Will the plane be filled when all the lines connecting the Lattice points are drawn?

61 Views Asked by At

If we draw all possible lines connecting points with integer coordinates, will the plane be completely filled?

I know the answer is no, because the task of drawing lines is a countable task, while filling a plane with lines is an uncountable task, but I would be happy if someone could point out the coordinates of a point through which none of these lines would pass and prove it.

1

There are 1 best solutions below

4
On BEST ANSWER

Assume the point $(\sqrt2,\sqrt3)$ lies on line $l$, which passes through distinct lattice points $(a,b)$ and $(c,d)$.


If $a=c$ then $l$ has equation $x=a$. Plug in $(\sqrt2,\sqrt3)$ and we get $a=\sqrt2$. But $a\in\mathbb{Z}$. $\therefore a\ne c$.

Therefore $l$ has equation $y=\frac{b-d}{a-c}(x-a)+b$.

Plug in $(\sqrt2,\sqrt3)$ and we get $\sqrt3=\frac{b-d}{a-c}(\sqrt2-a)+b$, which is of the form $\sqrt3=\sqrt2 p-q$ where $p,q\in\mathbb{Q}$.

Square both sides: $3=2p^2-2pq\sqrt2+q^2$.

If $p=q=0$ then we get $3=0$, contradiction.

If $p=0$ and $q\ne 0$ then we get $q=\sqrt3$. LHS is rational, RHS is irrational, contradiction.

If $p\ne 0$ and $q=0$ then we get $p=\sqrt{\frac32}$. LHS is rational, RHS is irrational, contradiction.

If $p\ne 0$ and $q\ne 0$ then we get $\sqrt2=\frac{2p^2+q^2-3}{2pq}$. LHS is irrational, RHS is rational, contradiction.


So the point $(\sqrt2,\sqrt3)$ does not lie on any line through distinct lattice points $(a,b)$ and $(c,d)$.