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Conference rusure::math

Title:Mathematics at DEC
Moderator:RUSURE::EDP
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2083
Total number of notes:14613

1638.0. "Australian Math Olympiad (1987)" by AUSSIE::GARSON () Wed Jul 08 1992 09:48

Question 1

GKA is an isosceles triangle with base GK of length 2b. GA and AK each have
length a. Let C be the midpoint of AK and z the circumcircle of the triangle
GCK. Let Y be the point on the extension of AK such that if E is the inter-
section of YG with z then EY is of length a/2.

Prove that if x is the length of EC and y is the length of KY then ay=x� and
xb=y�.


Question 2

Let p be a prime number. Show that C(2p,p)-2 is a multiple of p.


Question 3

In the country Patera there are 20 cities and two airline companies, Green
Planes and Red Planes, to provide communication between the cities. The flights
are arranged as follows:

 (i) Given any two cities in Patera, one and only one of the companies provides
     direct flights (in both directions) between the two cities.

(ii) There are two cities A and B in Patera such that a journey cannot be made
     from one to the other (possibly with stops) using only Red Planes.

Show that, given any two cities in Patera, a passenger can travel from one to
the other using only Green Planes, making at most one stop in some third city.


Question 4

In the interior of the triangle ABC, points O and P are chosen such that angles
ABO and CBP are equal, and angles BCO and ACP are also equal.

Prove that angles CAO and BAP are equal.


Question 5

Let m and n be (fixed) integers greater than 1, m even, and f a real-valued
function, defined for all non-negative real numbers, that satisfies the
following conditions:

  (i) For all x ,x ,...,x ,
               1  2      n

           m     m           m               m          m                m
      f((x   + x   + ... + x  )/n) = (|f(x )|  + |f(x )|  + ... + |f(x )| )/n
          1     2           n             1          2                n

 (ii) f(1986) <> 1986

(iii) f(1988) <> 0

Prove that f(1987) = 1


Question 6

Prove that for each positive integer n (n > 1),
  ___     _     _
\/n+1 + \/n - \/2   >   1 + 2^(-1/2) + 3^(-1/2) + ... + n^(-1/2)


################################################################################
Extra to question 2:

Prove that if p is an odd prime, C(2p,p)-2 is a multiple of p^2

Prove that if p is a prime >= 5, C(2p,p)-2 is a multiple of p^3
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1638.12,3,5,6DESIR::BUCHANANThu Jul 09 1992 06:14155
	I haven't looked at the geometry questions.   For the others, 3 is
"book" graph theory and 6 solves itself elegantly.   2 & 5 are simple in 
concept, but seemed to take a lot of space to write out.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 2.		
	
	For p=2, C(2p,p)-2 evaluates to 4.   2^2|4.
	(contrary to the indirect implication of the "extra question part 1")
	For p=3, C(2p,p)-2 evaluates to 18.  3^2|18.
	So let's suppose that p is (odd) >= 5.
	
	  C(2p,p)-2
	= 2p!/(p!p!) - 2
	= 2p(2p-1)...(p+1)/p! - 2
	= 2[(2p-1)(2p-2)...(p+2)(p+1) - (p-1)(p-2)...2.1]/(p-1)!

	Since p is prime, it remains to show that p^3 divides the element is
square brackets.

	  (2p-1)(2p-2)...(p+2)(p+1) - (p-1)(p-2)...2.1
	= prod(i=1...p-1) (p+i) - prod(i=1...p-1) i

Expanding:

	= p^0.0
	+ p^1.(p-1)! sum(i=1...p-1) 1/i
	+ p^2.(p-1)! sum(i=1...p-1)sum(1=<j<i) 1/(ij)
	+ p^3.k							(Equation *)

	First consider the coefficient of p^1.(p-1)! in (*):

	  sum(i=1...p-1) 1/i
	= sum(i=1...(p-1)/2) p/[i(p-i)]
	= p.sum(i=1...(p-1)/2) 1/[i(p-i)]

	The integers mod p form a group, with respect to which:
1/[i(p-i)] == -1/i� == -j� for some j(i).   Indeed, as i moves from i to 
(p-1)/2, j� will cover all the (p-1)/2 different quadratic residues mod p,
since i� = (p-i)�.   Therefore:

	   p^2.sum(i=1...(p-1)/2) 1/[i(p-i)]
	== p^2.sum(j=1...(p-1)/2) j�		(mod p�)

	   sum(i...p-1) i� = p(p-1)(2p-1)/6 == 0 mod p (since p <> 2,3)

