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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.7 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it JBMO

Problem:

Consider a regular 2n2n-gon P,A1A2A2nP, A_{1}A_{2}\ldots A_{2n} in the plane, where nn is a positive integer. We say that a point SS on one of the sides of PP can be seen from a point EE that is external to PP, if the line segment SESE contains no other points that lie on the sides of PP except SS. We color the sides of PP in 3 different colors (ignore the vertices of PP, we consider them colorless), such that every side is colored in exactly one color, and each color is used at least once. Moreover, from every point in the plane external to PP, points of at most 2 different colors on PP can be seen. Find the number of distinct such colorings of PP (two colorings are considered distinct if at least one of the sides is colored differently).

Solution

Solution:

For n=2n=2, the answer is 3636; for n=3n=3, the answer is 3030 and for n4n \geq 4, the answer is 6n6n.

Lemma 1. Given a regular 2n2n-gon in the plane and a sequence of nn consecutive sides s1,s2,,sns_{1}, s_{2}, \ldots, s_{n} there is an external point QQ in the plane, such that the color of each sis_{i} can be seen from QQ, for i=1,2,,ni=1,2, \ldots, n.

Proof. It is obvious that for a semi-circle SS, there is a point RR in the plane far enough on the bisector of its diameter such that almost the entire semi-circle can be seen from RR.
Now, it is clear that looking at the circumscribed circle around the 2n2n-gon, there is a semi-circle SS such that each sis_{i} either has both endpoints on it, or has an endpoint that's on the semi-circle, and is not on the semi-circle's end. So, take QQ to be a point in the plane from which almost all of SS can be seen, clearly, the color of each sis_{i} can be seen from QQ.

Lemma 2. Given a regular 2n2n-gon in the plane, and a sequence of n+1n+1 consecutive sides s1,s2,,sn+1s_{1}, s_{2}, \ldots, s_{n+1} there is no external point QQ in the plane, such that the color of each sis_{i} can be seen from QQ, for i=1,2,,n+1i=1,2, \ldots, n+1.

Proof. Since s1s_{1} and sn+1s_{n+1} are parallel opposite sides of the 2n2n-gon, they cannot be seen at the same time from an external point.

For n=2n=2, we have a square, so all we have to do is make sure each color is used. Two sides will be of the same color, and we have to choose which are these 2 sides, and then assign colors according to this choice, so the answer is (42)32=36\binom{4}{2} \cdot 3 \cdot 2 = 36.

For n=3n=3, we have a hexagon. Denote the sides as a1,a2,,a6a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{6}, in that order. There must be 2 consecutive sides of different colors, say a1a_{1} is red, a2a_{2} is blue. We must have a green side, and only a4a_{4} and a5a_{5} can be green. We have 3 possibilities:

1) a4a_{4} is green, a5a_{5} is not. So, a3a_{3} must be blue and a5a_{5} must be blue (by elimination) and a6a_{6} must be blue, so we get a valid coloring.

2) Both a4a_{4} and a5a_{5} are green, thus a6a_{6} must be red and a5a_{5} must be blue, and we get the coloring rbbggr.

3) a5a_{5} is green, a4a_{4} is not. Then a6a_{6} must be red. Subsequently, a4a_{4} must be red (we assume it is not green). It remains that a3a_{3} must be red, and the coloring is rbrrgr.

Thus, we have 2 kinds of configurations:

i) 2 opposite sides have 2 opposite colors and all other sides are of the third color. This can happen in 3(321)=183 \cdot (3 \cdot 2 \cdot 1) = 18 ways (first choosing the pair of opposite sides, then assigning colors),

ii) 3 pairs of consecutive sides, each pair in one of the 3 colors. This can happen in 26=122 \cdot 6 = 12 ways (2 partitioning into pairs of consecutive sides, for each partitioning, 6 ways to assign the colors).

Thus, for n=3n=3, the answer is 18+12=3018+12=30.

Finally, let's address the case n4n \geq 4. The important thing now is that any 4 consecutive sides can be seen from an external point, by Lemma 1.

Denote the sides as a1,a2,,a2na_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{2n}. Again, there must be 2 adjacent sides that are of different colors, say a1a_{1} is blue and a2a_{2} is red. We must have a green side, and by Lemma 1, that can only be an+1a_{n+1} or an+2a_{n+2}. So, we have 2 cases:

Case 1: an+1a_{n+1} is green, so ana_{n} must be red (cannot be green due to Lemma 1 applied to a1,a2,,ana_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots, a_{n}, cannot be blue for the sake of a2,,an+1a_{2}, \ldots, a_{n+1}). If an+2a_{n+2} is red, so are an+3,,a2na_{n+3}, \ldots, a_{2n}, and we get a valid coloring: a1a_{1} is blue, an+1a_{n+1} is green, and all the others are red.

If an+2a_{n+2} is green:

a) an+3a_{n+3} cannot be green, because of a2,a1,a2n,,an+3a_{2}, a_{1}, a_{2n}, \ldots, a_{n+3}.

b) an+3a_{n+3} cannot be blue, because the 4 adjacent sides an,,an+3a_{n}, \ldots, a_{n+3} can be seen (this is the case that makes the separate treatment of n4n \geq 4 necessary)

c) an+3a_{n+3} cannot be red, because of a1,a2n,,an+2a_{1}, a_{2n}, \ldots, a_{n+2}.

So, in the case that an+2a_{n+2} is also green, we cannot get a valid coloring.

Case 2: an+2a_{n+2} is green is treated the same way as Case 1.

This means that the only valid configuration for n4n \geq 4 is having 2 opposite sides colored in 2 different colors, and all other sides colored in the third color. This can be done in n32=6nn \cdot 3 \cdot 2 = 6n ways.

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