Problem:
Prove that there exists an infinite set of points
…,P−3​,P−2​,P−1​,P0​,P1​,P2​,P3​,…
in the plane with the following property: For any three distinct integers a,b and c, points Pa​,Pb​ and Pc​ are collinear if and only if a+b+c=2014.
Solution:
We claim that defining Pn​ to be the point with coordinates (n,n3−2014n2) will satisfy the conditions of the problem. Recall that points (x1​,y1​),(x2​,y2​) and (x3​,y3​) are collinear if and only if
∣∣∣∣∣∣∣​x1​x2​x3​​y1​y2​y3​​111​∣∣∣∣∣∣∣​=0
Therefore we examine the determinant
∣∣∣∣∣∣∣​abc​a3−2014a2b3−2014b2c3−2014c2​111​∣∣∣∣∣∣∣​=∣∣∣∣∣∣∣​abc​a3b3c3​111​∣∣∣∣∣∣∣​−2014∣∣∣∣∣∣∣​abc​a2b2c2​111​∣∣∣∣∣∣∣​
The first determinant on the right is a homogenous polynomial of degree four divisible by (a−b)(b−c)(c−a). The remaining factor has degree one, is symmetric, and yields an ab3 term when the product is expanded, hence must be (a+b+c). The second determinant is a homogenous polynomial of degree three divisible by (a−b)(b−c)(c−a), and comparing coefficients of the ab2 term we see that this is the desired polynomial. Thus
∣∣∣∣∣∣∣​abc​a3−2014a2b3−2014b2c3−2014c2​111​∣∣∣∣∣∣∣​=(a−b)(b−c)(c−a)(a+b+c−2014)
It follows that for distinct a,b and c this expression will equal zero if and only if a+b+c= 2014, as desired.
This solution was suggested by Razvan Gelca.
OR
First, note that the translation x↦x−671 in the indices allows us to replace 2014 in the statement by 1 . Now it comes natural to look for a polynomial pattern (P(x),Q(x)) in the coordinates of a point. The collinearity condition translates, in coordinates, into
P(a)Q(b)+P(b)Q(c)+P(c)Q(a)−P(a)Q(c)−P(b)Q(a)−P(c)Q(b)=0
This should happen only when a+b+c−1=0 or when two of a,b,c are equal. Hence the left-hand side should be of the form (a+b+c−1)(b−a)(c−b)(a−c)R(a,b,c). We can try the simplest case R=1 so that the dominant coefficients of both P(x) and Q(x) are 1. P(x) and Q(x) cannot both have even degree because then the 4th degree terms on the left cancel out, while on the right there are clearly 4 th degree terms. Hence one of the polynomials P(x) and Q(x) has degree 3, the other has degree 1. By a translation we can turn the degree 1 polynomial into x, thus we may assume that P(x)=x. Thus we should have
​(c−b)Q(a)+(a−c)Q(b)+(b−a)Q(c)=(a+b+c−1)(b−a)(c−b)(a−c)​
So we let Q(x)=x3+αx2+βx+γ. Note that we are free to choose β and γ any way we want, since they cancel out. So we let Q(x)=x3+αx2.
For a=0,b=−1,c=1 the above identity yields −2Q(0)−Q(−1)−Q(1)=2, and hence α=−1.
Returning to the case of the problem with 2014 instead of 1 , we have the points Pn​= (n−671,(n−671)3−(n−671)2). But we can simplify this since we can replace P(x) by x and ignore the linear part of Q(x). We thus obtain the simpler infinite family of points
Pn​=(n,n3−3⋅671n2−n2)=(n,n3−2014n2)
satisfying the conditions of the problem.
This problem and the second solution was suggested by Sam Vandervelde.
The problems on this page are the property of the MAA's American Mathematics Competitions