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Algebra Difficulty 6.7 National Olympiad Prove it Philippines

Problem:
Determine the set of all polynomials P(x)P(x) with real coefficients such that the set {P(n)nZ}\{P(n) \mid n \in \mathbb{Z}\} contains all integers, except possibly finitely many of them.

Solution

Solution:
We claim that the only such polynomials are of the form P(x)=1i(x+j)P(x)=\frac{1}{i}(x+j) for some integers i0,ji \neq 0, j.
Let R\mathcal{R} be the set {P(n)nZ}\{P(n) \mid n \in \mathbb{Z}\}.

Without loss of generality, we may assume that the leading coefficient of P(x)P(x) is positive; otherwise we can consider P(x)-P(x). If the polynomial P(x)P(x) has even degree, then it must have a minimum value mm. Then all integers less than mm are in the set Z\R\mathbb{Z} \backslash \mathcal{R}, so it cannot be finite. Thus P(x)P(x) must have odd degree.

Since the set Z\R\mathbb{Z} \backslash \mathcal{R} is finite, there exists some M1M_{1} such that xRx \in \mathcal{R} for all integers x>M1x>M_{1}. As P(x)P(x) has odd degree and positive leading coefficient, there exists some M2M_{2} such that P(M2)>M1P\left(M_{2}\right)>M_{1}, P(x)P(M2)P(x) \leq P\left(M_{2}\right) for all xM2x \leq M_{2} and P(x)P(x) is increasing on [M2,)\left[M_{2}, \infty\right). Let M=max{M1,M2}M=\max \left\{M_{1}, M_{2}\right\}.

Choose an integer nn such that n>Mn>M and P(n+1)>P(n)+1P(n+1)>P(n)+1. Letting s=P(n)+1s=\lfloor P(n)+1\rfloor, we claim there is no such integer xx such that P(x)=sP(x)=s. Consider the following cases:
- xM2x \leq M_{2}. Then P(x)P(M2)P(n)<sP(x) \leq P\left(M_{2}\right) \leq P(n)<s.
- M2<xnM_{2}<x \leq n. Then P(x)P(n)<sP(x) \leq P(n)<s as P(x)P(x) is increasing.
- x>nx>n. Then xn+1x \geq n+1 and P(x)P(n+1)>P(n)+1sP(x) \geq P(n+1)>P(n)+1 \geq s, as P(x)P(x) is increasing.

Thus ss is in the set Z\R\mathbb{Z} \backslash \mathcal{R}. However, s>P(n)>P(M2)>M1s>P(n)>P\left(M_{2}\right)>M_{1}, contradicting the definition of M1M_{1}. Thus, P(n+1)P(n)+1P(n+1) \leq P(n)+1 for all integers n>Mn>M.

Let dd be the degree of P(x)P(x). Observe P(n+1)P(n)P(n+1)-P(n) is a polynomial of degree d1d-1 with the same positive leading coefficient as P(x)P(x). If d11d-1 \geq 1, then P(n+1)P(n)P(n+1)-P(n) will become arbitrarily large as nn increases, contradicting P(n+1)P(n)+1P(n+1) \leq P(n)+1 for all integers n>Mn>M.

Therefore, d=1d=1, and P(x)=ax+bP(x)=a x+b for some real numbers a0a \neq 0 and bb. As Z\R\mathbb{Z} \backslash \mathcal{R} is finite, only finitely many pairs of integers (t,t+1)(t, t+1) are not in R\mathcal{R}. Thus, there exists distinct integers n1n_{1} and n2n_{2} such that P(n1)=tP\left(n_{1}\right)=t and P(n2)=t+1P\left(n_{2}\right)=t+1. It follows that
1=P(n2)P(n1)=a(n2n1)a=1n2n1=1i 1=P\left(n_{2}\right)-P\left(n_{1}\right)=a\left(n_{2}-n_{1}\right) \Longrightarrow a=\frac{1}{n_{2}-n_{1}}=\frac{1}{i}
for some integer i0i \neq 0. Furthermore,
P(n1)=t=an1+bb=itn1i=ji P\left(n_{1}\right)=t=a n_{1}+b \Longrightarrow b=\frac{i t-n_{1}}{i}=\frac{j}{i}
for some integer jj. Hence P(x)P(x) must be of the form 1i(x+j)\frac{1}{i}(x+j) for integers i0,ji \neq 0, j. All such polynomials clearly satisfy the given conditions.

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