CO N T ENTS

P rE F A C E

a ck n o wl ed g em ents

1979

1981

19

1982

29

1983

37

1984

45

1985

61

1986

73

1987

87

1988

10 5

1989

11 7

1990

127

1991

143

1992

155

1993

165

1994

177

1995

189

g e n e r al r ef er en c es

2 01

a m oc ho no u r r o l l

203

1979
Problems
Wednesday 26 September, 3 hours
1. A prism with pentagons A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 and B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 as top
and bottom faces is given. Each side of the two pentagons and
each of the line-segments Ai Bj , for all i, j = 1, . . . , 5 is coloured
either red or green. Every triangle whose vertices are vertices of
the prism and whose sides have all been coloured has two sides of
a dierent colour. Show that all 10 sides of the top and bottom
faces are the same colour.
2. Two circles in a plane intersect. Let A and B be the two points
of intersection. Starting simultaneously from A two points P and
Q move with constant speeds around dierent circles, each point
travelling along its own circle in the same sense as the other point.
The two points return to A simultaneously after one revolution.
Prove
(i) P , B and Q are always collinear (on the same straight line);
(ii) that there is a xed point S in the plane such that, at any
time, the distances from S to the moving points are equal.

3. Let A and E be opposite vertices of a regular octagon. A frog starts

jumping at vertex A. From any vertex of the octagon except E, it
may jump to either of the two adjacent vertices. When it reaches
vertex E, the frog stops and stays there.
Let an be the number of distinct paths of exactly n jumps ending
at E. Prove
(a) a2n1 = 0,


xn1 yn1 , n = 1, 2, 3, . . ., where x = 2 + 2

and y = 2 2.

(b) a2n =

1
2

Note: A path of n jumps is a sequence of vertices P0 , . . . , Pn such

that

1979

7
(i) P0 = A, Pn = E;
(ii) for every i, 0 i n 1, Pi is distinct from E;
(iii) for every i, 0 i n 1, Pi and Pi+1 are adjacent.

1979

Solution 1
We use the fact that from any vertex Ai of the base, there are 5 lines
Ai Bj drawn to the top. We prove rst that the edges A1 A2 and A2 A3 ,
say, are the same colour by assuming they are dierent and showing that
this assumption requires the contradictory condition that no more than
2 of the lines A2 Bj are red and no more than 2 are green.
(i) Suppose A1 A2 is red, then I shall prove that no more than 2 of the
lines A2 Bj can be red.
Assume 3 of the lines A2 Bj are red. Let these be A2 Bj1 , A2 Bj2 ,
A3 Bj3 . At least one of the lines Bj1 Bj2 , Bj2 Bj3 , Bj3 Bj1 is an edge
of the top. Let it be B2 B3 .
B

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Then A2 A1 , A2 B3 , A2 B2 are red. Then B2 B3 must be green.

Consider the lines A1 B2 and A1 B3 . If A1 B3 is red then A1 A2 B3
is a red triangle. If A1 B3 is green then A1 B2 is red and A1 A2 B2 is
a red triangle. So on the assumption that 3 of the lines A2 Bj are
red, A1 B3 is not coloured. So no more than 2 of A2 Bj are red.
(ii) Similarly if A2 A3 is green, no more than two of A2 Bj can be green.
Thus from the ve segments A2 Bj , not more than four are coloured
which contradicts the data that all are coloured. Thus A2 A1 and
A2 A3 are the same colour.
Similarly A2 A3 and A3 A4 are the same colour and thus all the
edges of the base A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 are the same colour.
(iii) Similarly all the edges of the top B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 are the same colour.
We next prove that the top and bottom are all of the same colour,
by assuming that they are not and obtaining a contradiction.

1979

(iv) Suppose now all the edges of the base A1 . . . A5 are red and all of
the top B1 . . . B5 are green.
B3 ......................

A3

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B1

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A2

Since all the edges of B1 . . . B5 are green, at least 3 of the lines

A2 Bj are red and as above let two of them be vertices of the edge
B2 B3 of the top. Then A3 B2 is green from A3 A2 B2 and A3 B3 is
green from A3 A2 B3 , and thus A3 B2 B3 is a green triangle which
contradicts the data. It follows that all the edges of A1 . . . A5 and
B1 . . . B5 are of the same colour.

Solution 2
(i) Case 1, ( AOP >  AOB)
Join AB. Let O, C be the centres of the two circles. Then for each
pair of positions (P, Q),  ACQ =  AOP = x .
P

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10

1979
Then  ABQ = 12 x . For any point R on the circle with centre O,
on that arc of the circumference distinct from that on which B lies,
 ARP = 1  AOP = 1 x .
2
2
But ABP R is concyclic, so  ARP +  ABP = 180, i.e.
180 12 x . Therefore


ABP

+

ABP =



1
1

ABQ = 180 x + x = 180,

2
2

so P , B and Q are collinear.

Case 2, ( AOP <  AOB)
Here the gure is as shown below, and a similar proof results.
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Join AB, BP and BQ. Then



ABQ =

1
1
 ACQ = x
2
2

ABP =

1
1
 AOP = x
2
2

and


so  ABP =  ABQ and BP and BQ are the same line.

(ii) Alternative 1 (A Euclidean Geometry proof. The problem had
been set in the 1979 IMO which was the last IMO not attended
by Australia. This proof, by a Vietnamese student, won the only
special prize at that IMO.