	But that is counting each quadratic residue twice.   Each occurs just
once in sum(j=1...(p-1)/20 j� since j� = (p-j)�.   So p | sum(j=1...(p-1)/2) j�.

	p^3 | p^1.(p-1)! sum(i=1...p-1) 1/i

	Now, look at the coefficient of p^2.(p-1)! in the expansion (*) above.
	
	  sum(i=1...p-1)sum(1=<j<i) 1/(ij)

	Once again, since the residues mod p are a group, so as i,j vary from
1 to p-1, then 1/ij == kl mod p, where k,l will vary from 1 to p-1.

	  sum(k=1...p-1)sum(1=<l<k) kl
	= [sum(k=1...p-1) k]^2 - [sum(k=1...(p-1) k^2]
	= [�p(p-1)]^2 - p(p-1)(2p-1)/6
	== 0 mod p.

	Hence p^3 | p^2.(p-1)! sum(i=1...p-1)sum(1=<j<i) 1/(ij)

	Hence p^3 | C(2p,p) - 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 3.   

	Define a simple graph G on 20 vertices (cities) where an edge
links two vertices iff a Red Flight links the two corresponding cities.
(lack of an edge then means that a Green Flight links the two relevant cities.)

	Fact (ii) simply tells us that G is disconnected.   So let's divide
the vertices of G into two sets H and H', neither empty, such that no edge
links H to H'.   (We do not need to assume anything about the connectedness
of H or of H'.)   Then, given any vertex h in H and h' in H', there is no
edge between them, ie: a direct Green Flight exists.   Given any vertices h
and h1 in H, any vertex h' in H' can be picked.   No edge links h' to h or h1,
so h to h1 via h' is a two step flight on entirely Green Planes.   Similarly
if h' and h1' are two vertices in H'.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 5.

	n,m are given integers > 1.   m is even.   f is a function from the
non-negative reals to the reals.

	f( (x_1)^m + ... + (x_n)^m / n ) = (|f(x_1)|^m + ... |f(x_n)|^m ) / n

	First, set x_1 = ... = x_n:

	f((x_1)^m) = |f(x_1)|^m				(*)

	Since every non-negative real r satisfies r = (x_1)^m for some x_1,
f(r) >= 0 for all r.

	In the special cases where x=0,1:

	f(0) = |f(0)|^m => f(0) >= 0, & (|f(0)|^(m-1)-1).f(0) = 0.   
So f(0)= 0 or 1.   Similarly, f(1) = 0 or 1.

	Now, if n is even, set x_1 = ... = x_(n/2) = (k-1)^1/m.   Set x_(n/2+1)
= ... = x_n = (k+1)^1/m.   Then:

	f(k) = ( |f((k-1)^1/m)|^m + |f((k+1)^1/m)|^m ) / 2  

	By (*):

	f(k) = ( f(k-1) + f(k+1) ) / 2  

	Alternatively, if n is odd, set x_1 = ... = x_(�(n-1)) = (k-1)^1/m.   
Set x_(�(n-1)+1) = ... = x_(n-1) = (k+1)^1/m.   Set x_n = k^1/m.   Then:

   f(k) = ( �(n-1)|f((k-1)^1/m)|^m + �(n-1)|f((k+1)^1/m)|^m + |f(k^1/m)|^m) / n

	By (*):

	f(k) = ( �(n-1)*f(k-1) + �(n-1)*f(k+1) + f(k) ) / n  

=>	f(k) = ( f(k-1) + f(k+1) ) / 2  as before.

	From this equation, it's clear that f(k) k=0,1,2... is an arithmetic
progression.   And we know all the possibilities for the first two terms:

(1) f(0) = 1, f(1) = 0 => f(2) = -1 not possible since f(r) >= 0 for all r.
(2) f(0) = 0, f(1) = 0 => f(n) = 0 for all integers n.   Not possible since
in particular f(1988) = 0, contrary to information.
(3) f(0) = 0, f(1) = 1 => f(n) = n for all integers n.   Not possible since
in particular f(1986) = 1986, contrary to information.
Hence (4) f(0) = 1, f(1) = 1 is the only possibility => f(n) = 1 for all
integers n, so in particular f(1987) = 1.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question 6.

