To every vertex of a regular pentagon a real number is assigned. We may perform the following operation repeatedly: we choose two adjacent vertices of the pentagon and replace each of the two numbers assigned to these vertices by their arithmetic mean. Is it always possible to obtain the position in which all five numbers are zeroes, given that in the initial position the sum of all five numbers is equal to zero?
Problem
Source: baltic way, 2006
Tags: modular arithmetic, combinatorics proposed, combinatorics
15.01.2011 02:31
Probably not. It would be enough to prove it for rationals, since then we can use representations in a Hamel basis. But for a triangle, instead of a pentagon, the configuration $2,-1,-1$ leads uniquely to $1/2,1/2,-1$, then $1/2,-1/4,-1/4$, which is the homothetic by $1/4$ of the initial one, so the process never ends. One would need to find such a "repeating" model for the pentagon, in order to infirm the thesis.
15.01.2011 06:03
whats this hamel basis?
15.01.2011 06:17
If we consider the pentagon with $\sqrt{2},\sqrt{3},\sqrt{5},\sqrt{7},-(\sqrt{2}+\sqrt{3}+\sqrt{5}+\sqrt{7})$. Supose that after $n$ steps each vertex have a $0$. Then $0=a_1\sqrt{2}+a_2\sqrt{3}+a_3\sqrt{5}+a_4\sqrt{7}-a_5(\sqrt{2}+\sqrt{3}+\sqrt{5}+\sqrt{7})$ where $a_1+a_2+a_3+a_4+a_5=1$. In particular, each $a_i=1/2^{(b_i)}$ for a natural integer $b_i$. Then for some $k$ big enough, $2^ka^i$ is an integer for every i. Let $c_i=2^k(a_i-a_5)$ for $i=1,2,3,4$. Then $0=c_1\sqrt{2}+c_2\sqrt{3}+c_3\sqrt{5}+c_4\sqrt{7}$ for integers $c_i$. Then it is obvious that $c_i$ must be $0$. (just square a couple of times) But then $a_i-a_5=0$, so $a_i=a_5$ so $1=a_1+a_2+a_3+a_4+a_5=5a_5$. So $a_5=1/2^{(b_5)}=1/5$ and that is a contradiction.
16.01.2011 02:04
Let $S$ be the set of rational numbers that can be expressed as $\displaystyle \frac{a}{2^b} - \frac{1}{5}$ with $a$ an integer and $b$ a non-negative integer. Then $\displaystyle \frac{-1}{5} \in S$, $\displaystyle \frac{4}{5} \in S$, $\displaystyle 0 \notin S$. Also note that $\displaystyle x, y \in S \Rightarrow \frac{x + y}{2} \in S$, which means if all the verticies of the pentagon start out with an element of $S$, they will forever have an element of $S$. So if we start by assigning four verticies the value $\displaystyle \frac{-1}{5}$ and one $\displaystyle \frac{4}{5}$, the value zero will never appear.
10.11.2011 06:16
let us define $\frac{a}{b} \pmod{5}$ as $ab^{-1}$ then we place five numbers $1,1,1,1,-4$ then after any number of operations,the five numbers will be all congruent to $1$ mod $5$,contradiction.
13.07.2016 17:44
If we start with any pentagon that has 3 or 5 non-zero numbers in it, you'll never get 5 zeroes. The reason for this is, that the only way to add zeroes replaces 2 non-zero numbers, $x$ and $-x$, with 2 zeroes. Therefore, the parity of the amount of zeroes never changes, and as it started even, it can never become 5, so it's impossible in those situations. Note: This means that even if you could choose any 2 numbers of the 5, ignoring adjacency, you'd get the same result.