Problem

Source: Spring Stars of Mathematics 2021 P4 (senior level)

Tags: combinatorics, romania



Fix an integer $n\geq4$. Let $C_n$ be the collection of all $n$–point configurations in the plane, every three points of which span a triangle of area strictly greater than $1.$ For each configuration $C\in C_n$ let $f(n,C)$ be the maximal size of a subconfiguration of $C$ subject to the condition that every pair of distinct points has distance strictly greater than $2.$ Determine the minimum value $f(n)$ which $f(n,C)$ achieves as $C$ runs through $C_n.$ Radu Bumbăcea and Călin Popescu