Number theoryDifficulty 7.0National olympiadProve itIran
Let p be an odd prime number. We say a polynomial
f(x)=j=0∑najxj is i-residue if p−1<j,j>0∑aj≡i(modp).
Show that {f(1),…,f(p−1)} is a complete residue system modulo p if and only if polynomials f(x),…,f(x)p−2 are 0-residue and (f(x))p−1 is 1-residue.
Solution
Lemma. Let p be an odd prime number and k a positive integer then we have i=0∑p−1ik≡{0−1p−1∤kp−1∣k(modp). Proof. If p−1∤k the statement is obvious by Fermat Little Theorem. For p−1∤k consider g a primitive root modulo p then i=0∑p−1ik≡i=1∑p−1ik≡i=1∑p−1gik≡gk−1gk(p−1)−1≡0(modp)(p−1∤k⇒gk≡1). Now for every polynomial f∈Z[x] with f(x)=∑n=0manxn, we have i=0∑p−1f(i)≡i=0∑p−1n=0∑manin≡n=0∑mani=0∑p−1in≡−p−1∣n,n>0∑an(modp). Therefore if f(0),f(1),…,f(p−1) are a complete system of residues modulo p then
a0i+a1i+⋯+ap−1i≡0(modp)(1≤i≤p−2) a0p−1+a1p−1+⋯+ap−1p−1≡−1(modp) Then {a0,a1,…,ap−1} is a complete system of residues. Now Suppose that g(x)=(x−a0)(x−a1)⋯(x−ap−1)=xp+b1xp−1+⋯+bp−1x+bp and Si=a0i+a1i+⋯+ap−1i for i∈N. If for all 0≤i≤p−1 we have ai≡0(modp) then invoking the Fermat little theorem we have 1≡a0p−1+a1p−1+⋯+ap−1p−1≡p times1+1+⋯+1≡0(modp) Contradiction. So there exists a 0≤j≤p−1 such that aj≡0(modp) and therefore bp≡0(modp). Now by Newton identities we have ⎩⎨⎧S1+b1=0S2+b1S1+2b2=0S3+b1S2+b2S1+3b3=0⋮Sp−1+b1Sp−2+⋯+bp−2S1+(p−1)bp−1=0 Hence S1+b1=0,S1≡0(modp)⇒b1≡0(modp) S2+b1S1+2b2=0,S1≡S2≡0(modp)⇒2b2≡0(modp)⇒b2≡0(modp)⋮ Sp−2+b1Sp−3+⋯+bp−3S1+(p−2)bp−2=0,S1≡S2≡⋯≡Sp−2≡0(modp)⇒(p−2)bp−2≡0(modp)⇒bp−2≡0(modp)
we have ∑i=0p−1f(i)s≡0(modp) for 1≤s≤p−2 so f(x),(f(x))2,…,(f(x))p−2 are all 0-residue and −∑i=0p−1f(i)p−1≡1(modp) so (f(x))p−1 is 1-residue. Now for reverse by (1) it suffices to prove that if for p numbers a0,a1,…,ap−1∈Z we have
and \left\{ Sp−1+b1Sp−2+⋯+bp−2S1+(p−1)bp−1=0S1≡S2≡⋯≡Sp−2≡0,Sp−1≡−1(modp)⇒(p−1)bp−1≡1(modp)⇒bp−1≡−1(modp) \right.
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.