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2008 MOP Blue Polynomials-I

The document contains 8 problems related to polynomials with integer coefficients. The problems cover topics such as finding prime divisors of polynomials, proving polynomials are irreducible or take integer values, and showing there exist infinitely many pairs of positive integers satisfying certain divisibility properties related to a given polynomial. The solutions provided are concise and highlight the key steps and insights for each problem in 3 sentences or less.

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Weerasak Boonwuttiwong
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259 views3 pages

2008 MOP Blue Polynomials-I

The document contains 8 problems related to polynomials with integer coefficients. The problems cover topics such as finding prime divisors of polynomials, proving polynomials are irreducible or take integer values, and showing there exist infinitely many pairs of positive integers satisfying certain divisibility properties related to a given polynomial. The solutions provided are concise and highlight the key steps and insights for each problem in 3 sentences or less.

Uploaded by

Weerasak Boonwuttiwong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2008 BLUE MOP, POLYNOMIALS-I

ALI GUREL

(1) (Germany-97) Define the functions


f (x) = x5 + 5x4 + 5x3 + 5x2 + 1,
g(x) = x5 + 5x4 + 3x3 5x2 1.
Find all prime numbers p for which there exists a natural number 0 x < p,
such that both f (x) and g(x) are divisible by p. Also find all such x.

(2) Prove that a polynomial of degree n that takes integer values at n + 1 con-
secutive integers is an integer polynomial, i.e. it takes integer values at all
integers.

(3) Suppose that a natural number m and a real polynomial P (x) with degree
n and leading coefficient an is given such that P (x) is an integer divisible
by m whenever x is an integer. Prove that n!an is divisible by m.

(4) If a1 , ..., an are integers, prove that the polynomial


P (x) = (x a1 )(x a2 )...(x an ) 1
is irreducible.

(5) Let m, n and a be natural numbers and p < a 1 a prime number. Prove
that the polynomial
P (x) = xm (x a)n + p
is irreducible.

(6) Suppose that all zeros of a monic polynomial P (x) with integer coefficients
have norm 1. Prove that all the roots are roots of unity.

(7) (Romania-97) Let P (x) and Q(x) be monic irreducible polynomials over
the rational numbers. Suppose that P and Q have respective roots and
such that + is rational. Prove that the polynomial P (x)2 Q(x)2
has a rational root.

(8) (Romania-97) Let n 2 be an integer and


P (x) = xn + an1 xn1 + ... + a1 x + 1
be a polynomial with positive integer coefficients satisfying ak = ank for
k = 1, 2, ..., n 1. Prove that there exists infinitely many pairs x, y of
positive integers such that x|P (y) and y|P (x).

1
2 2008 BLUE MOP, POLYNOMIALS-I ALI GUREL

Problem 1, Solution by Sergei Bernstein:


p|f (x) and p|g(x) p|f (x) + g(x) = 2x5 + 10x4 + 8x3 .
Since x = 0 doesnt work, 0 < x < p and p doesnt divide x. So p|2x3 + 10x2 + 8x =
2x(x + 4)(x + 1). On the other hand, p|f (x) g(x) = 2x3 + 10x2 + 2. Combining
these, we get
p|(2x3 + 10x2 + 8x) (2x3 + 10x2 + 2) = 8x 2.
From before, we know that p|2 or p|x + 4 or p|x + 1. It is easily checked that p 6= 2.
Using Euclidean algorithm, we get p|17 or p|5, so the only possible answers are
(x, p) = (13, 17) and (4, 5). Finally, plugging these in show that they both work 

Problem 2, Solution by Taylor and Toan Phan: We proceed by using induc-


tion on the degree of P . If the degree is 0, the result is clear. Lets assume the result
for polynomials with degree at most k and let P have degree k + 1. Then, observe
that Q(x) = P (x + 1) P (x) takes integer values at k consecutive integers and has
degree less than k, hence by our induction hypothesis Q takes integer values at all
the integers. So does P 

Problem 3, Solution by Justin Brereton: For any number x, consider the


finite differences of P (x), P (x + 1), ..., P (n + x). We know that the k-th order of
finite differences is a degree n k polynomial. Furthermore,
P (x) = an xn + an1 xn1 + ... + a0 P (x + 1) P (x) = nan xn1 + ...
We need only consider the leading coefficient which is clearly n(n 1)(n 2)...(n
k + 1)an for the k-th order, therefore the constant term of the n-th order finite
difference is n!an . Since all the values of P (x) are divisible by m, clearly any com-
bination of their sums and differences is too, so m|n!an 

Problem 4, Solution by John Berman: Write P (x) = Q(x)R(x) with 0 <


deg(Q), deg(R) < n for the sake of contradiction. Then Q(ai )R(ai ) = 1 implies
Q(ai ) = 1 and R(ai ) = 1 for all 1 i n, and in particular R(x) = Q(x)
for n values of x: {a1 , a2 , ..., an }. Since deg(Q + R) < n, this means that Q = R.
But then the leading term of P (x) = Q(x)R(x) would be negative. We deduce that
P is irreducible, indeed 

Problem 5, Solution by Nicholas Triantafillou: Suppose P is reducible and


let P (x) = xm (a a)n + p = Q(x)R(x). Q(0)R(0) = Q(a)R(a) = p. Without loss
of generality, let Q(0) = 1. Now, a|Q(a) Q(0) and p < a 1 so we cannot have
Q(a) = p. Hence Q(a) = 1, as well. Let 1 , ..., k be the roots of Q. Then
1 ...k = 1 and (a 1 )...(a k ) = 1. Also |jm (j a)n | = p. Multiplying
this from j = 1 through j = k we get 1 = pk , which is a contradiction unless
degQ = 0. We conclude that P is irreducible, as desired 
2008 BLUE MOP, POLYNOMIALS-I ALI GUREL 3

Problem 6, Solution by David B. Rush: Let {1 , ..., n } be the roots of a


polynomial with integer coefficients. Then observe that the polynomial with roots
{m m
1 , ..., n }, call it Pm (x), have integer coefficients for all positive integers m which
can be proved by induction on m using Vietas relations. Note that |m j | = 1 for
all j so the norm of the coefficient of xk in Pm (x) is at most nk . Hence the set


P = {Pm (x) | m Z+ }
is finite. Thus mj for m = 1, 2, ... take only finitely many values and we deduce
that j is a root of unity for all j 

Problem 7, Solution by Sergei Bernstein: Let R(x) := Q( + x). Note


that R(x) is monic-irreducible and that it has as a root. P and R are both
divisible by the minimal polynomial with as a root but they are irreducible so
P (x) = R(x). Finally, observe that
     
+ + +
P2 = R2 = Q2
2 2 2
+
with 2 being the desired rational number 

Problem 8, Solution by Zhifan Zang: A trivial example is (x, y) = (1, 1). We


will show that if a pair (x, y) satisfies the conditions with x y, then
 so does
 the
pair (y, P x(y) ) where y P (y)
x . To do this, we need to show that y|P P (y)
x . Now,
1
n

P (y) 1 (mod y) and observe that since ak = ank , P (x) = x P x . So
   n  
P (y) P (y) x 1 x
P = P nP 0 (mod y)
x x P (y) x 1
P (y)
Finally, P (y) > y 2 > xy so x >y 

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