Polynomials
Polynomials
Polynomials
Polynomials
Alexander Remorov
Polynomials
Alexander Remorov
[email protected]
Warm-up Problem 1: Let f (x) be a quadratic polynomial. Prove that there exist quadratic polynomials g(x) and h(x) such that f (x)f (x + 1) = g(h(x)).
(University of Toronto Math Competition 2010)
Solution: The standard approach would be to write f (x) = ax2 + bx + c and play around with
the coefficients of f (x)f (x + 1). It is doable, but quite messy. Let us look at the roots. Let
f (x) = a(x r)(x s), then:
f (x)f (x + 1) = a2 (x r)(x s + 1) (x s)(x r + 1) =
= a2 ([x2 (r + s 1)x + rs] r)([x2 (r + s 1)x + rs] s)
and we are done by setting g(x) = a2 (x r)(x s), h(x) = x2 (r + s 1)x + rs.
Warm-up Problem 2: The polynomial f (x) = xn + a1 xn1 + a2 xn2 + + an1 x + an = 0
with integer non-zero coefficients has n distinct integer roots. Prove that if the roots are pairwise
coprime, then an1 and an are coprime.
(Russian Math Olympiad 2004)
Solution: Assume gcd(an1 , an ) 6= 1, then both an1 and an are divisible by some prime p. Let
the roots of the polynomial be r1 , r2 , , rn . Then r1 r2 rn = (1)n an . This is divisible p, so at
least one of the roots, wolog r1 , is divisible by p. We also have:
r1 r2 rn1 + r1 r3 r4 rn1 + + r2 r3 rn = (1)n1 an1 0 mod p
All terms containing r1 are divisible by p, hence r2 r3 rn is divisible by p. Hence gcd(r1 , r2 r3 rn )
is divisible by p contradicting the fact that the roots are pairwise coprime. The result follows.
Algebra
ri = (1)1
an1
;
an
ri rj = (1)2
i<j
an2
;
an
r1 r2 rn = (1)n
a0
an
Polynomials
Alexander Remorov
n
X
i=1
yi
1jn,j6=i
x xj
xi xj
1.1
Warm-up
1. Let P (x) and Q(x) be polynomials with real coefficients such that P (x) = Q(x) for all real
values of x. Prove that P (x) = Q(x) for all complex values of x.
2. (a) Determine all polynomials P (x) with real coefficients such that P (x2 ) = P 2 (x).
(b) Determine all polynomials P (x) with real coefficients such that P (x2 ) = P (x)P (x + 1).
(c) Suppose P (x) is a polynomial such that P (x 1) + P (x + 1) = 2P (x) for all real x.
Prove that P (x) has degree at most 1.
3. (USAMO 1975) A polynomial P (x) of degree n satisfies P (k) =
k
for k = 0, 1, 2, ..., n.
k+1
Find P (n + 1).
1.2
Problems
1. (Brazil 2007) Let P (x) = x2 + 2007x + 1. Prove that for every positive integer n, the equation
P (P (. . . (P (x)) . . .)) = 0 has at least one real solution, where the composition is performed n
times.
2. (Russia 2002) Among the polynomials P (x), Q(x), R(x) with real coefficients at least one
has degree two and one has degree three. If P 2 (x) + Q2 (x) = R2 (x) prove that one of the
polynomials of degree three has three real roots.
3. Let P (x) = an xn + an1 xn1 + + a1 x + a0 be a polynomial with integer coefficients such
that |a0 | is prime and |a0 | > |a1 + a2 + + an |. Prove that P (x) is irreducible (that is,
cannot be factored into two polynomials with integer coefficients of degree at least 1).
Polynomials
Alexander Remorov
4. (Russia 2003) The side lengths of a triangle are the roots of a cubic equation with rational
coefficients. Prove that the altitudes are the roots of a degree six equation with rational
coefficients.
5. (Russia 1997) Does there exist a set S of non-zero real numbers such that for any positive
integer n there exists a polynomial P (x) with degree at least n, all the roots and all the
coefficients of which are from S?
