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This document contains 12 problems relating to mathematical invariance principles. Specifically: 1. Erasing two numbers from a set on a blackboard and replacing them with their difference will result in an odd number remaining. 2. It is possible to equalize the numbers 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0 written in sectors of a circle by increasing neighboring numbers by 1. 3. A parliament can be separated into two houses such that each member has at most one enemy in their own house. 4. Repeatedly replacing (a, b, c, d) with (a - b, b - c, c - d, d - a) will cause at least one number

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119 views1 page

Dunno

This document contains 12 problems relating to mathematical invariance principles. Specifically: 1. Erasing two numbers from a set on a blackboard and replacing them with their difference will result in an odd number remaining. 2. It is possible to equalize the numbers 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0 written in sectors of a circle by increasing neighboring numbers by 1. 3. A parliament can be separated into two houses such that each member has at most one enemy in their own house. 4. Repeatedly replacing (a, b, c, d) with (a - b, b - c, c - d, d - a) will cause at least one number

Uploaded by

Casey J. Murphy
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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The Invariance Principle

09/28/2009
1. Suppose the positive integer n is odd. First Al writes the numbers 1, 2, . . . , 2n on the blackboard. Then
he picks any two numbers a, b, erases them, and writes, instead, |a b|. Prove that an odd number will
remain in the end.
2. A circle is divided into 6 sectors. Then the numbers 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0 are written into the sectors (counterclockwise, say). You may increase two neighboring numbers by 1. Is it possible to equalize all numbers by
a sequence of such steps?
3. In the Parliament of Sikinia, each member has at most three enemies. Prove that the house can be
separated into two houses, so that each member has at most one enemy in his own house.
4. Suppose not all four integers a, b, c, d are equal. Start with (a, b, c, d) and repeatedly replace (a, b, c, d)
by (a b, b c, c d, d a). Then at least one number of the quadruple will eventually become arbitrarily
large.
5. Each of the numbers a1 , a2 , . . . , an is 1 or 1, and we have
S = a1 a2 a3 a4 + a2 a3 a4 a5 + . . . + an a1 a2 a3 = 0.
Prove that 4|n.
6. 2n ambassadors are invited to a banquet. Every ambassador has at most n 1 enemies. Prove that the
ambassadors can be seated around a round table, so that nobody sits next to an enemy.
7. Start with the set {3, 4, 12}. In each step you may choose two of the numbers a, b and replace them by
0.6a 0.8b and 0.8a + 0.6b. Can you reach the goal (a) or (b) in finitely meny steps:
(a) {4, 6, 12},

(b) {x, y, z} with |x 4|, |y 6|, |z 12| each less than 1/ 3?


8. Assume an 8 8 chessboard with the usual coloring. You may repaint all squares
(a) of a raw or column
(b) of a 2 2 square.
The goal is to attain just one black square. Can you reach the goal?
9. There are a white, b black, and c red chips on a table. In one step, you may choose two chips of different
colors and replace them by a chip of the third color. If just one chip will remain at the end, its color will
not depend on the evolution of the game. When can this final state be reached?
10. Each of the numbers 1 to 106 is repeatedly replaced by its digital sum until we reach 106 one-digit
numbers. Will these have more 1s or 2s?
11. An algorithm is defined as follows:
Start: (x0 , y0 ) with 0 < x0 < y0 .

n
,
yn+1 = xn+1 yn .
Step: xn+1 = xn +y
2
Prove that a common limit limn xn = limn yn exists and find it.
P
12. To each vertex of a pentagon, we assign an integer xi with sum s = xi > 0. If x, y, z are the numbers
assigned to three successive vertices and if y < 0, then we replace (x, y, z) by (x + y, y, y + z). This step is
repeated as long as there is a y < 0. Decide if the algorithm always stops.

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