Suppose that the image of integer numbers under the polynomial P(x)=anxn+an−1xn−1+⋯+a1x+a0 contains an infinite geometric progression with common ratio a∈Z−{0}. For each b∈Z we have
P(ax+b)=ananxn+(nanan−1b+an−1an−1)xn−1+…
anP(x)=ananxn+an−1anxn−1+⋯+a0an.
We can find some b1,b2∈Z and N∈N such that for every x≥N,
P(ax+b2)<anP(x)<P(ax+b1),
and for every x≤−N,
P(ax+b2)<anP(x)<P(ax+b1), or P(ax+b1)<anP(x)<P(ax+b2).
For each P(x) in the geometric progression, aP(x),a2P(x),…,anP(x),… are all in P(Z), hence there exists some y∈Z such that anP(x)=P(y). If ∣x∣ is sufficiently large (there are infinitely many values of P(x) in the geometric progression), using the above inequalities, ax+b1<y<ax+b2. Therefore, y−ax is a constant value between b1 and b2. Hence there exists some constant number c such that the equation anP(x)=P(ax+c) has infinitely many solutions and consequently P(ax+c) and anP(x) are two equal polynomials.
Now, our goal is to find all polynomials P(x)∈Z[x] satisfying the equation anP(x)=P(ax+c). Let Q(x)=ax+c. If α is a root of P(x), setting x=α in the equation implies that P(Q(α))=0 and hence Q(α),Q2(α),… are all roots of P. Since P(x) has a finite number of roots, there are some natural numbers m1>m2 such that Qm1(α)=Qm2(α). This implies Qm1−m2(α)=α, since Q is injective. Note that if β=1−ac, then Q(β)=β and hence Qm1−m2(β)=β. On the other hand, Qm1−m2(x)−x is a linear polynomial. Therefore, it has at most one root, hence α=1−ac is the only root of P(x). Consequently, P(x) has the form r(x−qp)n=qnr(qx−p)n, where p,q and r are three integers such that (p,q)=1.
P(x)∈Z[x], hence
qnrpn∈Z⇒qn∣rpn⇒(q,p)=1qn∣r⇒∃s∈Z;r=qns.
Therefore, we have P(x)=s(qx−p)n, for some p,q,s∈Z that (p,q)=1.
We claim that each polynomial of this form satisfies the problem's condition. It is enough to show that the polynomial qx−p satisfies the property. This is equivalent to showing the existence of a geometric progression whose elements are all congruent to −p modulo q. Obviously, {−p(q+1)m}m≥0 is an example of such progression and this completes our proof.