6. (Putnam 2010) Find all polynomials P (x), Q(x) with real coefficients such that P (x)Q(x +
1) P (x + 1)Q(x) = 1.
7. (IMO SL 2005) Let a, b, c, d, e, f be positive integers. Suppose that S = a + b + c + d + e + f
divides both abc + def and ab + bc + ca de ef f d. Prove that S is composite.
8. (USAMO 2002) Prove that any monic polynomial (a polynomial with leading coefficient 1)
of degree n with real coefficients can be written as the average of two monic polynomials of
degree n with n real roots.
9. (Iran TST 2010) Find all two-variable polynomials P (x, y) such that for any real numbers
a, b, c:
P (ab, c2 + 1) + P (bc, a2 + 1) + P (ca, b2 + 1) = 0
10. (China TST 2007) Prove that for any positive integer n, there exists exactly one polynomial
P (x) of degree n with real coefficients, such that P (0) = 1 and (x + 1)(P (x))2 1 is an odd
function. (A function f (x) is odd if f (x) = f (x) for all x).
Number Theory
By Z[x] we denote all the polynomials of one variable with integer coefficients. Arguably the most
useful property when it comes to polynomials and integers is:
If P (x) Z[x], and a, b are integers, then (a b)|(P (a) P (b))
Recall that polynomial in Z[x] is irreducible over the integers if it cannot be factored into two
polynomials with integer coefficients.
Eisensteins Criterion: Let P (x) = an xn + an1 xn1 + ... + a1 x + a0 Z[x] be a polynomial and
p be a prime dividing a0 , a1 , ..., an1 , such that p - an and p2 - a0 . Then P (x) is irreducible.
Proof : Assume P (x) = Q(x)R(x), where Q(x) = bk xk + bk1 xk1 + ... + b1 x + b0 , R(x) =
cl xl + cl1 xl1 + ... + c1 x + c0 . Then b0 c0 is divisible by p but not p2 . Wolog p|b0 , p - c0 . Since
p|a1 = b1 c0 + b0 c1 it follows that p|b1 . Since p|a2 = b2 c0 + b1 c1 + b0 c2 it follows that p|b2 . By
induction it follows that p|bk which implies that p|an , a contradiction.
Lemma [Schur] Let P (x) Z[x] be a non-constant polynomial. Then there are infinitely many
primes dividing at least one of the non-zero terms in the sequence P (1), P (2), P (3), ....
Proof : Assume first that P (0) = 1. There exists an integer M such that P (n) 6= 1 for all n > M (or
else P (x)1 has infinitely many roots and therefore is constant). We also have P (n!) 1( mod n!),
and by taking arbitrarily large integers n we can generate arbitrarily large primes dividing P (n!).
3
Polynomials
Alexander Remorov
P (xP (0))
and apply the same line
P (0)
2.1
Warm-Up
1. (a) Let p be a prime number. Prove that P (x) = xp1 + xp2 + ... + x + 1 is irreducible.
(b) Prove Eisensteins Criterion by considering a reduction modulo p.
2. (Iran 2007) Does there exist a sequence of integers a0 , a1 , a2 , ... such that gcd(ai , aj ) = 1 for
n
X
i 6= j, and for every positive integer n, the polynomial
ai xi is irreducible?
i=0
3. (a) (Bezout) Let P (x), Q(x) be polynomials with integer coefficients such that P (x), Q(x)
do not have any roots in common. Prove that there exist polynomials A(x), B(x) and
an integer N such that A(x)P (x) + B(x)Q(x) = N .
(b) Let P (x), Q(x) be monic non-constant irreducible polynomials with integer coefficients.
For all sufficiently large n, P (n) and Q(n) have the same prime divisors. Prove that
P (x) Q(x).
2.2
Problems
1. (a) (USAMO 1974)Let a, b, c be three distinct integers. Prove that there does not exist a
polynomial P (x) with integer coefficients such that P (a) = b, P (b) = c, P (c) = a.
