Starting at point
E
, Sam constructs a straight sided spiral so that:
After completing the side with length 21. Sam's distance from his original point E will be between which two numbers?
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In the y direction, we have moved a total of 1 − 3 + 5 − 7 + 9 − 1 1 + 1 3 − 1 5 + 1 7 − 1 9 + 2 1 = 1 1 units. In the x direction we have moved a total of 2 − 4 + 6 − 8 + 1 0 − 1 2 + 1 4 − 1 6 + 1 8 − 2 0 = − 1 0 units. Thus the distance between the initial and final points is 1 0 2 + 1 1 2 = 2 2 1 which lies between 1 4 = 1 9 6 and 1 5 = 2 2 5 .
Thank you for sharing your solution, got my vote too.
In the complex plane, when we multiply a complex number (represented by a line vector) by the imaginary unit i = − 1 , it is equivalent to turning the line vector 9 0 ∘ anticlockwise. For ease of calculation, let us consider the spiral to turn anticlockwise instead of clockwise. Then the first line vector is i , the second 2 i 2 , the third 3 i 3 , ... the n th line is n i n . Notice that the vector from the origin E and the end-point of n th line is a complex number z ( n ) . And z ( n ) is given by the sum of all the lines from the first to n th as follows:
z ( n ) ⟹ z ( 2 1 ) = k = 1 ∑ n k i k = i k = 1 ∑ n k i k − 1 = i k = 1 ∑ n k x k − 1 = i ∂ x ∂ k = 1 ∑ n x k = i ∂ x ∂ ( x − 1 x ( x n − 1 ) ) = i ( ( x − 1 ) 2 n x n + 1 − ( n + 1 ) x n + 1 ) = 2 − n i n + 1 + ( n + 1 ) i n − 1 = 2 − 2 1 i 2 2 + 2 2 i 2 1 − 1 = 1 0 + 1 1 i ≈ 1 4 . 8 6 6 e 0 . 8 3 3 i Replace i with x . Put back x as i .
The final Sam's distance from E is about 14.866, which is between 14 and 15 .
Inspiration: @Hana Nakkache 's solution to this problem.
Nice solution Sir. Thank you for sharing it.
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If we place the spiral on an xy-plane with point E at the origin, the coordinates of the key points reveal a pattern.
From the table we can see that after finishing a side having length that is a multiple of 4 , say 4 k , we are at the point ( − 2 k ; − 2 k )
Therefore, after completing the side of length 2 0 , we are at the point ( − 1 0 ; − 1 0 ) . All sides of length 4k travel toward the left.
We must now move vertically upward 2 1 units from this point ( − 1 0 ; − 1 0 ) . Moving upward, this last side of length 2 1 will end at the point say X with coordinates ( − 1 0 ; 1 1 ) .
This point is left 1 0 units and up 1 1 units from E ( 0 ; 0 ) . Using the Pythagorean Theorem, ( E X ) 2 = 1 0 2 + 1 1 2 = 1 0 0 + 1 2 1 = 2 2 1 or E X = 2 2 1 = 1 4 . 8 6 6