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Algebra Difficulty 7.2 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Iran

Find all polynomials P(x,y)P(x, y) with real coefficients such that
P(x,2yz)+P(y,2xz)+P(z,2xy)=P(x+y+z,xy+xz+yz). P(x, 2yz) + P(y, 2xz) + P(z, 2xy) = P(x + y + z, xy + xz + yz).

Solution

Every polynomial in the form of P(x,y)=Ax2+2Ay+BxP(x, y) = Ax^2 + 2Ay + Bx for some A,BRA, B \in \mathbb{R}.

Let Q(a,b)=P(a,b2)Q(a, b) = P(a, b^2) and define Qi(x,y)Q_i(x, y) to be the homogeneous polynomial which consists of ii-th degree coefficients of Q(x,y)Q(x, y). It is directly implied that
Qi(a,2bc)+Qi(b,2ac)+Qi(c,2ab)=Qi(a+b+c,ab+bc+ac) Q_i(a, \sqrt{2bc}) + Q_i(b, \sqrt{2ac}) + Q_i(c, \sqrt{2ab}) = Q_i(a + b + c, \sqrt{ab + bc + ac})
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Let Ai(a,b,c)A_i(a, b, c) denote the above equality. Plugging c=0c = 0 in this equality results in
Qi(a,0)+Qi(b,0)+Qi(0,2ab)=Qi(a+b,ab). Q_i(a, 0) + Q_i(b, 0) + Q_i(0, \sqrt{2ab}) = Q_i(a + b, \sqrt{ab}).
Define x=a+b,y=abx = a + b, y = \sqrt{ab}. First of all, mind that
Qi(a,0)=aiQi(1,0) Q_i(a, 0) = a^i Q_i(1, 0)
and
Qi(0,a)=aiQi(0,1). Q_i(0, a) = a^i Q_i(0, 1).
Secondly, the above equality concludes that
Qi(x,y)=(2y2)nQi(0,1)+[(xx24y22)i+(x+x24y22)i]Qi(1,0) Q_i(x, y) = (\sqrt{2y^2})^n Q_i(0, 1) + \left[ \left( \frac{x - \sqrt{x^2 - 4y^2}}{2} \right)^i + \left( \frac{x + \sqrt{x^2 - 4y^2}}{2} \right)^i \right] Q_i(1, 0)
Next, we state that if i3i \ge 3, Qi=0Q_i = 0. This means P(x,y2)P(x, y^2) is of degree at most 2 which then will result in P(x,y)=Ax2+Bx+Cy+DP(x, y) = Ax^2 + Bx + Cy + D and one can simply see that D=0,C=2AD = 0, C = 2A and every polynomial of form
P(x,y)=Ax2+Bx+2Ay P(x, y) = Ax^2 + Bx + 2Ay
satisfies the problem.
For the sake of contradiction, assume that i3i \ge 3. Note that P(x,y2)=Q(x,y)P(x, y^2) = Q(x, y), therefore every coefficient of Q(x,y)Q(x, y), and by extension, Qi(x,y)Q_i(x, y), has yy to an even power.
Qi(x,y)=xim0+xn2y2m2+m4xn4y4+ Q_i(x, y) = x^i m_0 + x^{n-2}y^2 m_2 + m_4 x^{n-4} y^4 + \dots
By plugging this in Ai(a,b,c)A_i(a, b, c) and evaluating the coefficient of an1ba^{n-1}b, one can see the coefficient on left hand side to be zero, and on the right hand side
m0(x+y+z)i+m2(xy+yz+xz)(x+y+z)i2+implies[xi1y]=(i1)m0+(i20)m2=0    m2=im0 \begin{align*} m_0(x + y + z)^i + m_2(xy + yz + xz)(x + y + z)^{i-2} + \dots \\ implies [x^{i-1}y] = \binom{i}{1}m_0 + \binom{i-2}{0}m_2 = 0 \implies m_2 = -im_0 \end{align*}
Furthermore, by evaluating the coefficient of xi2yzx^{i-2}yz we get
[xi2yz]=(i11)m0+[1+(i21)+(i21)]m2+(21)m4=2m2implies2m4=im0(2i5)i×(i1)m0    m4=i(i4)2m0 \begin{align*} [x^{i-2}yz] &= \binom{i-1}{1}m_0 + \left[1 + \binom{i-2}{1} + \binom{i-2}{1}\right]m_2 + \binom{2}{1}m_4 = 2m_2 \\ implies 2m_4 &= im_0(2i-5) - i \times (i-1)m_0 \implies m_4 = \frac{i(i-4)}{2}m_0 \end{align*}
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Moreover, let
T(x,y)=(xx24y2)i+(x+x24y2)i. T(x, y) = \left( \frac{x - \sqrt{x^2 - 4y}}{2} \right)^i + \left( \frac{x + \sqrt{x^2 - 4y}}{2} \right)^i.
Evaluate the coefficient of xi,xi4y2x^i, x^{i-4}y^2 in TT.
[xi]=T(1,0)=1,Qi(x,y)=2i2yiQi(0,1)+T(x,y2)Qi(1,0)impliesm0=Qi(1,0) \begin{aligned} [x^i] &= T(1, 0) = 1, Q_i(x, y) \\ &= 2^{\frac{i}{2}} y^i Q_i(0, 1) + T(x, y^2) Q_i(1, 0) \\ implies m_0 &= Q_i(1, 0) \end{aligned}
And (Evaluating coefficient in QiQ_i)
[xi2y2]=12Tyy(1,0)=i(i3)2impliesm4=i(i3)2Qi(1,0)impliesa=Qi(1,0)=2m4i(i3)=i(i4)ai(i3) \begin{aligned} [x^{i-2}y^2] &= \frac{1}{2} T_{yy}(1, 0) = \frac{i(i-3)}{2} \\ implies m_4 &= \frac{i(i-3)}{2} Q_i(1, 0) \\ implies a &= Q_i(1, 0) = \frac{2m_4}{i(i-3)} = \frac{i(i-4)a}{i(i-3)} \end{aligned}
So either i=3i=3, i=4i=4 or a=b=c=0a=b=c=0, otherwise we have a contradiction. In case of the latter two,
Qi(1,0)=0impliesQi(x,y)=2i2yiQi(0,1)+0impliesQi(0,1)=2i21iQi(0,1)impliesQi(0,1)(2i21)=0impliesQi(0,1)=0    Qi(x,y)=0 \begin{aligned} Q_i(1, 0) &= 0 \\ implies Q_i(x, y) &= 2^{\frac{i}{2}} y^i Q_i(0, 1) + 0 \\ implies Q_i(0, 1) &= 2^{\frac{i}{2}} 1^i Q_i(0, 1) \\ implies Q_i(0, 1)(2^{\frac{i}{2}} - 1) &= 0 \\ implies Q_i(0, 1) &= 0 \quad \implies Q_i(x, y) = 0 \end{aligned}
Therefore, the only remaining case is i=3i=3, which is easily disproven. This concludes our proof. \square

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