Problem: Let m≥5 and n be positive integers and M be a regular (2n+1)-gon. Find the number of convex m-gons with vertices among the vertices of M and having at least one acute angle.
Solution
Solution: It is easy to observe that there are at most two acute angles in every convex m-gon. Moreover, if there are two acute angles then they are located at one and the same side.
Fix l=0,1,…,n−1 and let A and B be two vertices of M such that there are l vertices on the arc AB. Consider the following expression (m−2l)+(m−2n)−(m−2n−l−1)−(l+1)(m−3n−l−1) We count in it all m-gons having two acute angles to the side AB and all m-gons having one acute angle to the right of AB.
It is easy to see that summation on l=0,1,…,n−1 and then multiplication by 2n+1 counts every m-gon exactly once.
Now using the identity ∑s=0k(ts)=(t+1k+1) we obtain ====l=0∑n−1[(m−2l)+(m−2n)−(m−2n−l−1)−(l+1)(m−3n−l−1)]l=0∑n−1(m−2l)+n(m−2n)−s=0∑n−1(m−2s)−(n−s)s=0∑n−1(m−3s)n(m−2n)−ns=0∑n−1(m−3s)+(s+1)s=0∑n−1(m−3s)−s=0∑n−1(m−3s)(m−2)s=0∑n−1(m−2s+1)−(m−2n)=(m−2)(m−1n+1)−(m−2n)m−1mn−2n−1(m−2n). Therefore the answer is m−1(2n+1)(mn−2n−1)(m−2n).
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Source: MathNet,
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