	For n = 1, equality holds.
	Prove the inequality by induction on n.
	It remains to show that for all n > 1:

	_/(n+1) - _/(n-1) > 1/(_/n)

	start from:		n� > n�-1
	sqrt it:		n > _/(n+1)_/(n-1)
	*2 + 2n:		4n > n+1 + n-1 + 2_/(n+1)_/(n-1)
	sqrt it again:		2_/n > _/(n+1) + _/(n-1)
	divide by _/n * (_/(n+1) + _/(n-1)):
				_/(n+1) - _/(n-1) > 1/(_/n)

there it is.
1638.24DESIR::BUCHANANThu Jul 09 1992 08:5726
Question 4.

	Draw one diagram with A,B,C,O on it, draw another with A,B,C,P on it.

	Let ABO = a, CBO = a', BCO = b, ACO = b', CAO = c, BAO = c', BAP = d,
CAP = d'.   To prove: that c = d.

	The sin rule applied 3 times  for A,B,C,O tells us:

	OA/sin(b') = OC/sin(c)
	OC/sin(a') = OB/sin(b)
	OB/sin(c') = OA/sin(a)

=>	sin(a)sin(b)sin(c) = sin(a')sin(b')sin(c')

	Similarly for A,B,C,P:

	sin(a)sin(b)sin(d) = sin(a')sin(b')sin(d')
	
	Now CAB = x, say, and c+c' = d+d' = x

	So: sin(d)/sin(x-d) = sin(c)/sin(x-c)

	differentiating the lhs of this wrt d, we get sin(x)/(sin(x-d))�.
This is positive since x < pi.   So sin(d)/sin(x-d) is monotonically
increasing over the interval (0,x) and hence 1-1.   So c=d.
1638.3AUSSIE::GARSONMon Jul 20 1992 00:0243
re .1
    
>Question 2.		
>	(contrary to the indirect implication of the "extra question part 1")
    
    Mea culpa. The extra questions were of course not in the actual exam.
    
    
    Proving that p� | C(2p,p)-2 is an economical way of avoiding having to
    prove the actual question 2 or the extra question part 1 but there is
    an 'elegant' proof (not due to me) that p� | C(2p,p)-2
    
    It goes like this.
    
    Consider a committee of p men and p women. They are to choose a
    sub-committee of p people such that said sub-committee is not all of
    one gender. Obviously C(2p,p)-2 is the number of ways of choosing the
    sub-committee. Let this number be n and consider the different possible
    sub-committees partitioned according to how many, say, men there are in
    the sub-committee. Let the number of men be m.
    
    Clearly n = sum(m=1,p-1) C(p,m)C(p,p-m)
    
    But p | C(p,k) for 1<=k<=p-1
    	and both m and p-m satisfy the inequality for the given range of m
    
    so p� | C(p,m)C(p,p-m) for each m summed over
    so p� | n
    
    QED
    
    
    Did you give any consideration as to whether higher powers of p divide
    C(2p,p)-2? I checked by hand up to p=17 without finding any. Perhaps someone
    with access to a computer would like to gather more data and/or make a
    conjecture and/or provide a proof.
    
>Question 6.
    
>	start from:		n� > n�-1
    
    Alternately, start from 1/4n� > 0 and follow almost exactly the same
    steps. Either way it looks like a rabbit out of a hat.
1638.4Q1DESIR::BUCHANANMon Jul 20 1992 08:0129
>Question 1
>
>GKA is an isosceles triangle with base GK of length 2b. GA and AK each have
>length a. Let C be the midpoint of AK and z the circumcircle of the triangle
>GCK. Let Y be the point on the extension of AK such that if E is the inter-
>section of YG with z then EY is of length a/2.
>
>Prove that if x is the length of EC and y is the length of KY then ay=x� and
>xb=y�.

GCKE is a cyclic quadrilateral.
Therefore, angle KGE = angle ECK.
Therefore, triangles KGY and ECY are similar, since they both share the same
angle EYK.
By comparing ratios of the sides of these two triangles, we learn:
		ab = xy
		|GY| = 2y�/a + y

Now apply the cosine rule, for angle EYK, to the two triangles GYA and ECY.
This gives us two expressions for cos(EYK), which we equate.   This simplifies
to x� = ay.   Since ab = xy, bx = y�.


Re: Question 2.   I like the approach for p�.   I don't think the arity of p 
as a divisor of C(2p,p) increases with p.   p=2,3 fail "because" the sum of
1+2�+3�+...(p-1)� = p(p+1)(2p-1)/6 has 6 as the denominator.   The algebraic
complexity does not increase as p does.

Andrew.