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Geometry Difficulty 7.5 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Asia Pacific Mathematics Olympiad (APMO)

Let SS be a set of 2n+12n+1 points in the plane such that no three are collinear and no four concyclic. A circle will be called good if it has 3 points of SS on its circumference, n1n-1 points in its interior and n1n-1 in its exterior. Prove that the number of good circles has the same parity as nn.

Solution

Lemma 1. Let PP and QQ be two points of SS. The number of good circles that contain PP and QQ on their circumference is odd.

Figure 1

Let NN be the number of good circles that pass through PP and QQ. Number the points on one side of the line PQPQ by A1,A2,,AkA_{1}, A_{2}, \ldots, A_{k} and those on the other side by B1,B2,,BmB_{1}, B_{2}, \ldots, B_{m} in such a way that if PAiQ=αi\angle PA_{i}Q = \alpha_{i}, PBjQ=180βj\angle PB_{j}Q = 180 - \beta_{j} then α1>α2>>αk\alpha_{1} > \alpha_{2} > \ldots > \alpha_{k} and β1>β2>>βm\beta_{1} > \beta_{2} > \ldots > \beta_{m}.

Note that the angles α1,α2,,αk,β1,β2,,βm\alpha_{1}, \alpha_{2}, \ldots, \alpha_{k}, \beta_{1}, \beta_{2}, \ldots, \beta_{m} are all distinct since there are no four points in SS that are concyclic.

Observe that the circle that passes through P,QP, Q and AiA_{i} has AjA_{j} in its interior when αj>αi\alpha_{j} > \alpha_{i}, that is, when i>ji > j; and it contains BjB_{j} in its interior when αi+180βj>180\alpha_{i} + 180 - \beta_{j} > 180, that is, when αi>βj\alpha_{i} > \beta_{j}. Similar conditions apply to the circle that contains P,QP, Q and BjB_{j}.

Order the angles α1,α2,,αk,β1,β2,,βm\alpha_{1}, \alpha_{2}, \ldots, \alpha_{k}, \beta_{1}, \beta_{2}, \ldots, \beta_{m} from the greatest to least. Now transform SS as follows. Consider a βj\beta_{j} that has an αi\alpha_{i} immediately to its left in such an ordering (>αi>βj\ldots > \alpha_{i} > \beta_{j} \ldots). Consider a new set SS' that contains the same points as SS except for AiA_{i} and BjB_{j}. These two points will be replaced by AiA_{i}' and BjB_{j}' that satisfy PAiQ=βj=αi\angle PA_{i}'Q = \beta_{j} = \alpha_{i}' and PBjQ=180αi=180βj\angle PB_{j}'Q = 180 - \alpha_{i} = 180 - \beta_{j}'. Thus βj\beta_{j} and αi\alpha_{i} have been interchanged and the ordering of the α\alpha's and β\beta's has only changed with respect to the relative order of αi\alpha_{i} and βj\beta_{j}; we continue to have
α1>α2>>αi1>αi>αi+1>>αk \alpha_{1} > \alpha_{2} > \ldots > \alpha_{i-1} > \alpha_{i}' > \alpha_{i+1} > \ldots > \alpha_{k}
and
β1>β2>>βj1>βj>βj+1>>βm. \beta_{1} > \beta_{2} > \ldots > \beta_{j-1} > \beta_{j}' > \beta_{j+1} > \ldots > \beta_{m}.

Analyze the good circles in this new set SS'. Clearly, a circle through P,Q,ArP, Q, A_{r} (rir \neq i) or through P,Q,BsP, Q, B_{s} (sjs \neq j) that was good in SS will also be good in SS', because the order of ArA_{r} (or BsB_{s}) relative to the rest of the points has not changed, and therefore the number of points in the interior or exterior of this circle has not changed. The only changes that could have taken place are:

a) If the circle P,Q,AiP, Q, A_{i} was good in SS, the circle P,Q,AiP, Q, A_{i}' may not be good in SS'.
b) If the circle P,Q,BjP, Q, B_{j} was good in SS, the circle P,Q,BjP, Q, B_{j}' may not be good in SS'.
c) If the circle P,Q,AiP, Q, A_{i} was not good in SS, the circle P,Q,AiP, Q, A_{i}' may be good in SS'.
d) If the circle P,Q,BjP, Q, B_{j} was not good in SS, the circle P,Q,BjP, Q, B_{j}' may be good in SS'.

