Volume 1, Number1

January-February, 1995

Olympiad Corner
The 35th International Mathematical
Olympiad was held in Hong Kong last Pigeonhole Principle
summer. The following are the six Kin-Yin Li
problems given to the contestants. How
many can you solve? (The country names
inside the parentheses are the problem
What in the world is the pigeonhole Note that the two examples look alike,
proposers.) -Editors
principle? Well. this famous principle however the boxes fornled are quite
Problem 1. (France) states that if n+ 1 objects (pigeons) are different. By now, the readers must have
Let m and n be positive integers. Let aI, a2, taken from n boxes (pigeonholes), then at observed that forming the right boxes is
..., ambe distinct elements of {I, 2, ..., n} least two of the objects will be from the the key to success.Often a certain amount
suchthat whenever at + aJ ~ n for some i,j, samebox. This is clear enough that it does of experience as well as clever thinking
1 ~ i ~ j ~ m, there exists k, 1 ~ k ~ m, with not require much explanation. A problem are required to solve such problems. The
at + aJ = at. Prove that solver who takes advantage of this additional examples below will help
principle can tackle certain combinatorial beginnersbecomefarniliar with this useful
al+~+'..+am n+l
~- problemsin a manner that is more elegant principle.
m 2 and systematicthancase-by-case.To show
how to apply this principle, we give a few Example 3. Show that aInQng any nine
Problem 2. (Armenia/Australia) examples below. distinct real numbers,there are two, say a
ABC is an isoscelestriangle with AB = AC. and b, such that
Suppose that Example 1. Suppose51 numbersare
(i) M is the midpoint of BC and 0 is the chosenfrom 1, 2, 3, ...,99, 100. Show 0 < (a-b)! (1 +ab) <.J2 -1.
point on the line AM such that OB is thattherearetwo whichdo nothaveany
perpendicular to AB; commonprimedivisor. Solution. The middle expression (a-
(ii) Q is an arbitrary pOint on the segment b)/(I+ab) reminds us of the fonnula for
BC different from Band C; Solution. Let us consider the 50 pairs of tan(x-y). So we proceed as follow. Divide
(iii) E lies on the line AB and F lies on the consecutive numbers (1,2), (3,4), ..., the interval (-1&12,1&12] into 8 intervals
line AC such that E, Q and F are (99,100). Since 51 numbers are chosen, (-1&/2,-31&/8], (-31&/8,-1&14], ..., (1&14,31&18],
distinct and collinear. the pigeonhole principle tells us that there (31&/8,1&12]. Let the numbers be ap a2, ...,
Prove thatOQ is perpendicular to EF if and will be a pair (k, k+l) among them. Now agandletxj=arctanaj, i=I,2,...,9. By
only if QE = QF. if a prime number p divides k+ 1 and k, the pigeonhole principle, two of the x/s,
thenp will divide (k+ 1) -k = 1, which is a say Xjand Xk with xi> Xk' must be in one of
(continued on page 4)
contradiction. So, k and k+ 1 have no the 8 subintervals. Then we have 0 < Xj -Xk
common prime divisor. < 1&/8, so 0 < tan(Xj-xJ = (aj-aJ/(1 +aJaJ
Editors: Li, Kin- Yin, Math Dept, HKUST < tan(1&/8) = Ii -1.
Ko,Tsz-Mei, EEE Dept, HKUST Example 2. Suppose 51 numbers are
Ng, Keng Po Roger, lTC, HKP
chosen from 1, 2, 3, ..., 99, 100. Show Example 4. Suppose a triangle can be
Artist: Yeung, Sau-Ying Camille, Fine Arts Dept, CU thattherearetwo such that one divides the placed inside a square of unit area in such
Acknowledgment: Thanks to Martha A. Dahlen, other. a way that the center of the square is not
Technical Writer, HKUST, for her comments.
inside the triangle. Show that one side of
The editors welcome contributions from all students. Solution. Considerthe 50 odd numbers 1, the triangle has length less than 1. (This
With your submission, please include your name, 3, 5, ..., 99. For each one, form a box examplecame from the XLI Mathematical
address, school, email, telephone and fax numbers (if containingthe number and all powers of 2 Olympiad in Poland.)
available). Electronic submissions, especially in TeX,
MS Word and WordPerfect, are encouraged. The
timesthe number.So the first box contains
deadline for receiving material for the next issue is 1,2,4,8, 16, ...and the next box contains Solution. Through the center C of the
January 31, 1995. Send all correspondence to: 3,6,12,24,48, ...and so on. Then among square, draw a line L) parallel to the
Dr. Li, Kin-Yin the 51 numbers chosen, the pigeonhole closestside of the triangle and a second
Department of Mathematics principle tells us that there are two that line ~ perpendicularto L) atC. The lines
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
arecontained in the samebox. They must L) and ~ divide the square into four
Clear Water Bay, Kowloon
Hong Kong
be of the form 2mkand 2nk with the same congruentquadrilaterals.Since C is not
Fax: 2358-1643 odd number k. So one will divide the
Email: makyli@uxmail.ust.hk other. (continuedon page 2)