(b) (IMO 2006) Let P (x) be a polynomial of degree n > 1 with integer coefficients and let k
be a positive integer. Let Q(x) = P (P (. . . P (P (x)) . . .)), where the polynomial P is composed
k times. Prove that there are at most n integers t such that Q(t) = t.
2. (Romania TST 2007) Let P (x) = xn + an1 xn1 + + a1 x + a0 be a polynomial of degree
n 3 with integer coefficients such that P (m) is even for all even integers m. Furthermore,
a0 is even, and ak + ank is even for k = 1, 2, ..., n 1. Suppose P (x) = Q(x)R(x) where
Q(x), R(x) are polynomials with integer coefficients, deg Q deg R, and all coefficients of
R(x) are odd. Prove that P (x) has an integer root.
3. (USA TST 2010) Let P (x) be a polynomial with integer coefficients such that P (0) = 0 and
gcd(P (0), P (1), P (2), . . .) = 1. Prove that there are infinitely many positive integers n such
that gcd(P (n) P (0), P (n + 1) P (1), P (n + 2) P (2), . . .) = n.
Polynomials
Alexander Remorov
4. (Iran TST 2004) Let P (x) be a polynomial with integer coefficients such that P (n) > n for
every positive integer n. Define the sequence xk by x1 = 1, xi+1 = P (xi ) for i 1. For
every positive integer m, there exists a term in this sequence divisible by m. Prove that
P (x) = x + 1.
5. (China TST 2006) Prove that for any n 2, there exists a polynomial P (x) = xn +an1 xn1 +
... + a1 x + a0 such that:
(a) a0 , a1 , ..., an1 all are non-zero.
(b) P (x) is irreducible.
(c) For any integer x, |P (x)| is not prime.
6. (Russia 2006) A polynomial (x + 1)n 1 is divisible by a polynomial P (x) = xk + ak1 xk1 +
+ a1 x + a0 of even degree k, such that all of its coefficients are odd integers. Prove that
n is divisible by k + 1.
7. (USAMO 2006) For an integer m, let p(m) be the greatest prime divisor of m. By convention,
we set p(1) = 1 and
p(0) = . Find all polynomials f with integer coefficients
such that
the sequence {p f n2 2n}n0 is bounded above. (In particular, f n2 6= 0 for n 0.)
8. Find all non-constant polynomials P (x) with integer coefficients, such that for any relatively
prime integers a, b, the sequence {f (an + b)}n1 contains an infinite number of terms and any
two of which are relatively prime.
9. (IMO SL 2009) Let P (x) be a non-constant polynomial with integer coefficients. Prove that
there is no function T from the set of integers into the set of integers such that the number
of integers x with T n (x) = x is equal to P (n) for every positive integer n, where T n denotes
the n-fold application of T .
10. (USA TST 2008) Let n be a positive integer. Given polynomial P (x) with integer coefficients,
define its signature modulo n to be the (ordered) sequence P (1), . . . , P (n) modulo n. Of the nn
such n-term sequences of integers modulo n, how many are the signature of some polynomial
P (x) if:
(a) n is a positive integer not divisible by the square of a prime.
(b) n is a positive integer not divisible by the cube of a prime.
Polynomials
Alexander Remorov
3.1
Algebra
2. Difference of squares.
3. Prove that for any complex root r of P (x), we have |r| > 1.
4. Use Herons formula to prove the square of the area is a rational number.
5. Look at the smallest and the largest numbers in S by absolute value. Use Vietas thoerem.
7. The solution involves polynomials.
8. A polynomial has n real roots iff it changes sign n + 1 times. Define one of the polynomials
as kQ(x) where Q(x) has n roots and k is a constant.
9. Prove that P (x, y) is divisible by x2 (y 1).
10. Let P (x) = Q(x) + R(x) where Q is an even function and R is an odd function.
3.2
Number Theory