IMO 1973 · Problem 2

Determine whether or not there exists a finite set \(M\) of points in space not lying in the same plane such that, for any two points \(A\) and \(B\) of \(M\), one can select two other points \(C\) and \(D\) of \(M\) so that lines \(AB\) and \(CD\) are parallel and not coincident.

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

Answer

Yes, such a set exists.

Solution

Take the following set of \(12\) points, with all signs chosen independently: \[ M=\{(\pm1,\pm1,0),\;(\pm1,0,\pm1),\;(0,\pm1,\pm1)\}. \] The points \((1,1,0),(1,-1,0),(-1,1,0)\) determine the plane \(z=0\), whereas \((1,0,1)\) is outside this plane. Hence \(M\) is not coplanar.

Every point of \(M\) has distance \(\sqrt2\) from the origin, and whenever \(P\in M\), also \(-P\in M\).

Let \(A,B\) be any two distinct points of \(M\). We consider two cases.

Case 1: \(B\ne -A\). Choose \[ C=-A,\qquad D=-B. \] These are distinct points of \(M\), neither equal to \(A\) or \(B\). Moreover, \[ D-C=-(B-A), \] so \(AB\) and \(CD\) have parallel directions.

If the two lines coincided, their common line would contain \(A\) and \(-A\), and therefore the origin. Thus \(B=tA\) for some real \(t\). Since \(A\) and \(B\) both have length \(\sqrt2\), we would have \(t=\pm1\). The choice \(t=1\) contradicts \(A\ne B\), and \(t=-1\) contradicts \(B\ne -A\). Hence the lines are not coincident.

Case 2: \(B=-A\). Permuting the coordinates if necessary, we may write \[ A=(a,b,0),\qquad B=(-a,-b,0), \qquad a,b\in\{-1,1\}. \] Choose \[ C=(a,0,1),\qquad D=(0,-b,1). \] Both points belong to \(M\), are distinct, and differ from \(A,B\). Furthermore, \[ D-C=(-a,-b,0)=\frac12(B-A), \] so \(AB\parallel CD\). These lines cannot coincide because \(AB\) lies in the plane \(z=0\), while \(CD\) lies in the plane \(z=1\).

Thus every pair of distinct points of \(M\) has the required two other points, completing the construction.

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