Difference between revisions of "2011 IMO Problems/Problem 2"
Humzaiqbal (talk | contribs) (Created page with "Let S be a finite set of at least two points in the plane. Assume that no three points of S are collinear. A windmill is a process that starts with a line l going through a singl...") |
m (LaTeX-ify) |
||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
− | Let S be a finite set of at least two points in the plane. Assume that no three points of S are collinear. A windmill is a process that starts with a line | + | Let <math>\mathcal{S}</math> be a finite set of at least two points in the plane. Assume that no three points of <math>\mathcal S</math> are collinear. A ''windmill'' is a process that starts with a line <math>\ell</math> going through a single point <math>P \in \mathcal S</math>. The line rotates clockwise about the ''pivot'' <math>P</math> until the first time that the line meets some other point belonging to <math>\mathcal S</math>. This point, <math>Q</math>, takes over as the new pivot, and the line now rotates clockwise about <math>Q</math>, until it next meets a point of <math>\mathcal S</math>. This process continues indefinitely. |
− | Show that we can choose a point P in S and a line | + | Show that we can choose a point <math>P</math> in <math>\mathcal S</math> and a line <math>\ell</math> going through <math>P</math> such that the resulting windmill uses each point of <math>\mathcal S</math> as a pivot infinitely many times. |
Revision as of 13:37, 27 November 2011
Let be a finite set of at least two points in the plane. Assume that no three points of
are collinear. A windmill is a process that starts with a line
going through a single point
. The line rotates clockwise about the pivot
until the first time that the line meets some other point belonging to
. This point,
, takes over as the new pivot, and the line now rotates clockwise about
, until it next meets a point of
. This process continues indefinitely.
Show that we can choose a point
in
and a line
going through
such that the resulting windmill uses each point of
as a pivot infinitely many times.