Equiangular polygons

An algebraic approach
Titu Andreescu Bogdan Enescu
University of Texas at Dallas "B.P. Hasdeu" National College
Buzau, Romania
We call a convex polygon equiangular if its angles are congruent. Thus,
an equiangular triangle is an equilateral one, and an equiangular quadrilateral
is a rectangle (or a square). One interesting algebraic characterisation of the
equiangular polygons is stated in the following lemma.
Lemma 1 Let a
1
, a
2
, . . . , a
n
be positive real numbers and let - be a primitive
:th root of the unity, e.g. - = cos
2t
n
+ i sin
2t
n
. If the sides of an equiangular
polygon have lengths a
1
, a
2
, . . . , a
n
(in counterclockwise order) then
a
1
+a
2
- +a
3
-
2
+. . . +a
n
-
n1
= 0.
Proof. Consider the polygons sides as vectors, oriented counterclockwise
(see gure for the case : = 8). Then the sum of the vectors equals zero. Now,
translate all vectors such that they have the same origin O. If we look at the
complex numbers corresponding to their extremities, choosing a
1
on the positive
real axis, we see that these are a
1
, a
2
-, a
3
-
2
, . . . , a
n
-
n1
, respectively. We deduce
that a
1
+a
2
- +a
3
-
2
+. . . +a
n
-
n1
= 0.
The converse of the statement is not true. For instance, if a, /, c, d are the side
lengths of a quadrilateral and a+/i+ci
2
+di
3
= 0, then (ac)+i(/d) = 0; this
equality is fullled if the quadrilateral is a parallelogram (and not necessarily an
equiangular quadrilateral, that is, a rectangle). However, from the proof we see
Mathematical reflections 1, (2006) 1
that if a
1
, a
2
, . . . , a
n
are positive numbers and a
1
+a
2
-+a
3
-
2
+. . . +a
n
-
n1
= 0,
then there exists an equiangular polygon with sides of lengths a
1
, a
2
, . . . , a
n
.
We examine now several contest problems involving equiangular polygons,
presenting in some cases two solutions: a geometric solution and an algebraic
solution. Some of them are discussed in [1] .
Problem 1. Prove that if an equiangular hexagon has side lengths a
1
, a
2,
. . . , a
6
(in this order) then
a
1
a
4
= a
5
a
2
= a
3
a
6
.
(Romanian Selection Test)
First solution. Expand every second side of the hexagon to obtain a tri-
angle 1C (see gure below). Since the hexagon is equiangular, triangle 1C
is equilateral. Moreover, triangle 1C is the union of the hexagon and three
other smaller triangles, which are equilateral as well. We see that
1 = a
1
+a
2
+a
6
,
1C = a
2
+a
3
+a
4
,
C = a
4
+a
5
+a
6.
Since 1 = 1C = C, we obtain the desired result.
Second solution. Let - = cos
2t
6
+ i sin
2t
6
be a primitive sixth root of
unity. Then
a
1
+a
2
- +a
3
-
2
+a
4
-
3
+a
5
-
4
+a
6
-
5
= 0.
But -
3
= cos +i sin = 1, so -
4
= - and -
5
= -
2
. We deduce that
(a
1
a
4
) + (a
2
a
5
)- + (a
3
a
6
)-
2
= 0.
On the other hand, since -
3
= 1 (and - 6= 1) we see that -
2
-+1 = 0. Thus,
- is a common root of the equations (a
1
a
4
) +(a
2
a
5
). +(a
3
a
6
).
2
= 0 and
Mathematical reflections 1, (2006) 2
.
2
. + 1 = 0, both with real coecients. Since - , 2 R, it follows that the two
equations share another common root -, so the coecients of the two equations
must be proportional; that is,
(a
1
a
4
) = (a
2
a
5
) = (a
3
a
6
),
as desired.
Problem 2. The side lengths of an equiangular octagon are rational num-
bers. Prove that the octagon has a symmetry center.
(Russian Olympiad)
First solution. Let 1C111GH be the octagon. The angles of an
equiangular octagon are equal to 135

