MathLabs

Problem 6

Prove that there exists a convex 1990-gon whose angles are all equal and whose side lengths are 12,22,…,199021^2,2^2,\ldots,1990^2 in some order.
Step 4 of 4: The vector sum vanishes by three geometric sums
∑i,j,kr(i,j,k)2(−1)iajbk=0\sum_{i,j,k}r(i,j,k)^2(-1)^ia^jb^k=0
Detailed analysis

Put s=1+199j+k. Summing first over i gives minus 995 squared times the sum of a^j b^k, minus 1990 times the sum of s a^j b^k. The first term is zero because the sum of the fifth powers a^j is zero. In the second term, the part (1+k) is again zero after summing over j, while the part 199j is zero after summing over k. Thus the whole vector sum is zero, and the construction proves the claim.