Consider all points with integer coordinates in the carthesian plane. If one draws a circle with M(0,0) and a well-chose radius r, the circles goes through some of those points. (like circle with goes through 4 points)
Prove that so that the circle with midpoint 0,0 and radius goes through at least points.
Solution
1. Parametrization of the Unit Circle:
Consider the unit circle centered at the origin with radius 1. A rational parametrization of the unit circle is given by:
where is a parameter. If is rational, then both and are rational.
2. Choosing Rational Points:
Choose distinct rational values for , say . This gives us distinct rational points on the unit circle:
3. Finding the Least Common Multiple (LCM):
Let be the least common multiple (LCM) of the denominators of the coordinates and for . This ensures that when we scale the coordinates by , we obtain integer coordinates.
4. Scaling the Points:
Apply a homothety (scaling transformation) with center (the origin) and ratio . The coordinates of the points after scaling by become:
Since is the LCM of the denominators, the coordinates of are integers.
5. Conclusion:
The scaled points are distinct integer points on a circle centered at the origin with radius . Therefore, we have found a radius such that the circle passes through at least distinct integer points.