Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /30 of 38

Geometry Difficulty 7.2 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it China

Let MM be a set consisting of nn points in the plane, and satisfying:
(1) there exist 7 points in MM which constitute the vertices of a convex heptagon;
(2) if for any 5 points in MM which constitute the vertices of a convex pentagon, then there is a point in MM which lies in the interior of the pentagon.

Find the minimum value of nn.

Solution

First, we prove that n11n \ge 11. Suppose a convex heptagon has its vertices in MM given by A1A2A3A4A5A6A7A_1A_2A_3A_4A_5A_6A_7. Using Condition (1), we get that there exists one point P1P_1 belonging to MM in the interior of convex pentagon A1A2A3A4A5A_1A_2A_3A_4A_5. Connecting P1A1P_1A_1 and P1A5P_1A_5, we obtain that there exists one point P2P_2 in convex pentagon A1P1A5A6A7A_1P_1A_5A_6A_7 so that P2P_2 belongs to MM and is different from P1P_1. Then, there are at least 5 points in {A1,A2,A3,A4,A5,A6,A7}\{A_1, A_2, A_3, A_4, A_5, A_6, A_7\} which do not lie on line P1P2P_1P_2. By the Pigeon Hole Principle, there exist at least 3 points on one side of line P1P2P_1P_2, and these 3 points together with P1P_1 and P2P_2 constitute a convex pentagon which contains at least one point P3P_3 belonging to MM.

Now, we have three lines P1P2P_1P_2, P2P3P_2P_3 and P3P1P_3P_1, which form a triangle P1P2P3\triangle P_1P_2P_3. Let π1\pi_1 denote the half-plane on one side of line P1P2P_1P_2 which is opposite to P1P2P3\triangle P_1P_2P_3 and contains no points on P1P2P_1P_2. In a similar way, we define π2\pi_2 and π3\pi_3. Areas π1\pi_1, π2\pi_2 and π3\pi_3 cover the entire plane except P1P2P3\triangle P_1P_2P_3. By the Pigeon Hole Principle, there is one area of π1\pi_1, π2\pi_2 and π3\pi_3 which contains at least 3 points belonging to {A1,A2,A3,A4,A5,A6,A7}\{A_1, A_2, A_3, A_4, A_5, A_6, A_7\}, Without loss of generality, we assume that the area π1\pi_1 contains points A1,A2,A3A_1, A_2, A_3, then there exists one point P4P_4 belonging to MM within the convex pentagon constituted by A1,A2,A3,P1A_1, A_2, A_3, P_1 and P2P_2. So, n11n \ge 11.

Now, we give an example to illustrate that n=11n=11 is attainable. As seen in the figure, set MM consists of integral points A1,A2,A3,A4,A5,A6,A7A_1, A_2, A_3, A_4, A_5, A_6, A_7, and four integral points within the heptagon A1A2A3A4A5A6A7A_1A_2A_3A_4A_5A_6A_7. Obviously, MM satisfies Condition (1). We are going to

Figure 1

prove that MM also satisfies Condition (2).
By reduction to absurdity, assume that there is a convex pentagon with its vertices belonging to MM which contains no point of MM in its interior. Then among such pentagons there must be one, denoted by ABCDEABCDE, which has the least area, since the value of the area of a polygon with integral vertices is always in the form of n2\frac{n}{2} (nNn \in \mathbb{N}).
There are only 4 cases concerning the odd/even property of the xyxy-coordinate of an integral point: (odd, even), (even, odd), (odd, odd), (even, even). So there must be two vertices among A,B,C,D,EA, B, C, D, E which have the same odd/even property, and the midpoint of the segment formed by these two vertices, say PP, is also an integral point and belongs to MM. By definition, PP is not in the interior of pentagon ABCDEABCDE, then it must be on one side of the pentagon. Assume that PP is on the side ABAB, then it must be the midpoint of ABAB, and PBCDEPBCDE is a convex pentagon with strictly less area than that of ABCDEABCDE.
So, the minimum value of nn is 1111.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.