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Algebra Difficulty 5.0 AIME Prove it Ireland

Let p(x)p(x) and q(x)q(x) be non-constant polynomial functions with integer coefficients. It is known that the polynomial
p(x)q(x)2015 p(x)q(x) - 2015
has at least 33 different integer roots. Prove that neither p(x)p(x) nor q(x)q(x) can be a polynomial of degree less than three.

Solution

Let a1,a2,,a33a_1, a_2, \dots, a_{33} be different integer roots of f(x)=p(x)q(x)2015f(x) = p(x)q(x) - 2015. Hence, p(ai)q(ai)=2015p(a_i)q(a_i) = 2015 for all i=1,2,3,,33i = 1, 2, 3, \dots, 33. It follows that all integers p(ai)p(a_i), i=1,2,3,,33i = 1, 2, 3, \dots, 33 are divisors of 20152015. Because 2015=513312015 = 5 \cdot 13 \cdot 31, this number has 1616 distinct integer divisors, 88 positive and 88 negative. Therefore, by the Pigeon Hole principle, at least three of the numbers p(ai)p(a_i) are equal. Suppose without loss of generality that p(a1)=p(a2)=p(a3)=dp(a_1) = p(a_2) = p(a_3) = d. Then p(x)dp(x) - d has at least three distinct roots. Hence its degree and that of the polynomial p(x)p(x) is at least 33. The same argument works for the polynomial q(x)q(x).

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