IMO 1969 · Problem 5

Given \(n > 4\) points in the plane such that no three are collinear. Prove that there are at least \(\binom{n-3}{2}\) convex quadrilaterals whose vertices are four of the given points.

Official text of the problem. Official problem paper (PDF)

Solution

We first prove that any five points in the plane, no three collinear, contain four vertices of a convex quadrilateral.

If their convex hull has at least four vertices, choose any four of those vertices. They form a convex quadrilateral, since none can lie in the triangle formed by the other three.

Otherwise, their convex hull is a triangle \(ABC\), and the remaining points \(D,E\) lie strictly inside it. The segments \(AD,BD,CD\) partition \(ABC\) into three triangles. Since no three points are collinear, \(E\) lies strictly inside one of these triangles; relabeling \(A,B,C\), suppose it lies inside \(ABD\).

The segment \(CE\) starts outside triangle \(ABD\) and ends inside it, so it crosses its boundary. It cannot cross \(AB\), because \(C\) and \(E\) lie strictly on the same side of the line \(AB\). Thus \(CE\) crosses \(AD\) or \(BD\). The crossing lies in the interiors of both segments: passing through a vertex would make three given points collinear.

The four endpoints of two such crossing segments form a convex quadrilateral. Indeed, the line through either segment separates the endpoints of the other, so each endpoint lies outside the triangle formed by the other three. This proves the claim.

Now let \(q\) be the number of convex quadrilaterals determined by the \(n\) given points. Count pairs \((S,Q)\), where \(S\) is a set of five given points and \(Q\) is a convex quadrilateral whose vertices belong to \(S\).

By the claim, each of the \(\binom n5\) choices of \(S\) contributes at least one pair. Conversely, each quadrilateral \(Q\) belongs to exactly \(n-4\) such sets \(S\), obtained by adjoining one of the remaining points. Therefore \[ (n-4)q\geq \binom n5, \] and hence \[ q\geq \frac{\binom n5}{n-4} =\frac{n(n-1)(n-2)(n-3)}{120}. \]

Finally, \[ \frac{n(n-1)(n-2)(n-3)}{120} -\binom{n-3}{2} = \frac{(n-3)(n-5)(n-6)(n+8)}{120}. \] This is nonnegative for every integer \(n\geq5\): it is zero for \(n=5,6\), and positive for \(n\geq7\). Consequently, \[ \boxed{q\geq \binom{n-3}{2}}. \]

The solution was checked against John Scholes' IMO solution archive (Kalva).