Olympiad Maths Prep

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Problem 1934

IMO P2/P5; hard shortlist
Geometry Difficulty 9.1 Prove it Balkan Mathematical Olympiad Shortlisted Problems · Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

A rabbit is at some point (x,y)(x, y) in the Euclidean plane. There are some (possibly infinitely many) landmines, which are circles with any radius that do not intersect except possibly at one point (tangent). Every move, the rabbit can hop a distance of exactly 11, but cannot land in the interior of a landmine (but may possibly land on the edge). Suppose that neither the rabbit nor the origin is in a landmine. Find the minimum ε\varepsilon so that the rabbit can always reach a point with a distance of at most ε\varepsilon from the origin, regardless of the landmine configuration.

This one wants a proof. Work it on paper, read the official solution, then mark yourself honestly — the ladder only means something if the record is true.

Official solution

We claim the answer is 12\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}.

Firstly, we prove that there is a configuration of landmines such that the rabbit cannot be closer than 12\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} to the origin.
Consider a square packing of circles, with centers (2m+12,2n+12)\left(\frac{2m+1}{\sqrt{2}}, \frac{2n+1}{\sqrt{2}}\right) for all m,nZm, n \in \mathbb{Z} and radii 12\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}.
Figure 1
If the rabbit begins on one of the tangency points, it can only move to other tangency points and thus will always be at least 12\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} away from the origin.

Now we prove that 12\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} can always be achieved. Firstly, we reduce the distance to 1\le 1. Denote the origin by OO and the rabbit's position by AA. Let d=OAd = OA and suppose that d>1d > 1. Consider the circles (O,d)(O, d) and (A,1)(A, 1) which intersect at two points, XX and YY.
Figure 2

Claim. No landmine can fully contain the red arc XYXY.
Proof. If a landmine were to exist, consider the center of the landmine. Since it is closer to XX and YY than AA, it must be in the blue region bounded by the perpendicular bisectors of XAXA and YAYA. But since it is also closer to XX and YY than OO, it must be in the green region bounded by the perpendicular bisectors of XOXO and YOYO.
Figure 3
Notice that the two regions are disjoint, meaning the center of the landmine cannot exist. \Box

Hence, the rabbit can hop onto the arc. Notice that the maximum distance from the arc to OO is at XO=YO=d21XO = YO = \sqrt{d^2-1}. Hence the squared distance between the rabbit and OO decreases by at least 11 every move and thus the rabbit can eventually achieve a distance of at most 11 from OO.

Now, if the distance OAOA is still greater than 12\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}, then 12<OA1\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} < OA \le 1. Thus we consider the circles (O,12)(O, \frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}) and (A,1)(A, 1). Since OP2+OA2>1=AP2OP^2 + OA^2 > 1 = AP^2, POA\angle POA is acute, thus OO and AA lie on opposite sides of the line PQPQ. Therefore, similar to before, the perpendicular bisectors form two disjoint regions, no landmine fully contains the red arc PQPQ.
Figure 4
Therefore, the rabbit can hop onto the red arc and will be of distance at most 12\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}} from OO.

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