MathDB
Zagi jumping on a polygon

Source: 2021 MEMO I-4

September 5, 2021
number theorymemoMEMO 2021

Problem Statement

Let n3n \ge 3 be an integer. Zagi the squirrel sits at a vertex of a regular nn-gon. Zagi plans to make a journey of n1n-1 jumps such that in the ii-th jump, it jumps by ii edges clockwise, for i{1,,n1}i \in \{1, \ldots,n-1 \}. Prove that if after n2\lceil \tfrac{n}{2} \rceil jumps Zagi has visited n2+1\lceil \tfrac{n}{2} \rceil+1 distinct vertices, then after n1n-1 jumps Zagi will have visited all of the vertices. (Remark. For a real number xx, we denote by x\lceil x \rceil the smallest integer larger or equal to xx.)