But observe that the circle P,Q,AiP, Q, A_{i} contains the points A1,A2,,Ai1,Bj,Bj+1,,BmA_{1}, A_{2}, \ldots, A_{i-1}, B_{j}, B_{j+1}, \ldots, B_{m} and does not contain the points Ai+1,Ai+2,,Ak,B1,B2,,Bj1A_{i+1}, A_{i+2}, \ldots, A_{k}, B_{1}, B_{2}, \ldots, B_{j-1} in its interior. Then this circle is good if and only if i+mj=ki+j1i + m - j = k - i + j - 1, which we rewrite as ji=12(mk+1)j - i = \frac{1}{2}(m - k + 1). On the other hand, the circle P,Q,BjP, Q, B_{j} contains the points Bj+1,Bj+2,,Bm,A1,A2,,AiB_{j+1}, B_{j+2}, \ldots, B_{m}, A_{1}, A_{2}, \ldots, A_{i} and does not contain the points B1,B2,,Bj1,Ai+1,Ai+2,,AkB_{1}, B_{2}, \ldots, B_{j-1}, A_{i+1}, A_{i+2}, \ldots, A_{k} in its interior. Hence this circle is good if and only if mj+i=j1+kim - j + i = j - 1 + k - i, which we rewrite as ji=12(mk+1)j - i = \frac{1}{2}(m - k + 1).

Therefore, the circle P,Q,AiP, Q, A_{i} is good if and only if the circle P,Q,BjP, Q, B_{j} is good. Similarly, the circle P,Q,AiP, Q, A_{i}' is good if and only if the circle P,Q,BjP, Q, B_{j}' is good. That is to say, transforming SS into SS' we lose either 0 or 2 good circles of SS and we gain either 0 or 2 good circles in SS'.

Continuing in this way, we may continue to transform SS until we obtain a new set S0S_{0} such that the angles α1,α2,,αk,β1,β2,,βm\alpha_{1}', \alpha_{2}', \ldots, \alpha_{k}', \beta_{1}', \beta_{2}', \ldots, \beta_{m}' satisfy
β1>β2>>βm>α1>α2>>αk \beta_{1}' > \beta_{2}' > \ldots > \beta_{m}' > \alpha_{1}' > \alpha_{2}' > \ldots > \alpha_{k}'
and such that the number of good circles in S0S_{0} has the same parity as NN. We claim that S0S_{0} has exactly one good circle. In this configuration, the circle P,Q,AiP, Q, A_{i} does not contain any BjB_{j} and the circle P,Q,BrP, Q, B_{r} does not contain any AsA_{s} (for all i,ji, j), because αa+(180βb)<180\alpha_{a} + (180 - \beta_{b}) < 180 for all a,ba, b. Hence, the only possible good circles are P,Q,Bmn+1P, Q, B_{m-n+1} (which contains the n1n-1 points Bmn+2,Bmn+3,,BmB_{m-n+2}, B_{m-n+3}, \ldots, B_{m}), if mn+1>0m-n+1 > 0, and the circle P,Q,AnP, Q, A_{n} (which contains the n1n-1 points A1,A2,,AnA_{1}, A_{2}, \ldots, A_{n}), if nkn \leq k. But, since m+k=2n1m + k = 2n - 1, which we rewrite as mn+1=nkm - n + 1 = n - k, exactly one of the inequalities mn+1>0m - n + 1 > 0 and nkn \leq k is satisfied. It follows that one of the points Bmn+1B_{m-n+1} and AnA_{n} corresponds to a good circle and the other does not. Hence, S0S_{0} has exactly one good circle, and NN is odd.

Now consider the (2n+12)\binom{2n+1}{2} pairs of points in SS. Let a2k+1a_{2k+1} be the number of pairs of points through which exactly 2k+12k+1 good circles pass. Then
a1+a3+a5+=(2n+12) a_{1} + a_{3} + a_{5} + \ldots = \binom{2n+1}{2}
But then the number of good circles in SS is
13(a1+3a3+5a5+7a7+)a1+3a3+5a5+7a7+a1+a3+a5+a7+(2n+12)n(2n+1)n(mod2) \begin{aligned} \frac{1}{3}(a_{1} + 3a_{3} + 5a_{5} + 7a_{7} + \ldots) &\equiv a_{1} + 3a_{3} + 5a_{5} + 7a_{7} + \ldots \\ &\equiv a_{1} + a_{3} + a_{5} + a_{7} + \ldots \\ &\equiv \binom{2n+1}{2} \\ &\equiv n(2n+1) \\ &\equiv n \pmod{2} \end{aligned}
Here we have taken into account that each good circle is counted 3 times in the expression a1+3a3+5a5+7a7+a_{1} + 3a_{3} + 5a_{5} + 7a_{7} + \ldots. The desired result follows.

