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Suppose you draw $n \ge 0$ distinct lines in the plane, one after another, none of the lines parallel to any other and no three lines intersecting at a common point. The plane will, as a result, be divided into how many different regions $L_n$? Find an expression for $L_n$ in terms of $L_{n-1}$, solve it explicitly, and indicate what is $L_{10}$.

I have tried to come up with a solution but cannot. A little guidance would be very helpful.

Zev Chonoles
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    Please give your questions more descriptive titles. People who are searching the site need to be able to see what a question is about from its title. – Zev Chonoles Sep 28 '13 at 18:51
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    I feel like a similar question has been asked before but don't know where I might find the question. Does anyone know if this is a duplicate? – Dan Rust Sep 28 '13 at 18:54
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    http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/339750/greatest-number-of-planes-we-can-get-when-dividing-with-lines-and-circles – Magdiragdag Sep 28 '13 at 18:57

2 Answers2

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Each new line intersects other $n$ lines in one point and divides each previous region of space into two regions. Therefore each new line adds new $n+1$ region and so we have: $$ L_{n+1}=L_n+n+1 $$ with $L_1=2$.

Indeed you can see that $L_n=1+\frac{n(n+1)}{2}$ and hence $L_{10}=56$.

Arash
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HINT: If you already have $n$ lines and add an $(n+1)$-st line, the new line crosses each of the original $n$ lines. Those intersections divide the new line into $k+1$ segments (including the two unbounded segments). Show that each of those segments divides one old region into two new ones. This gives you a recurrence expressing $L_{n+1}$ in terms of $L_n$, and it’s an easy recurrence to solve for a closed form.

Brian M. Scott
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  • To show that each of those segments divides one old region into two new ones- would proof by induction be sufficient? If not what other ways can be used? – jimo Feb 22 '16 at 17:41
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    @diplodocus: It’s simpler than that: you merely have to observe that if you draw a straight line through a bounded region, you divide the region into two regions, one on each side of the line, and that the same thing happens when you draw a straight line through an unbounded region. A rigorous proof of this fact requires some pretty heavy-duty topology, but in an elementary course in combinatorics you can take it as pretty much self-evident. – Brian M. Scott Feb 22 '16 at 19:57