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symmetric polygon has odd winding number

Source: Sharygin 2023 - P14 (Grade-8-11)

March 4, 2023
geometrypolygonwinding numberSharygin Geometry OlympiadSharygin 2023

Problem Statement

Suppose that a closed oriented polygonal line L\mathcal{L} in the plane does not pass through a point OO, and is symmetric with respect to OO. Prove that the winding number of L\mathcal{L} around OO is odd.
The winding number of L\mathcal{L} around OO is defined to be the following sum of the oriented angles divided by 2π2\pi: degOL:=A1OA2+A2OA3++An1OAn+AnOA12π.\deg_O\mathcal{L} := \dfrac{\angle A_1OA_2+\angle A_2OA_3+\dots+\angle A_{n-1}OA_n+\angle A_nOA_1}{2\pi}.