Alternative Proof of Lemma 1:

Let A1,A2,,A2n1A_{1}, A_{2}, \ldots, A_{2n-1} be the 2n12n-1 given points other than PP and QQ.
Invert the plane with respect to point PP. Let O,B1,B2,,B2n1O, B_{1}, B_{2}, \ldots, B_{2n-1} be the images of points Q,A1,A2,,A2n1Q, A_{1}, A_{2}, \ldots, A_{2n-1}, respectively, under this inversion. Call point BiB_{i} "good" if the line OBiOB_{i} splits the points B1,B2,,Bi1,Bi+1,,B2n1B_{1}, B_{2}, \ldots, B_{i-1}, B_{i+1}, \ldots, B_{2n-1} evenly, leaving n1n-1 of them to each side of it. (Notice that no other BjB_{j} can lie on the line OBiOB_{i}, or else the points P,Q,AiP, Q, A_{i} and AjA_{j} would be concyclic.) Then it is clear that the circle through P,QP, Q and AiA_{i} is good if and only if point BiB_{i} is good. Therefore, it suffices to prove that the number of good points is odd.

Notice that the good points depend only on the relative positions of rays OB1,OB2,,OB2n1OB_{1}, OB_{2}, \ldots, OB_{2n-1}, and not on the exact positions of points B1,B2,,B2n1B_{1}, B_{2}, \ldots, B_{2n-1}. Therefore we may assume, for simplicity, that B1,B2,,B2n1B_{1}, B_{2}, \ldots, B_{2n-1} lie on the unit circle Γ\Gamma with center OO.

Let C1,C2,,C2n1C_{1}, C_{2}, \ldots, C_{2n-1} be the points diametrically opposite to B1,B2,,B2n1B_{1}, B_{2}, \ldots, B_{2n-1} in Γ\Gamma. As remarked earlier, no CiC_{i} can coincide with one of the BjB_{j}'s. We will call the BiB_{i}'s "white points", and the CiC_{i}'s "black points". We will refer to these 4n24n-2 points as the "colored points".

Now we prove that the number of good points is odd, which will complete the proof of the lemma. We proceed by induction on nn. If n=1n=1, the result is trivial. Now assume that the result is true for n=kn=k, and consider 2k+12k+1 white points B1,B2,,B2k+1B_{1}, B_{2}, \ldots, B_{2k+1} on the circle Γ\Gamma (no two of which are diametrically opposite), and their diametrically opposite black points C1,C2,,C2k+1C_{1}, C_{2}, \ldots, C_{2k+1}. Call this configuration of points "configuration 1". It is clear that we must have two consecutive colored points on Γ\Gamma which have different colors, say BiB_{i} and CjC_{j}. Now remove points Bi,Bj,CiB_{i}, B_{j}, C_{i} and CjC_{j} from Γ\Gamma, to obtain "configuration 22''", a configuration with 2k12k-1 points of each color.

It is easy to verify the following two claims:
1. Point BiB_{i} is good in configuration 1 if and only if point BjB_{j} is good in configuration 1.
2. Let ki,jk \neq i, j. Then point BkB_{k} is good in configuration 1 if and only if it is good in configuration 2.

It follows that, by removing points Bi,Bj,CiB_{i}, B_{j}, C_{i} and CjC_{j}, the number of good points can either stay the same, or decreases by two. In any case, its parity remains unchanged. Since we know, by the induction hypothesis, that the number of good points in configuration 2 is odd, it follows that the number of good points in configuration 1 is also odd. This completes the proof.

Another Approach to Lemma 1:

One can give another inductive proof of lemma 1, which combines the ideas of the two proofs that we have given. The idea is to start as in the first proof, with the characterization of the points inside a given circle.

Then we transform the set SS by removing the points AiA_{i} and BjB_{j} instead of replacing them by AiA_{i}' and BjB_{j}'.

It can be shown that every one of the remaining circles going through PP and QQ contained exactly one of AiA_{i} and BjB_{j}. Therefore, the only good circles we could have gained or lost are P,Q,AiP, Q, A_{i} and P,Q,BjP, Q, B_{j}.

Finally, we show that either both or none of these circles were good, so the parity of the number of good circles isn't changed by this transformation.

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