Problem

Source: Russia 1995

Tags: combinatorics unsolved, combinatorics



The streets of the city of Duzhinsk are simple polygonal lines not intersecting each other in internal points. Each street connects two crossings and is colored in one of three colors: white, red, or blue. At each crossing exactly three streets meet, one of each color. A crossing is called positive if the streets meeting at it are white, blue and red in counterclockwise direction, and negative otherwise. Prove that the difference between the numbers of positive and negative crossings is a multiple of 4.