The answer is 0,2019,2018×2019,20192.
Consider the graph G(V,E), where the vertex set and edge set correspond respectively to the tent poles and the ropes. For sets S,T⊂V, let
E(S,T)=∣{(s,t)∈E:s∈S,t∈T}∣,
that is, the number of edges connecting the two groups. To simplify notation, when S consists of only a single point a, we abbreviate this set as a, and so on.
1. Lemma: For all distinct a,b,c,d∈V, we have
E(a,b)+E(c,d)=E(a,d)+E(b,c)=E(a,c)+E(b,d)
Proof: First divide V∖{a,b,c,d} equally into two sets S,T. Taking the two banks of the river to be (a,b,S) and (c,d,T) respectively, then by the problem's hypothesis we have
E(a,c)+E(a,d)+E(b,c)+E(b,d)+E(a,T)+E(b,T)+E(c,S)+E(d,S)+E(S,T)=k(1)
Taking the two banks of the river to be (a,d,S) and (c,b,T) respectively, then by the problem's hypothesis we have
E(a,c)+E(a,b)+E(d,c)+E(d,b)+E(a,T)+E(b,S)+E(c,S)+E(d,T)+E(S,T)=k(2)
Taking the two banks of the river to be (c,d,S) and (a,b,T) respectively, then by the problem's hypothesis we have
E(c,a)+E(c,b)+E(d,a)+E(d,b)+E(a,S)+E(b,S)+E(c,T)+E(d,T)+E(S,T)=k(3)
(3) – (1) gives
(E(a,S)−E(a,T))+(E(b,S)−E(b,T))=(E(c,S)−E(c,T))+(E(d,S)−E(d,T))
Similarly we have
(E(a,S)−E(a,T))+(E(d,S)−E(d,T))=(E(c,S)−E(c,T))+(E(b,S)−E(b,T))
Subtracting the two equations gives E(b,S)−E(b,T)=E(d,S)−E(d,T).
E(a,b)+E(d,c)+E(b,S)+E(d,T)=E(a,d)+E(b,c)+E(b,T)+E(d,S)
Combined with the equation above, we get E(a,b)+E(d,c)=E(a,d)+E(b,c), thus the first part of the Lemma is proved. By the symmetry of a,b,c,d, the second equality also holds.
- If for all a,b,c∈V, E(a,b)=E(a,c)=0, then the graph has no edges at all, corresponding to k=0.
- If for all a,b,c∈V, E(a,b)=E(a,c)=1, then the original graph is a complete graph, corresponding to k=20192.
- Suppose there exist a,b,c∈V such that E(a,b)=1,E(a,c)=0. Then for all d, we have E(a,b)+E(c,d)=E(a,c)+E(b,d), so E(b,d)=1,E(c,d)=0.
If E(b,c)=1, then b has an edge to every point. For all points u,v,w other than b, we have E(b,u)+E(v,w)=E(b,v)+E(u,w), hence E(u,w) and E(v,w) are either both 0 or both 1. Also, since E(a,c)=0, V∖{b} forms an empty graph, that is, G is a complete bipartite graph (1,4037), corresponding to k=2019.
If E(b,c)=0, then c has no edge to any point. By a similar discussion we can see that V∖{c} forms a complete graph, that is, G is the union of a 4037-complete graph and an isolated point, corresponding to k=2018×2019.