GeometryDifficulty 9.1Prove itUSA IMO · United States
Let A=(0,0,0) be the origin in the three dimensional coordinate space. The *weight* of a point is the sum of the absolute values of its coordinates. A point is a *primitive lattice point* if all its coordinates are integers with their greatest common divisor equal to 1. A square ABCD is called a *unbalanced primitive integer square* if it has integer side length and the points B and D are primitive lattice points with different weights. Show that there are infinitely many unbalanced primitive integer squares ABiCiDi such that the plane containing the squares are not parallel to each other.
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Official solution
First Solution: Let (a,b,c) be a Pythagorean Triple, that is, a,b,c are positive integers with a2+b2=c2. The key facts are (i) for any positive integers m and n such that m>n, (m2−n2,2mn,m2+n2) is a Pythagorean triple; and (ii) the vector [c−a,c−b,a+b−c] has integer length 2c−a−b.
To establish (ii), we compute (c−a)2+(c−b)2+(a+b−c)2−(2c−a−b)2=2c2+a2+b2−2c(a+b)+(a+b)2−2c(a+b)+c2−4c2+4c(a+b)−(a+b)2=a2+b2−c2=0. Putting these two facts together shows that the vector [2n2,(m−n)2,2n(m−n)] has integer length. For i=1,2,…, let oi=2i+1. We set n=1 and m−n=oi, and define vectors ABi=ui=[2,2oi,oi2],ADi=vi=[2oi,oi2−2,−2oi], and wi=[−oi2,2oi,−2]. It is not difficult to check that 22+(2oi)2+(oi2)2=(oi2+2)2, and that (2oi)2+(oi2−2)2+(−2oi)2=8oi2+oi4−4oi2+4=oi4+4oi2+4=(oi2+2)2, implying that the vectors ui, vi, wi have the same integer length. Because gcd(2,oi)=gcd(2oi,oi2−2)=1, points Bi=(2,2oi,oi2) and Di=(2oi,oi2−2,−2oi) are primitive lattice points. It is also routine to check that the weights of Bi and Di are distinct, because 2+2oi+oi2=4oi+oi2−2, that is, 2=oi. Finally, we claim that ABi⊥ADi, because the dot product ui⋅vi=4oi+2oi(oi2−2)−2oi3=4oi+2oi3−4oi−2oi3=0. It follows that there are infinitely many unbalanced primary integer squares ABiCiDi. (We can set Ci=Bi+vi.)
Second Solution: We maintain the same notation as in the first solution. For i=1,2,…, let ei=2i. We set n=1 and m−n=ei. Then [2n2,(m−n)2,2n(m−n)]=[2,4i2,4i]=2[1,2i2,2i]. We define vectors ABi=ui′=[1,2i,2i2],ADi=vi′=[−2i,1−2i2,2i], and wi′=[−2i2,2i,−1]. For each i, the ordered triples of vectors (ui,vi,wi) and (ui′,vi′,wi′) are dual to each other. It is straightforward to check that pairs of vectors (ui′,vi′) provides another family of infinitely many unbalanced primitive integer squares ABiCiDi such that the planes containing the squares are not parallel to each other.
Third Solution: Let (a,b,c) be a primitive Pythagorean triple, that is, a,b,c are positive integers with a<b<c, a2+b2=c2 and gcd(a,b,c)=1. It is not difficult to show that gcd(a,b)=gcd(c,b)=gcd(c,a)=1. In order to find a vector with integer length, we consider c4=c2(a2+b2)=c2a2+c2b2=(a2+b2)a2+c2b2=c2a2+(a2+b2)b2. Set AB=u=[−ab,b2,ac]andAD=v=[a2,−ab,bc]. Hence C=(a2−ab,b2−ab,c(a+b)). By construction, AB2=AD2=(a2+b2)c2=c4 and AB⋅AD=u⋅v=ab(−a2−b2+c2)=0. We also note that the difference of the weights of B and D is equal to (b2+ab+ac)−(a2+ab+bc)=b2−a2+ac−bc=(b−a)(a+b)+c(a−b)=(b−a)(a+b−c), which is nonzero because gcd(a,b)=1 and a,b, and c are sides of a triangle. Because gcd(a,b)=gcd(c,b)=gcd(c,a)=1, gcd(b2,ac)=gcd(a2,bc)=1. Therefore, ABCD is a unbalanced primitive integer square (associated to this primitive Pythagorean triple). We note that vector w=[b,a,0] is perpendicular to the plane containing the square ABCD. Indeed, u⋅w=−ab2+ab2=0=a2b−a2b=v⋅w. Finally, it is not difficult to see that for distinct primitive Pythagorean triples (a,b,c) and (a′,b′,c′), the vectors w=[b,a,0] and w′=[b′,a′,0] are not parallel to each other. Hence, the unbalanced primitive integer squares associated with distinct primitive Pythagorean triples lie in different planes. It is well known that there are infinitely many primitive Pythagorean triples, so our proof is complete.
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