A function on squares

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Understand the problem

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.22.4" text_font="Raleway||||||||" background_color="#f4f4f4" box_shadow_style="preset2" custom_margin="10px||10px" custom_padding="10px|20px|10px|20px"]Let $ f$ be a real-valued function on the plane such that for every square $ ABCD$ in the plane, $ f(A)+f(B)+f(C)+f(D)=0.$ Does it follow that $ f(P)=0$ for all points $ P$ in the plane?

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Putnam 2009 A1 [/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title="Topic" open="off" _builder_version="3.23.3" title_text_shadow_horizontal_length="0em" title_text_shadow_vertical_length="0em" title_text_shadow_blur_strength="0em" closed_title_text_shadow_horizontal_length="0em" closed_title_text_shadow_vertical_length="0em" closed_title_text_shadow_blur_strength="0em"]Geometry [/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title="Difficulty Level" open="off" _builder_version="3.23.3" title_text_shadow_horizontal_length="0em" title_text_shadow_vertical_length="0em" title_text_shadow_blur_strength="0em" closed_title_text_shadow_horizontal_length="0em" closed_title_text_shadow_vertical_length="0em" closed_title_text_shadow_blur_strength="0em"]Easy [/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title="Suggested Book" open="off" _builder_version="3.23.3" title_text_shadow_horizontal_length="0em" title_text_shadow_vertical_length="0em" title_text_shadow_blur_strength="0em" closed_title_text_shadow_horizontal_length="0em" closed_title_text_shadow_vertical_length="0em" closed_title_text_shadow_blur_strength="0em"]Mathematical Olympiad Challenges by Titu Andreescu [/et_pb_accordion_item][/et_pb_accordion][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.22.4" text_font="Raleway|300|||||||" text_text_color="#ffffff" header_font="Raleway|300|||||||" header_text_color="#e2e2e2" background_color="#0c71c3" border_radii="on|5px|5px|5px|5px" box_shadow_style="preset3" custom_margin="48px||48px" custom_padding="20px|20px|20px|20px"]

Start with hints

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[/et_pb_tab][et_pb_tab title="Hint 1" _builder_version="3.23.3"]If the function is indeed identically 0, then you would need a geometrical argument to prove it. If not, you would need to find an example of a function which is not identically zero and satisfies the hypothesis of the question. In principle, you should start by playing around with some examples. [/et_pb_tab][et_pb_tab title="Hint 2" _builder_version="3.23.3"]The answer to the question is YES. [/et_pb_tab][et_pb_tab title="Hint 3" _builder_version="3.23.3"]Think about squares that have $latex P$ as a vertex. [/et_pb_tab][et_pb_tab title="Hint 4" _builder_version="3.23.3"]Consider the squares in picture. Clearly,$latex f(D)+f(C)+f(P)+f(E)=0 \\ f(C)+f(B)+f(I)+f(P)=0 \\ f(E)+f(P)+f(G)+f(F)=0 \\ f(P)+f(I)+f(H)+f(G)=0$Adding, we get  $latex 4f(P)+2(f(C)+f(E)+f(G)+f(I))+ (f(D)+f(B)+f(H)+f(F))=0$. As both $latex CEGI$ and $latex DBHF$ are squares, the second and the third terms are zero. Thus, $latex f(P)=0$.  [/et_pb_tab][/et_pb_tabs][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.22.4" text_font="Raleway|300|||||||" text_text_color="#ffffff" header_font="Raleway|300|||||||" header_text_color="#e2e2e2" background_color="#0c71c3" border_radii="on|5px|5px|5px|5px" box_shadow_style="preset3" custom_margin="48px||48px" custom_padding="20px|20px|20px|20px"]

Watch the video (Coming Soon)

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Math Olympiad is the greatest and most challenging academic contest for school students. Brilliant school students from over 100 countries participate in it every year.Cheenta works with small groups of gifted students through an intense training program. It is a deeply personalized journey toward intellectual prowess and technical sophistication.[/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_button button_url="https://cheenta.com/matholympiad/" url_new_window="on" button_text="Learn More" button_alignment="center" _builder_version="3.23.3" custom_button="on" button_bg_color="#0c71c3" button_border_color="#0c71c3" button_border_radius="0px" button_font="Raleway||||||||" button_icon="%%3%%" button_text_shadow_style="preset1" box_shadow_style="preset1" box_shadow_color="#0c71c3" background_layout="dark"][/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version="3.22.4" text_font="Raleway|300|||||||" text_text_color="#ffffff" header_font="Raleway|300|||||||" header_text_color="#e2e2e2" background_color="#0c71c3" border_radii="on|5px|5px|5px|5px" box_shadow_style="preset3" custom_margin="50px||50px" custom_padding="20px|20px|20px|20px"]

Similar Problems

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