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Algebra Difficulty 9.0 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let m,n2m, n \geqslant 2 be integers. Let f(x1,,xn)f\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}\right) be a polynomial with real coefficients such that
f(x1,,xn)=x1++xnm for every x1,,xn{0,1,,m1}. f\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}\right)=\left\lfloor\frac{x_{1}+\ldots+x_{n}}{m}\right\rfloor \text{ for every } x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n} \in\{0,1, \ldots, m-1\} .
Prove that the total degree of ff is at least nn.

Solution

We transform the problem to a single variable question by the following

Lemma. Let a1,,ana_{1}, \ldots, a_{n} be nonnegative integers and let G(x)G(x) be a nonzero polynomial with degGa1++an\operatorname{deg} G \leqslant a_{1}+\ldots+a_{n}. Suppose that some polynomial F(x1,,xn)F\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}\right) satisfies
F(x1,,xn)=G(x1++xn) for (x1,,xn){0,1,,a1}××{0,1,,an} F\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}\right)=G\left(x_{1}+\ldots+x_{n}\right) \quad \text{ for }\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}\right) \in\left\{0,1, \ldots, a_{1}\right\} \times \ldots \times\left\{0,1, \ldots, a_{n}\right\} \text{. }
Then FF cannot be the zero polynomial, and degFdegG\operatorname{deg} F \geqslant \operatorname{deg} G.

For proving the lemma, we will use forward differences of polynomials. If p(x)p(x) is a polynomial with a single variable, then define (Δp)(x)=p(x+1)p(x)(\Delta p)(x)=p(x+1)-p(x). It is well-known that if pp is a nonconstant polynomial then degΔp=degp1\operatorname{deg} \Delta p=\operatorname{deg} p-1.

If p(x1,,xn)p\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}\right) is a polynomial with nn variables and 1kn1 \leqslant k \leqslant n then let
(Δkp)(x1,,xn)=p(x1,,xk1,xk+1,xk+1,,xn)p(x1,,xn) \left(\Delta_{k} p\right)\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}\right)=p\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{k-1}, x_{k}+1, x_{k+1}, \ldots, x_{n}\right)-p\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}\right)
It is also well-known that either Δkp\Delta_{k} p is the zero polynomial or deg(Δkp)degp1\operatorname{deg}\left(\Delta_{k} p\right) \leqslant \operatorname{deg} p-1.

Proof of the lemma. We apply induction on the degree of GG. If GG is a constant polynomial then we have F(0,,0)=G(0)0F(0, \ldots, 0)=G(0) \neq 0, so FF cannot be the zero polynomial.

Suppose that degG1\operatorname{deg} G \geqslant 1 and the lemma holds true for lower degrees. Since a1++andegG>0a_{1}+\ldots+a_{n} \geqslant \operatorname{deg} G>0, at least one of a1,,ana_{1}, \ldots, a_{n} is positive; without loss of generality suppose a11a_{1} \geqslant 1.

Consider the polynomials F1=Δ1FF_{1}=\Delta_{1} F and G1=ΔGG_{1}=\Delta G. On the grid {0,,a11}×{0,,a2}××{0,,an}\left\{0, \ldots, a_{1}-1\right\} \times\left\{0, \ldots, a_{2}\right\} \times \ldots \times\left\{0, \ldots, a_{n}\right\} we have
F1(x1,,xn)=F(x1+1,x2,,xn)F(x1,x2,,xn)==G(x1++xn+1)G(x1++xn)=G1(x1++xn) \begin{aligned} F_{1}\left(x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n}\right) & =F\left(x_{1}+1, x_{2}, \ldots, x_{n}\right)-F\left(x_{1}, x_{2}, \ldots, x_{n}\right)= \\ & =G\left(x_{1}+\ldots+x_{n}+1\right)-G\left(x_{1}+\ldots+x_{n}\right)=G_{1}\left(x_{1}+\ldots+x_{n}\right) \end{aligned}
Since GG is nonconstant, we have degG1=degG1(a11)+a2++an\operatorname{deg} G_{1}=\operatorname{deg} G-1 \leqslant\left(a_{1}-1\right)+a_{2}+\ldots+a_{n}. Therefore we can apply the induction hypothesis to F1F_{1} and G1G_{1} and conclude that F1F_{1} is not the zero polynomial and degF1degG1\operatorname{deg} F_{1} \geqslant \operatorname{deg} G_{1}. Hence, degFdegF1+1degG1+1=degG\operatorname{deg} F \geqslant \operatorname{deg} F_{1}+1 \geqslant \operatorname{deg} G_{1}+1=\operatorname{deg} G. That finishes the proof.

To prove the problem statement, take the unique polynomial g(x)g(x) so that g(x)=xmg(x)=\left\lfloor\frac{x}{m}\right\rfloor for x{0,1,,n(m1)}x \in\{0,1, \ldots, n(m-1)\} and deggn(m1)\operatorname{deg} g \leqslant n(m-1). Notice that precisely n(m1)+1n(m-1)+1 values of gg are prescribed, so g(x)g(x) indeed exists and is unique. Notice further that the constraints g(0)=g(1)=0g(0)=g(1)=0 and g(m)=1g(m)=1 together enforce degg2\operatorname{deg} g \geqslant 2.

By applying the lemma to a1==an=m1a_{1}=\ldots=a_{n}=m-1 and the polynomials ff and gg, we achieve degfdegg\operatorname{deg} f \geqslant \operatorname{deg} g. Hence we just need a suitable lower bound on degg\operatorname{deg} g.

Consider the polynomial h(x)=g(x+m)g(x)1h(x)=g(x+m)-g(x)-1. The degree of g(x+m)g(x)g(x+m)-g(x) is degg11\operatorname{deg} g-1 \geqslant 1, so degh=degg11\operatorname{deg} h=\operatorname{deg} g-1 \geqslant 1, and therefore hh cannot be the zero polynomial. On the other hand, hh vanishes at the points 0,1,,n(m1)m0,1, \ldots, n(m-1)-m, so hh has at least (n1)(m1)(n-1)(m-1) roots. Hence,
degfdegg=degh+1(n1)(m1)+1n \operatorname{deg} f \geqslant \operatorname{deg} g=\operatorname{deg} h+1 \geqslant(n-1)(m-1)+1 \geqslant n

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