b+c)15 > 2(a + b + c), i.e. a+b+c7a + b + c \le 7 which means that a+c2a + c \le 2. Therefore, {a,c}={0,1}\{a, c\} = \{0, 1\} and {a,c}={0,2}\{a, c\} = \{0, 2\} are the only possibilities.

Swapping aa and cc, as well as aa' and cc' leads to a congruent (via a reflection) equiangular hexagon. Therefore, the two possibilities (up to congruence) are (a,c)=(0,1)(a, c) = (0, 1) and (a,c)=(0,2)(a, c) = (0, 2).

When (a,c)=(0,1)(a, c) = (0, 1) and b=5b = 5, we have a+b+c=6a + b + c = 6 and so a+b+c=156=9a' + b' + c' = 15 - 6 = 9. Therefore, b=(a+b+c)+b(a+b+c)=6+59=2b' = (a + b + c) + b - (a' + b' + c') = 6 + 5 - 9 = 2. Hence, a=a+bb=0+52=3a' = a + b - b' = 0 + 5 - 2 = 3 and c=c+bb=1+52=4c' = c + b - b' = 1 + 5 - 2 = 4. We obtain (a,b,c,a,b,c)=(0,5,1,3,2,4)(a, b, c, a', b', c') = (0, 5, 1, 3, 2, 4).

Similarly, starting with (a,c)=(0,2)(a, c) = (0, 2) we obtain a+b+c=7a+b+c=7 and a+b+c=8a'+b'+c'=8. This leads to b=4b'=4, a=1a'=1 and c=3c'=3 and (a,b,c,a,b,c)=(0,5,2,1,4,3)(a, b, c, a', b', c') = (0, 5, 2, 1, 4, 3).

Since a+b+c=0+5+1=6a + b + c = 0 + 5 + 1 = 6 from the first solution is neither equal to a+b+c=0+5+2=7a + b + c = 0 + 5 + 2 = 7 nor to b+c+a=5+2+1=8b + c + a' = 5 + 2 + 1 = 8 from the second solution, the two solutions do not lead to congruent hexagons.

Translating this back to the original set-up, we have shown that (in case d>0d > 0) for each i0i \ge 0 the six numbers ai,ai+1,ai+2,ai+3,ai+4,ai+5a_i, a_{i+1}, a_{i+2}, a_{i+3}, a_{i+4}, a_{i+5} can be ordered in exactly two ways (up to congruence of the hexagons) such that these numbers are the side lengths of an equiangular hexagon in this order, namely

ai,ai+5,ai+1,ai+3,ai+2,ai+4andai,ai+5,ai+2,ai+1,ai+4,ai+3. a_i, a_{i+5}, a_{i+1}, a_{i+3}, a_{i+2}, a_{i+4} \quad \text{and} \quad a_i, a_{i+5}, a_{i+2}, a_{i+1}, a_{i+4}, a_{i+3}.

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