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Geometry Difficulty 7.7 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it

Let n3n \geqslant 3 be an integer. Two regular nn-gons A\mathcal{A} and B\mathcal{B} are given in the plane. Prove that the vertices of A\mathcal{A} that lie inside B\mathcal{B} or on its boundary are consecutive. (That is, prove that there exists a line separating those vertices of A\mathcal{A} that lie inside B\mathcal{B} or on its boundary from the other vertices of A\mathcal{A}.) (Czech Republic)

Solution

In both solutions, by a polygon we always mean its interior together with its boundary. We start with finding a regular nn-gon C\mathcal{C} which (i) is inscribed into B\mathcal{B} (that is, all vertices of C\mathcal{C} lie on the perimeter of B\mathcal{B}); and (ii) is either a translation of A\mathcal{A}, or a homothetic image of A\mathcal{A} with a positive factor. Such a polygon may be constructed as follows. Let OAO_{A} and OBO_{B} be the centers of A\mathcal{A} and B\mathcal{B}, respectively, and let AA be an arbitrary vertex of A\mathcal{A}. Let OBC\overrightarrow{O_{B} C} be the vector co-directional to OAA\overrightarrow{O_{A} A}, with CC lying on the perimeter of B\mathcal{B}. The rotations of CC around OBO_{B} by multiples of 2π/n2 \pi / n form the required polygon. Indeed, it is regular, inscribed into B\mathcal{B} (due to the rotational symmetry of B\mathcal{B}), and finally the translation/homothety mapping OAA\overrightarrow{O_{A} A} to OBC\overrightarrow{O_{B} C} maps A\mathcal{A} to C\mathcal{C}. Now we separate two cases. ! Construction of C\mathcal{C} ! Case 1: Translation

Case 1: C\mathcal{C} is a translation of A\mathcal{A} by a vector v\vec{v}. Denote by tt the translation transform by vector v\vec{v}. We need to prove that the vertices of C\mathcal{C} which stay in B\mathcal{B} under tt are consecutive. To visualize the argument, we refer the plane to Cartesian coordinates so that the xx-axis is co-directional with v\vec{v}. This way, the notions of right/left and top/bottom are also introduced, according to the xx- and yy-coordinates, respectively.

Let BTB_{\mathrm{T}} and BBB_{\mathrm{B}} be the top and the bottom vertices of B\mathcal{B} (if several vertices are extremal, we take the rightmost of them). They split the perimeter of B\mathcal{B} into the right part BR\mathcal{B}_{\mathrm{R}} and the left part BL\mathcal{B}_{\mathrm{L}} (the vertices BTB_{\mathrm{T}} and BBB_{\mathrm{B}} are assumed to lie in both parts); each part forms a connected subset of the perimeter of B\mathcal{B}. So the vertices of C\mathcal{C} are also split into two parts CLBL\mathcal{C}_{\mathrm{L}} \subset \mathcal{B}_{\mathrm{L}} and CRBR\mathcal{C}_{\mathrm{R}} \subset \mathcal{B}_{\mathrm{R}}, each of which consists of consecutive vertices.

Now, all the points in BR\mathcal{B}_{\mathrm{R}} (and hence in CR\mathcal{C}_{\mathrm{R}}) move out from B\mathcal{B} under tt, since they are the rightmost points of B\mathcal{B} on the corresponding horizontal lines. It remains to prove that the vertices of CL\mathcal{C}_{\mathrm{L}} which stay in B\mathcal{B} under tt are consecutive.

For this purpose, let C1,C2C_{1}, C_{2}, and C3C_{3} be three vertices in CL\mathcal{C}_{\mathrm{L}} such that C2C_{2} is between C1C_{1} and C3C_{3}, and t(C1)t\left(C_{1}\right) and t(C3)t\left(C_{3}\right) lie in B\mathcal{B}; we need to prove that t(C2)Bt\left(C_{2}\right) \in \mathcal{B} as well. Let Ai=t(Ci)A_{i}=t\left(C_{i}\right). The line through C2C_{2} parallel to v\vec{v} crosses the segment C1C3C_{1} C_{3} to the right of C2C_{2}; this means that this line crosses A1A3A_{1} A_{3} to the right of A2A_{2}, so A2A_{2} lies inside the triangle A1C2A3A_{1} C_{2} A_{3} which is contained in B\mathcal{B}. This yields the desired result.

Case 2: C\mathcal{C} is a homothetic image of A\mathcal{A} centered at XX with factor k>0k>0.

