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Print62nd Czech and Slovak Mathematical Olympiad
Czech Republic counting and probability
Problem
The number is written on each of the faces of an -sided pyramid. In a step we choose a vertex and we increase by each number on the faces, which contain the vertex. Show, that in such way, we cannot get number written on each face.
(Peter Novotný)
(Peter Novotný)
Solution
Let be the sum of numbers on side faces of the pyramid, let be the number on the base. After a step involving any base vertex, increases or decreases by and increases or decreases by , that means the value stays the same. If we choose for a step the apex, only increases or decreases by , thus increases or decreases by as well. Therefore is in the process always divisible by . But in the position with number written on each side, the corresponding is , which is not divisible by (as ).
Techniques
Invariants / monovariants