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PrintSaudi Arabia Mathematical Competitions 2012
Saudi Arabia 2012 geometry
Problem
Determine all positive integers for which the following statement is true: Given any distinct points on the plane such that the distance between each pair of points is distinct, there exists a pair of points , for which the difference between the number of points lying on either side of the perpendicular bisector of segment is not greater than .
Solution
The statement trivially holds for and . We will show that it does not hold for any .
First suppose that is even. Setup a coordinate, and place a point at . Place points on the negative -axis and points on the positive -axis at and for . Place the last point on the positive -axis, so that the perpendicular bisector of the segment joining that point and any of the previously placed point divides the plane into two parts, one of which contains only the last point. (It is clear that we can do this, and that this construction serves as a counterexample to the given statement.)
If is odd, we simply add another point on the negative -axis, so that perpendicular bisector of the segment joining that point and any of the previously placed point of the -axis divides the plane into two parts, one of which contains only the last point. Also, the distance from the -axis of the point on the positive -axis and the point on the negative -axis should be distinct.
First suppose that is even. Setup a coordinate, and place a point at . Place points on the negative -axis and points on the positive -axis at and for . Place the last point on the positive -axis, so that the perpendicular bisector of the segment joining that point and any of the previously placed point divides the plane into two parts, one of which contains only the last point. (It is clear that we can do this, and that this construction serves as a counterexample to the given statement.)
If is odd, we simply add another point on the negative -axis, so that perpendicular bisector of the segment joining that point and any of the previously placed point of the -axis divides the plane into two parts, one of which contains only the last point. Also, the distance from the -axis of the point on the positive -axis and the point on the negative -axis should be distinct.
Final answer
n = 2 and n = 3
Techniques
Constructions and lociCartesian coordinates