, thus, the lines containing the segments

1, C1, 11 and GH determine a rectangle.
Because the opposite sides of this rectangle are equal, we obtain
1 +
p
2
2
(H +1C) = 11 +
p
2
2
(11 +1G),
or, equivalently,
1 11 =
p
2
2
(11 +1GH 1C).
Because the side lengths of the octagon are rational numbers, the above equality
can hold if and only if
1 11 = 11 +1GH 1C = 0.
In a similar way, we obtain
C1 GH = 1G+H 11 1C = 0.
Mathematical reflections 1, (2006) 3
From these equalities it follows that 1 = 11, C1 = GH, 1C = 1G and
11 = H, so the opposite sides of the octagon are equal and parallel. It
follows that the quadrilaterals 111, 1C1G, C1GH and 11H are par-
allelograms, hence the midpoints of the segments 1, 11, CG, 1H and 1H
coincide. Obviously, this common point is a symmetry center of the octagon.
Second solution. Denote by a
1
, . . . , a
8
the octagons side lengths. Then
a
1
+a
2
- +. . . +a
8
-
7
= 0,
where - = cos
2t
8
+i sin
2t
8
. Observing that -
4
= 1, the above equality becomes
a
1
a
5
+ (a
2
a
6
) - + (a
3
a
7
) -
2
+ (a
4
a
8
) -
3
= 0.
Thus, - is a common root of the polynomials with rational coecients ) (A) =
A
4
+1 and q (A) = a
1
a
5
+(a
2
a
6
) A +(a
3
a
7
) A
2
+(a
4
a
8
) A
3
. If q is
a non-constant polynomial, we derive that gcd (), q) is a non-constant rational
polynomial, which is a contradiction since ) is irreducible in Q[A] (to see this,
observe that its roots are nonreal, so the only way it can be written as a product
of polynomials with real coecients is ) =

r
2
+r
p
2 + 1

r
2
r
p
2 + 1

).
Therefore, q must be a constant and this implies that the opposite sides of the
octagon are equal and parallel. The solution ends like the previous one.
Problem 3. Let 1C11 be an equiangular pentagon whose side lengths
are rational numbers. Prove that the pentagon is regular.
(Balkan Mathematical Olympiad)
First solution. Let ' and be the intersection points of the line 1
with 1C and C1, respectively.
Because 1C11 is equiangular, triangles '1 and 11 are isosceles,
with \' = \ = 36

, therefore triangle C' is also isosceles and C' =

C. It follows that 1C + 1' = C1 + 1. But 1 = 2 cos 72

1' and
11 = 2 cos 72

1, whence
1 11 = 2 cos 72

(1' 1) = 2 cos 72

(C1 1C) .
Since cos 72

is not a rational number, the above equalities imply both 1 =

11 and C1 = 1C. The conclusion follows easily.
Second solution. We can prove more:
Mathematical reflections 1, (2006) 4
Lemma 2 The positive integer j is a prime number if and only if every equian-
gular polygon with j sides of rational lengths is regular.
Proof. Suppose j is a prime number and let the rational numbers a
1
, a
2
, . . . , a

be the side lengths of an equiangular polygon. We have seen that

- = cos
2
j
+i sin
2
j
is a root of the polynomial
1(A) = a
1
+a
2
A +. . . a

A
1
.
On the other hand, - is also a root of the polynomial
Q(A) = 1 +A +A
2
+. . . +A
1
.
Because the two polynomials share a common root, their greatest common di-
visor must be a non-constant polynomial with rational coecients.This implies
that Q can be factorized as a product of two non-constant polynomials with
rational coecients, which is impossible (to prove that, one applies the Eisen-
steins criterion to the polynomial Q(A + 1) ). Conversely, suppose j is not a
prime number and let j = ::, for some positive integers :, : 1. It results
that
n
is a root of order : of the unity, hence 1+
n
+
2n
+. . . +
(n1)n
= 0.
If we add this equality to 1 + +
2
+
3
+ . . . +
1
= 0, we deduce that
is the root of a polynomial of degree j 1, with some coecients equal to 1
and the others equal to 2. This means that there exists an equiangular polygon
with j sides, some of length 1 and the rest of length 2. Because such a polygon
is not regular, our claim is proved.
Problem 4. Let a
1
, a
2
, . . . , a
n
be the side lengths (in order) of an equian-
gular polygon. Prove that if a
1
a
2
. . . a
n
, then the polygon is regular.
(International Mathematical Olympiad)
First solution. We examine two cases: : odd and : even. If : is odd, say
: = 2/ + 1, consider the angle bisector of \
2|+1

2
. It is not dicult to
see that it is perpendicular to the side
|+1

|+2
. Project all the sides of the
polygon on this line. If we denote by r
I
the length of the projection of the side

I+1
(with the usual convention
2|+2
=
1
), then
r
1
+r
2
+. . . +r
|
= r
|+2
+r
|+3
+. . . +r
2|+1
=
1
1
(see gure below). On the other hand, the angle between
I

