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Algebra Difficulty 6.4 National olympiad Prove it Czech-Polish-Slovak Mathematical Match

Determine all integers n3n \ge 3 such that the polynomial
W(x)=xn3xn1+2xn2+6 W(x) = x^n - 3x^{n-1} + 2x^{n-2} + 6
can be expressed as a product of two polynomials with positive degrees and integer coefficients.

Solution

We check that for n=3n = 3
x33x2+2x+6=(x+1)(x24x+6). x^3 - 3x^2 + 2x + 6 = (x + 1)(x^2 - 4x + 6).
Suppose that for n=4n = 4 we have
x43x3+2x2+6=(x2+ax+b)(x2+cx+d). x^4 - 3x^3 + 2x^2 + 6 = (x^2 + a x + b)(x^2 + c x + d).
Then, comparing the coefficients we obtain
a+c=3,ac+b+d=2,bd=6. a + c = -3, \quad a c + b + d = 2, \quad b d = 6.
The first equation implies that aa and cc are of different parity and therefore, by the second equality, bb and dd are of the same parity. This contradicts the third equation. Hence we may assume that n5n \ge 5. Suppose that we have
W(x)=P(x)Q(x),(1) W(x) = P(x) Q(x), \quad (1)
where
P(x)=akxk+ak1xk1++a1x+a0, P(x) = a_k x^k + a_{k-1} x^{k-1} + \dots + a_1 x + a_0,
Q(x)=bnkxnk+bnk1xnk1++b1x+b0, Q(x) = b_{n-k} x^{n-k} + b_{n-k-1} x^{n-k-1} + \dots + b_1 x + b_0,
and ak=bnk=±1a_k = b_{n-k} = \pm 1. With no loss of generality we may assume that k12n<n2k \le \lfloor \frac{1}{2} n \rfloor < n-2 (because n5n \ge 5). Comparing the coefficients of both sides of (1) we obtain the following system of equations:
a0b0=6,a0b1+a1b0=0, \begin{align*} a_0 b_0 &= 6, \\ a_0 b_1 + a_1 b_0 &= 0, \end{align*}
a0bk+a1bk1++ak1b1+akb0=0. a_0 b_k + a_1 b_{k-1} + \dots + a_{k-1} b_1 + a_k b_0 = 0.
Now we can easily prove by induction that a0a_0 divides a1,a2,,aka_1, a_2, \dots, a_k. Indeed, having established this fact for a1,a2,,ala_1, a_2, \dots, a_l we write
0=a0(a0bl+1+a1bl++alb1+al+1b0)==a02bl+1+a0a1bl++a0alb1+6al+1, \begin{align*} 0 &= a_0(a_0 b_{l+1} + a_1 b_l + \dots + a_l b_1 + a_{l+1} b_0) = \\ &= a_0^2 b_{l+1} + a_0 a_1 b_l + \dots + a_0 a_l b_1 + 6 a_{l+1}, \end{align*}
and hence
6al+1=(a02bl+1+a0a1bl++a0alb1). 6 a_{l+1} = -(a_0^2 b_{l+1} + a_0 a_1 b_l + \dots + a_0 a_l b_1).
We note that all the summands on the right hand side are divisible by a02a_0^2, therefore the left hand side also has this property. Hence a0al+1a_0 \mid a_{l+1}.
But we have ak=±1a_k = \pm 1; hence a0=±1a_0 = \pm 1 and with no loss of generality we may take a0=1a_0 = 1 and then we have b0=6b_0 = 6.
Now if we repeat the above arguments for the coefficients of QQ, then we see that b0=6b_0 = 6 divides b1,b2,,bn3b_1, b_2, \dots, b_{n-3} (we set, if necessary, bl=0b_l = 0 if l>nkl > n-k). Then we obtain a contradiction (bnk=±1b_{n-k} = \pm 1), unless nk>n3n-k > n-3. We consider two cases.
The case of k=2k=2. Then we arrive at
a0bnk+a1bnk1++ank1b1+ankb0=2, a_0 b_{n-k} + a_1 b_{n-k-1} + \dots + a_{n-k-1} b_1 + a_{n-k} b_0 = 2,
a contradiction, because on the left hand side all the summands, except for the first one, are divisible by 6 and hence even, and the first summand is equal to ±1\pm 1.
The case of k=1k=1. Then the problem reduces to finding an integer root of the polynomial WW; it is easy to check that if nn is even there are no such roots; if nn is odd, W(1)=0W(-1) = 0.
Therefore the answer to the problem is: nn is odd.

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