Find all polynomials P(x,y) with real coefficients such that 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+Bx for some A,B∈R.
Let Q(a,b)=P(a,b2) and define Qi(x,y) to be the homogeneous polynomial which consists of i-th degree coefficients of Q(x,y). It is directly implied that Qi(a,2bc)+Qi(b,2ac)+Qi(c,2ab)=Qi(a+b+c,ab+bc+ac) --- Let Ai(a,b,c) denote the above equality. Plugging c=0 in this equality results in Qi(a,0)+Qi(b,0)+Qi(0,2ab)=Qi(a+b,ab). Define x=a+b,y=ab. First of all, mind that Qi(a,0)=aiQi(1,0) and Qi(0,a)=aiQi(0,1). Secondly, the above equality concludes that Qi(x,y)=(2y2)nQi(0,1)+(2x−x2−4y2)i+(2x+x2−4y2)iQi(1,0) Next, we state that if i≥3, Qi=0. This means P(x,y2) is of degree at most 2 which then will result in P(x,y)=Ax2+Bx+Cy+D and one can simply see that D=0,C=2A and every polynomial of form P(x,y)=Ax2+Bx+2Ay satisfies the problem. For the sake of contradiction, assume that i≥3. Note that P(x,y2)=Q(x,y), therefore every coefficient of Q(x,y), and by extension, Qi(x,y), has y to an even power. Qi(x,y)=xim0+xn−2y2m2+m4xn−4y4+… By plugging this in Ai(a,b,c) and evaluating the coefficient of an−1b, 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)i−2+…implies[xi−1y]=(1i)m0+(0i−2)m2=0⟹m2=−im0 Furthermore, by evaluating the coefficient of xi−2yz we get [xi−2yz]implies2m4=(1i−1)m0+[1+(1i−2)+(1i−2)]m2+(12)m4=2m2=im0(2i−5)−i×(i−1)m0⟹m4=2i(i−4)m0 --- Moreover, let T(x,y)=(2x−x2−4y)i+(2x+x2−4y)i. Evaluate the coefficient of xi,xi−4y2 in T. [xi]impliesm0=T(1,0)=1,Qi(x,y)=22iyiQi(0,1)+T(x,y2)Qi(1,0)=Qi(1,0) And (Evaluating coefficient in Qi) [xi−2y2]impliesm4impliesa=21Tyy(1,0)=2i(i−3)=2i(i−3)Qi(1,0)=Qi(1,0)=i(i−3)2m4=i(i−3)i(i−4)a So either i=3, i=4 or a=b=c=0, otherwise we have a contradiction. In case of the latter two, Qi(1,0)impliesQi(x,y)impliesQi(0,1)impliesQi(0,1)(22i−1)impliesQi(0,1)=0=22iyiQi(0,1)+0=22i1iQi(0,1)=0=0⟹Qi(x,y)=0 Therefore, the only remaining case is i=3, which is easily disproven. This concludes our proof. □
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