Denote by hh the homothety mapping C\mathcal{C} to A\mathcal{A}. We need now to prove that the vertices of C\mathcal{C} which stay in B\mathcal{B} after applying hh are consecutive. If XBX \in \mathcal{B}, the claim is easy. Indeed, if k>1k>1, then the vertices of A\mathcal{A} lie on the extensions of such segments XCX C beyond CC, and almost all these extensions lie outside B\mathcal{B}. The exceptions may occur only in case when XX lies on the boundary of B\mathcal{B}, and they may cause one or two vertices of A\mathcal{A} to stay on the boundary of B\mathcal{B}. But even in this case those vertices are still consecutive.

So, from now on we assume that XBX \notin \mathcal{B}. Now, there are two vertices BTB_{\mathrm{T}} and BB\mathcal{B}_{\mathrm{B}} of B\mathcal{B} such that B\mathcal{B} is contained in the angle BTXBB\angle B_{\mathrm{T}} X B_{\mathrm{B}}; if there are several options, say, for BTB_{\mathrm{T}}, then we choose the farthest one from XX if k>1k>1, and the nearest one if k<1k<1.

Subcase 2.1: k>1k>1. In this subcase, all points from BR\mathcal{B}_{\mathrm{R}} (and hence from CR\mathcal{C}_{\mathrm{R}}) move out from B\mathcal{B} under hh, because they are the farthest points of B\mathcal{B} on the corresponding rays emanated from XX. It remains to prove that the vertices of CL\mathcal{C}_{\mathrm{L}} which stay in B\mathcal{B} under hh are consecutive.

Again, let C1,C2,C3C_{1}, C_{2}, C_{3} be three vertices in CL\mathcal{C}_{\mathrm{L}} such that C2C_{2} is between C1C_{1} and C3C_{3}, and h(C1)h\left(C_{1}\right) and h(C3)h\left(C_{3}\right) lie in B\mathcal{B}. Let Ai=h(Ci)A_{i}=h\left(C_{i}\right). Then the ray XC2X C_{2} crosses the segment C1C3C_{1} C_{3} beyond C2C_{2}, so this ray crosses A1A3A_{1} A_{3} beyond A2A_{2}; this implies that A2A_{2} lies in the triangle A1C2A3A_{1} C_{2} A_{3}, which is contained in B\mathcal{B}. !

Subcase 2.2: k<1k<1. This case is completely similar to the previous one. All points from BL\mathcal{B}_{\mathrm{L}} (and hence from CL\mathcal{C}_{\mathrm{L}}) move out from B\mathcal{B} under hh, because they are the nearest points of B\mathcal{B} on the corresponding rays emanated from XX. Assume that C1,C2C_{1}, C_{2}, and C3C_{3} are three vertices in CR\mathcal{C}_{\mathrm{R}} such that C2C_{2} lies between C1C_{1} and C3C_{3}, and h(C1)h\left(C_{1}\right) and h(C3)h\left(C_{3}\right) lie in B\mathcal{B}; let Ai=h(Ci)A_{i}=h\left(C_{i}\right). Then A2A_{2} lies on the segment XC2X C_{2}, and the segments XA2X A_{2} and A1A3A_{1} A_{3} cross each other. Thus A2A_{2} lies in the triangle A1C2A3A_{1} C_{2} A_{3}, which is contained in B\mathcal{B}.

Comment 1. In fact, Case 1 can be reduced to Case 2 via the following argument. Assume that A\mathcal{A} and C\mathcal{C} are congruent. Apply to A\mathcal{A} a homothety centered at OBO_{B} with a factor slightly smaller than 1 to obtain a polygon A\mathcal{A}^{\prime}. With appropriately chosen factor, the vertices of A\mathcal{A} which were outside/inside B\mathcal{B} stay outside/inside it, so it suffices to prove our claim for A\mathcal{A}^{\prime} instead of A\mathcal{A}. And now, the polygon A\mathcal{A}^{\prime} is a homothetic image of C\mathcal{C}, so the arguments from Case 2 apply.

Comment 2. After the polygon C\mathcal{C} has been found, the rest of the solution uses only the convexity of the polygons, instead of regularity. Thus, it proves a more general statement:

Assume that A,B\mathcal{A}, \mathcal{B}, and C\mathcal{C} are three convex polygons in the plane such that C\mathcal{C} is inscribed into B\mathcal{B}, and A\mathcal{A} can be obtained from it via either translation or positive homothety. Then the vertices of A\mathcal{A} that lie inside B\mathcal{B} or on its boundary are consecutive.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.