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Number theory Difficulty 7.0 National olympiad Prove it Iran

Let pp be an odd prime number. We say a polynomial

f(x)=j=0najxj is i-residue if p1<j,j>0aji(modp). f(x) = \sum_{j=0}^{n} a_{j}x^{j} \text{ is } i\text{-residue if } \sum_{p-1 < j, j > 0} a_{j} \equiv i \pmod{p}.

Show that {f(1),,f(p1)}\{f(1), \dots, f(p-1)\} is a complete residue system modulo pp if and only if polynomials f(x),,f(x)p2f(x), \dots, f(x)^{p-2} are 0-residue and (f(x))p1(f(x))^{p-1} is 1-residue.

Solution

Lemma. Let pp be an odd prime number and kk a positive integer then we have
i=0p1ik{0p1k1p1k(modp). \sum_{i=0}^{p-1} i^k \equiv \begin{cases} 0 & p-1 \nmid k \\ -1 & p-1 \mid k \end{cases} \pmod{p}.
Proof. If p1kp-1 \nmid k the statement is obvious by Fermat Little Theorem. For p1kp-1 \nmid k
consider gg a primitive root modulo pp then
i=0p1iki=1p1iki=1p1gikgk(p1)1gk10(modp)(p1kgk≢1). \sum_{i=0}^{p-1} i^k \equiv \sum_{i=1}^{p-1} i^k \equiv \sum_{i=1}^{p-1} g^{ik} \equiv \frac{g^{k(p-1)} - 1}{g^k - 1} \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \quad (p-1 \nmid k \Rightarrow g^k \not\equiv 1).
Now for every polynomial fZ[x]f \in \mathbb{Z}[x] with f(x)=n=0manxnf(x) = \sum_{n=0}^{m} a_n x^n, we have
i=0p1f(i)i=0p1n=0maninn=0mani=0p1inp1n,n>0an(modp). \sum_{i=0}^{p-1} f(i) \equiv \sum_{i=0}^{p-1} \sum_{n=0}^{m} a_n i^n \equiv \sum_{n=0}^{m} a_n \sum_{i=0}^{p-1} i^n \equiv - \sum_{p-1 \mid n, n>0} a_n \pmod{p}.
Therefore if f(0),f(1),,f(p1)f(0), f(1), \dots, f(p-1) are a complete system of residues modulo pp then

a0i+a1i++ap1i0(modp)(1ip2) a_0^i + a_1^i + \cdots + a_{p-1}^i \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \quad (1 \le i \le p-2)
a0p1+a1p1++ap1p11(modp) a_0^{p-1} + a_1^{p-1} + \cdots + a_{p-1}^{p-1} \equiv -1 \pmod{p}
Then {a0,a1,,ap1}\{a_0, a_1, \dots, a_{p-1}\} is a complete system of residues. Now Suppose that
g(x)=(xa0)(xa1)(xap1)=xp+b1xp1++bp1x+bpg(x) = (x - a_0)(x - a_1)\cdots(x - a_{p-1}) = x^p + b_1x^{p-1} + \cdots + b_{p-1}x + b_p
and Si=a0i+a1i++ap1iS_i = a_0^i + a_1^i + \cdots + a_{p-1}^i for iNi \in \mathbb{N}.
If for all 0ip10 \le i \le p-1 we have ai≢0(modp)a_i \not\equiv 0 \pmod{p} then invoking the Fermat little theorem we have 1a0p1+a1p1++ap1p11+1++1p times0(modp)1 \equiv a_0^{p-1} + a_1^{p-1} + \cdots + a_{p-1}^{p-1} \equiv \frac{1+1+\cdots+1}{p \text{ times}} \equiv 0 \pmod{p}
Contradiction. So there exists a 0jp10 \le j \le p-1 such that aj0(modp)a_j \equiv 0 \pmod{p} and therefore bp0(modp)b_p \equiv 0 \pmod{p}. Now by Newton identities we have
{S1+b1=0S2+b1S1+2b2=0S3+b1S2+b2S1+3b3=0Sp1+b1Sp2++bp2S1+(p1)bp1=0 \left\{ \begin{array}{l} S_1 + b_1 = 0 \\ S_2 + b_1 S_1 + 2b_2 = 0 \\ S_3 + b_1 S_2 + b_2 S_1 + 3b_3 = 0 \\ \vdots \\ S_{p-1} + b_1 S_{p-2} + \cdots + b_{p-2} S_1 + (p-1)b_{p-1} = 0 \end{array} \right.
Hence
S1+b1=0,S10(modp)b10(modp) S_1 + b_1 = 0, S_1 \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \Rightarrow b_1 \equiv 0 \pmod{p}
S2+b1S1+2b2=0,S1S20(modp)2b20(modp)b20(modp) S_2 + b_1 S_1 + 2b_2 = 0, S_1 \equiv S_2 \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \Rightarrow 2b_2 \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \Rightarrow b_2 \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \\ \vdots
Sp2+b1Sp3++bp3S1+(p2)bp2=0,S1S2Sp20(modp)(p2)bp20(modp)bp20(modp) S_{p-2} + b_1 S_{p-3} + \cdots + b_{p-3} S_1 + (p-2)b_{p-2} = 0, S_1 \equiv S_2 \equiv \cdots \equiv S_{p-2} \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \\ \Rightarrow (p-2)b_{p-2} \equiv 0 \pmod{p} \Rightarrow b_{p-2} \equiv 0 \pmod{p}

we have i=0p1f(i)s0(modp)\sum_{i=0}^{p-1} f(i)^s \equiv 0 \pmod{p} for 1sp21 \le s \le p-2 so f(x),(f(x))2,,(f(x))p2f(x), (f(x))^2, \dots, (f(x))^{p-2} are all
0-residue and i=0p1f(i)p11(modp)-\sum_{i=0}^{p-1} f(i)^{p-1} \equiv 1 \pmod{p} so (f(x))p1(f(x))^{p-1} is 1-residue.
Now for reverse by (1) it suffices to prove that if for pp numbers a0,a1,,ap1Za_0, a_1, \dots, a_{p-1} \in \mathbb{Z}
we have

and

\left\{ Sp1+b1Sp2++bp2S1+(p1)bp1=0S1S2Sp20,Sp11(modp)(p1)bp11(modp)bp11(modp)\begin{array}{l} S_{p-1} + b_1 S_{p-2} + \cdots + b_{p-2} S_1 + (p-1)b_{p-1} = 0 \\ S_1 \equiv S_2 \equiv \cdots \equiv S_{p-2} \equiv 0, S_{p-1} \equiv -1 \pmod{p} \\ \Rightarrow (p-1)b_{p-1} \equiv 1 \pmod{p} \Rightarrow b_{p-1} \equiv -1 \pmod{p} \end{array} \right.

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