Problem:
Five consecutive vertices of a regular 2013-gon are given. Prove that one can reconstruct the entire 2013-gon using straightedge alone.
Problem:
Five consecutive vertices of a regular 2013-gon are given. Prove that one can reconstruct the entire 2013-gon using straightedge alone.
Solution:
Let , and be six consecutive vertices of the polygon. We prove that, given , and , it is possible to construct with straightedge alone. Then, continuing around the polygon, we can construct all the vertices and then fill in the sides.
Our proof is based on the observation that the polygon has a line of symmetry such that the pairs and , and , and are reflections with respect to that line.
The construction proceeds as follows:
- Let and meet at ; let and meet at ; join . This is the line of symmetry.
- Let meet at ; join (this will pass through , as and are symmetric about ).
- Let meet at ; join (this likewise passes through ).
- The lines and meet at the point we seek. (They do not coincide since are noncollinear.)