Problem

Source: Iran TST 2007, Day 4

Tags: analytic geometry, graphing lines, slope, trigonometry, geometry, geometric transformation, reflection



Let $P$ be a point in a square whose side are mirror. A ray of light comes from $P$ and with slope $\alpha$. We know that this ray of light never arrives to a vertex. We make an infinite sequence of $0,1$. After each contact of light ray with a horizontal side, we put $0$, and after each contact with a vertical side, we put $1$. For each $n\geq 1$, let $B_{n}$ be set of all blocks of length $n$, in this sequence. a) Prove that $B_{n}$ does not depend on location of $P$. b) Prove that if $\frac{\alpha}{\pi}$ is irrational, then $|B_{n}|=n+1$.