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Hong Kong competition problems, 2021

Number theory Difficulty 6.1 National Olympiad Prove it Hong Kong

Does there exist a nonzero polynomial P(x)P(x) with integer coefficients satisfying both of the following conditions?
* P(x)P(x) has no rational root;
* For every positive integer nn, there exists an integer mm such that nn divides P(m)P(m).

Solution

Yes. We shall prove that P(x)=(x2+1)(x2−2)(x2+2)(x2+7)P(x) = (x^2+1)(x^2-2)(x^2+2)(x^2+7) satisfies all properties. It is not hard to see that PP has no rational root. It remains to show it satisfies the second condition.

Consider any odd prime pp. Using facts about quadratic residues, we have the following.
* If p≡1(mod4)p \equiv 1 \pmod 4, then x2+1≡0(modp)x^2+1 \equiv 0 \pmod p is solvable.
* If p≡7(mod8)p \equiv 7 \pmod 8, then x2−2≡0(modp)x^2-2 \equiv 0 \pmod p is solvable.
* If p≡3(mod8)p \equiv 3 \pmod 8, then x2+2≡0(modp)x^2+2 \equiv 0 \pmod p is solvable since
(−2p)=(−1p)(2p)=(−1)(−1)=1. \left(\frac{-2}{p}\right) = \left(\frac{-1}{p}\right) \left(\frac{2}{p}\right) = (-1)(-1) = 1.
This shows there exists xx and c∈{1,−2,2}c \in \{1, -2, 2\} such that x2+c≡0(modp)x^2 + c \equiv 0 \pmod p. Note that p∤xp \nmid x. Therefore, we have
(x2+c)′=2x≢0(modp). (x^2 + c)' = 2x \not\equiv 0 \pmod p.
By Hensel's lifting lemma, x2+c≡0(modpk)x^2+c \equiv 0 \pmod{p^k} is solvable for any positive integer kk.

Next, we want to show for any k≥1k \ge 1, there exists an integer bkb_k such that 2k∣(bk2+7)2^k \mid (b_k^2+7). Indeed, the statement is true for k=1,2,3k=1,2,3, by simply taking bk=1b_k=1. Assume now the statement is valid for some k≥3k \ge 3. For the case k+1k+1, take bk+1=bk+t2k−1b_{k+1} = b_k + t2^{k-1}, with tt to be determined. Now, since bkb_k is odd,
bk+12+7=(bk+t2k−1)2+7≡(bk2+7)+t2k(mod2k+1). b_{k+1}^2 + 7 = (b_k + t2^{k-1})^2 + 7 \equiv (b_k^2 + 7) + t2^k \pmod{2^{k+1}}.
By the inductive hypothesis, 2k∣(bk2+7)2^k \mid (b_k^2 + 7). So we just take t≡bk2+72k(mod2)t \equiv \frac{b_k^2 + 7}{2^k} \pmod 2 to get 2k+1∣(bk+12+7)2^{k+1} \mid (b_{k+1}^2 + 7).

Now, let n=p1α1p2α2⋯psαsn = p_1^{\alpha_1} p_2^{\alpha_2} \cdots p_s^{\alpha_s} be the prime factorization of nn. From above we know that for every 1≤j≤s1 \le j \le s, there exists an integer mjm_j such that pjαj∣P(mj)p_j^{\alpha_j} \mid P(m_j). By the Chinese remainder theorem, we can find m≡mj(modpjαj)m \equiv m_j \pmod{p_j^{\alpha_j}} for 1≤j≤s1 \le j \le s. Then P(m)≡P(mj)≡0(modpjαj)P(m) \equiv P(m_j) \equiv 0 \pmod{p_j^{\alpha_j}}. So n∣P(m)n \mid P(m). Therefore, the polynomial P(x)P(x) satisfies the second condition, and we are done.

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