I+1
and
1
1 is
equal to the angle between
2|+2I

2|+3I
and
1
1, thus r
I
r
2|+2I
, for
all 1 i /. It follows that the above equality can be reached only if the sides
of the polygon are equal.
If : is even, there is a similar argument, but instead of the angle bisector of
\
2|+1

2
, one considers the perpendicular on the sides
1

2
and
|+1

|+2
(it is easy to see that these two sides are in this case parallel).
Mathematical reflections 1, (2006) 5
Second solution. Let
- = cos
2
:
+i sin
2
:
be a primitive root of the unity. Then - is a root of the polynomial
1(A) = a
1
+a
2
A +. . . +a
n
A
n1
.
The conclusion is obtained from the following:
Lemma 3 Let 1(A) = a
1
+a
2
A+. . .+a
n
A
n1
, where a
1
a
2
. . . a
n
0.
If c is a root of 1, then jcj 1, and jcj = 1 only if a
1
= a
2
= . . . = a
n
.
Proof. We have
a
1
+a
2
c +. . . +a
n
c
n1
= 0.
If we multiply this equality with c 1, we obtain
a
1
+c(a
1
a
2
) +c
2
(a
2
a
3
) +. . . +c
n1
(a
n1
a
n
) +a
n
c
n
= 0,
or, equivalently,
a
1
= c(a
1
a
2
) +c
2
(a
2
a
3
) +. . . +c
n1
(a
n1
a
n
) +a
n
c
n
.
Now, suppose that jcj = 1. It results
a
1
= jc(a
1
a
2
) +c
2
(a
2
a
3
) +. . . +c
n1
(a
n1
a
n
) +a
n
c
n
j
jcj(a
1
a
2
) +jcj
2
(a
2
a
3
) +. . . +jcj
n1
(a
n1
a
n
) +a
n
jcj
n

(a
1
a
2
) + (a
2
a
3
) +. . . + (a
n1
a
n
) +a
n
= a
1
.
Consequently, all inequalities must be equalities. Because c , 2 R, this is possible
only if a
1
= a
2
= . . . = a
n
.
Mathematical reflections 1, (2006) 6
We conclude that the polygon is regular.
Problem 5. Let : be a positive integer which is not a power of a prime
number. Prove that there exists an equiangular polygon whose side lengths are
1, 2, . . . , : in some order.
Solution. All we have to do is to prove that there exists a polynomial
) (r) = a
1
+a
2
r +. . . +a
n
r
n1
,
such that a
1
, a
2
, . . . , a
n
is a permutation of the numbers 1, 2, . . . , : and ) (-) = 0,
where - = cos
2t
n
+ i sin
2t
n
. Equivalently, we show that there is a permutation
o (0) , o (1) , . . . , o (: 1) of the numbers 0, 1, . . . , : 1 such that
-
c(0)
+ 2-
c(1)
+ 3-
c(2)
+. . . +:-
c(n1)
= 0.
First, observe that since : is not a power of a prime, : can be written as
: = j, where j and are relatively prime positive integers.
Let / be an integer, 0 / : 1 and denote a =
j
|
j
k
, / = /
j
|
j
k
. We
dene o (/) = a + /j (mod :). Since j and are relatively prime numbers it
follows that o is well dened.
We then have
) (-) = 1 + 2-

+ 3-
2
+. . . +-
(j1)
+ ( + 1) -
j
+ ( + 2) -
j+
+. . . + 2-
j+(j1)
+ (2 + 1) -
2j
+ (2 + 2) -
2j+
+. . . + 3-
2j+(j1)
+. . .
+ ((j 1) + 1) -
(1)j
+. . . +j-
(1)j+(j1)
.
If we denote
= 1 + 2-

+ 3-
2
+. . . +-
(j1)
,
= 1 +-

+-
2
+. . . +-
(j1)
,
we have
) (-) = +-
j
+-
j
+ 2-
2j
+-
2j
+. . . + (j 1)
(1)j
+-
(1)j
.
Clearly, = 0, therefore
) (-) =

1 +-
j
+-
2j
+. . . +-
(1)j

= 0,
as desired.
References
[1] Mathematical Olympiad Treasures, Titu Andreescu, Bogdan Enescu,
Birkhuser, Boston, Basel Berlin, 2004
[2] Poligoane echiangulare, Titu Andreescu, Bogdan Enescu, Gazeta Mate-
matic a, 107, 2002, 11, pp.422-427 (Romanian)
Mathematical reflections 1, (2006) 7