Maths Olympiad Prep

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Combinatorics Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Find the answer

Each lattice point with nonnegative coordinates is labeled with a nonnegative integer in such a way that the point (0,0)(0,0) is labeled by 0 , and for every x,y0x, y \geq 0, the set of numbers labeled on the points (x,y),(x,y+1)(x, y),(x, y+1), and (x+1,y)(x+1, y) is \{n, n+1, n+2\} for some nonnegative integer nn. Determine, with proof, all possible labels for the point (2000,2024)(2000,2024).

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

We claim the answer is all multiples of 3 from 0 to 2000+22024=60482000+2 \cdot 2024=6048. First, we prove no other values are possible. Let (x,y)\ell(x, y) denote the label of cell (x,y)(x, y). \section*{The label is divisible by 3.} Observe that for any xx and y,(x,y),(x,y+1)y, \ell(x, y), \ell(x, y+1), and \ell(x+1, y)arealldistinctmod3.Thus,forany are all distinct mod 3 . Thus, for any aand and b, \ell(a+1, b+1)cannotmatch(a+1,b) cannot match \ell(a+1, b) or \ell(a, b+1) \bmod 3,soitmustbeequivalentto(a,b), so it must be equivalent to \ell(a, b) modulo 3 . Since \ell(a, b+1), \ell(a, b+2), \ell(a+1, b+1)arealldistinctmod3 are all distinct \bmod 3, and \ell(a+1, b+1)and(a,b) and \ell(a, b) are equivalent \bmod 3,then(a,b),(a,b+1),(a,b+2), then \ell(a, b), \ell(a, b+1), \ell(a, b+2) are all distinct \bmod 3,andthussimilarly(a,b+, and thus similarly \ell(a, b+ 1),(a,b+2),(a,b+3)1), \ell(a, b+2), \ell(a, b+3) are all distinct \bmod 3,whichmeansthat(a,b+3), which means that \ell(a, b+3) must be neither \ell(a, b+1)or(a,b+2)mod3 or \ell(a, b+2) \bmod 3, and thus must be equal to \ell(a, b) \bmod 3.Thesetogetherimplythat. These together imply that (w,x)(y,z)mod3wxyzmod3\ell(w, x) \equiv \ell(y, z) \bmod 3 \Longleftrightarrow w-x \equiv y-z \bmod 3Itfollowsthat(2000,2024) It follows that \ell(2000,2024) must be equivalent to \ell(0,0) \bmod 3,whichisamultipleof3.\sectionThelabelisatmost6048.Notethatsince(x+1,y),(x,y+1), which is a multiple of 3 . \section*{The label is at most 6048 .} Note that since \ell(x+1, y), \ell(x, y+1), and \ell(x, y)are3consecutivenumbers,(x+1,y)(x,y) are 3 consecutive numbers, \ell(x+1, y)-\ell(x, y) and \ell(x, y+1)-\ell(x, y)areboth2 are both \leq 2. Moreover, since \ell(x+1, y+1) \leq \ell(x, y)+4,sinceitisalsothesamemod3,itmustbeatmost(x,y)+3, since it is also the same mod 3 , it must be at most \ell(x, y)+3. Thus, \ell(2000,2000) \leq \ell(0,0)+3 \cdot 2000,and(2000,2024)(2000,2000)+224, and \ell(2000,2024) \leq \ell(2000,2000)+2 \cdot 24, so \ell(2000,2024) \leq 6048.\sectionConstruction.Considerlinesn. \section*{Construction.} Consider lines \ell_{n} of the form x+2y=nx+2 y=n (so (2000,2024)(2000,2024) lies on \ell_{6048}).Thenanythreepointsoftheform ). Then any three points of the form (x, y),(x, y+1),and, and (x+1, y)lieonthreeconsecutivelinesn,n+1,n+2 lie on three consecutive lines \ell_{n}, \ell_{n+1}, \ell_{n+2} in some order. Thus, for any kk which is a multiple of 3 , if we label every point on line \ell_{i}withmax(imod3,ik) with \max (i \bmod 3, i-k), any three consecutive lines \ell_{n}, \ell_{n+1}, \ell_{n+2}willeitherbelabelled0,1,and2insomeorder,or will either be labelled 0,1 , and 2 in some order, or n-k, n-k+1,, n-k+2,bothofwhichconsistofthreeconsecutivenumbers.Belowisanexamplewith, both of which consist of three consecutive numbers. Below is an example with k=6. \begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|l|l|l|l|l|l|} \hline 8 & 9 & 10 & 11 & 12 & 13 & 14 & 15 \\ \hline 6 & 7 & 8 & 9 & 10 & 11 & 12 & 13 \\ \hline 4 & 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & 9 & 10 & 11 \\ \hline 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 & 7 & 8 & 9 \\ \hline 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 & 6 & 7 \\ \hline 1 & 2 & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\ \hline 2 & 0 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 1 & 2 & 3 \\ \hline 0 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 1 & 2 & 0 & 1 \\ \hline \end{tabular} Any such labelling is valid, and letting krangefrom0to6048,wesee range from 0 to 6048 , we see (2000,2024)cantakeanylabeloftheform can take any label of the form 6048-k$, which spans all such multiples of 3 . Hence the possible labels are precisely the multiples of 3 from 0 to 6048.

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