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Algebra Difficulty 8.7 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Say that an ordered pair (x,y)(x, y) of integers is an irreducible lattice point if xx and yy are relatively prime. For any finite set SS of irreducible lattice points, show that there is a homogenous polynomial in two variables, f(x,y)f(x, y), with integer coefficients, of degree at least 1, such that f(x,y)=1f(x, y)=1 for each (x,y)(x, y) in the set SS.

Note: A homogenous polynomial of degree nn is any nonzero polynomial of the form
f(x,y)=a0xn+a1xn1y+a2xn2y2++an1xyn1+anyn. f(x, y)=a_{0} x^{n}+a_{1} x^{n-1} y+a_{2} x^{n-2} y^{2}+\cdots+a_{n-1} x y^{n-1}+a_{n} y^{n} .

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

First of all, we note that finding a homogenous polynomial f(x,y)f(x, y) such that f(x,y)=±1f(x, y)= \pm 1 is enough, because we then have f2(x,y)=1f^{2}(x, y)=1. Label the irreducible lattice points (x1,y1)(x_{1}, y_{1}) through (xn,yn)(x_{n}, y_{n}). If any two of these lattice points (xi,yi)(x_{i}, y_{i}) and (xj,yj)(x_{j}, y_{j}) lie on the same line through the origin, then (xj,yj)=(xi,yi)(x_{j}, y_{j})=(-x_{i},-y_{i}) because both of the points are irreducible. We then have f(xj,yj)=±f(xi,yi)f(x_{j}, y_{j})= \pm f(x_{i}, y_{i}) whenever ff is homogenous, so we can assume that no two of the lattice points are collinear with the origin by ignoring the extra lattice points.

Consider the homogenous polynomials i(x,y)=yixxiy\ell_{i}(x, y)=y_{i} x-x_{i} y and define
gi(x,y)=jij(x,y). g_{i}(x, y)=\prod_{j \neq i} \ell_{j}(x, y) .
Then i(xj,yj)=0\ell_{i}(x_{j}, y_{j})=0 if and only if j=ij=i, because there is only one lattice point on each line through the origin. Thus, gi(xj,yj)=0g_{i}(x_{j}, y_{j})=0 for all jij \neq i. Define ai=gi(xi,yi)a_{i}=g_{i}(x_{i}, y_{i}), and note that ai0a_{i} \neq 0.

Note that gi(x,y)g_{i}(x, y) is a degree n1n-1 polynomial with the following two properties:
1. gi(xj,yj)=0g_{i}(x_{j}, y_{j})=0 if jij \neq i.
2. gi(xi,yi)=aig_{i}(x_{i}, y_{i})=a_{i}.

For any Nn1N \geqslant n-1, there also exists a polynomial of degree NN with the same two properties. Specifically, let Ii(x,y)I_{i}(x, y) be a degree 1 homogenous polynomial such that Ii(xi,yi)=1I_{i}(x_{i}, y_{i})=1, which exists since (xi,yi)(x_{i}, y_{i}) is irreducible. Then Ii(x,y)N(n1)gi(x,y)I_{i}(x, y)^{N-(n-1)} g_{i}(x, y) satisfies both of the above properties and has degree NN.

We may now reduce the problem to the following claim:
Claim: For each positive integer aa, there is a homogenous polynomial fa(x,y)f_{a}(x, y), with integer coefficients, of degree at least 1, such that fa(x,y)1(moda)f_{a}(x, y) \equiv 1\pmod{a} for all relatively prime (x,y)(x, y).

To see that this claim solves the problem, take aa to be the least common multiple of the numbers aia_{i} (1in1 \leqslant i \leqslant n). Take faf_{a} given by the claim, choose some power fa(x,y)kf_{a}(x, y)^{k} that has degree at least n1n-1, and subtract appropriate multiples of the gig_{i} constructed above to obtain the desired polynomial.

We prove the claim by factoring aa. First, if aa is a power of a prime (a=pka=p^{k}), then we may choose either:
- fa(x,y)=(xp1+yp1)ϕ(a)f_{a}(x, y)=(x^{p-1}+y^{p-1})^{\phi(a)} if pp is odd;
- fa(x,y)=(x2+xy+y2)ϕ(a)f_{a}(x, y)=(x^{2}+x y+y^{2})^{\phi(a)} if p=2p=2.

Now suppose aa is any positive integer, and let a=q1q2qka=q_{1} q_{2} \cdots q_{k}, where the qiq_{i} are prime powers, pairwise relatively prime. Let fqif_{q_{i}} be the polynomials just constructed, and let FqiF_{q_{i}} be powers of these that all have the same degree. Note that
aqiFqi(x,y)aqi(moda) \frac{a}{q_{i}} F_{q_{i}}(x, y) \equiv \frac{a}{q_{i}}\pmod{a}
for any relatively prime x,yx, y. By Bézout's lemma, there is an integer linear combination of the aqi\frac{a}{q_{i}} that equals 1. Thus, there is a linear combination of the FqiF_{q_{i}} such that Fqi(x,y)1(moda)F_{q_{i}}(x, y) \equiv 1 \pmod{a} for any relatively prime (x,y)(x, y); and this polynomial is homogenous because all the FqiF_{q_{i}} have the same degree.

Solution 2

As in the previous solution, label the irreducible lattice points (x1,y1),,(xn,yn)(x_{1}, y_{1}), \ldots,(x_{n}, y_{n}) and assume without loss of generality that no two of the points are collinear with the origin. We induct on nn to construct a homogenous polynomial f(x,y)f(x, y) such that f(xi,yi)=1f(x_{i}, y_{i})=1 for all 1in1 \leqslant i \leqslant n.

If n=1n=1 : Since x1x_{1} and y1y_{1} are relatively prime, there exist some integers c,dc, d such that cx1+dy1=1c x_{1}+d y_{1}=1. Then f(x,y)=cx+dyf(x, y)=c x+d y is suitable.

If n2n \geqslant 2 : By the induction hypothesis we already have a homogeneous polynomial g(x,y)g(x, y) with g(x1,y1)==g(xn1,yn1)=1g(x_{1}, y_{1})=\ldots=g(x_{n-1}, y_{n-1})=1. Let j=deggj=\deg g,
gn(x,y)=k=1n1(ykxxky) g_{n}(x, y)=\prod_{k=1}^{n-1}(y_{k} x-x_{k} y)
and an=gn(xn,yn)a_{n}=g_{n}(x_{n}, y_{n}). By assumption, an0a_{n} \neq 0. Take some integers c,dc, d such that cxn+dyn=1c x_{n}+d y_{n}=1. We will construct f(x,y)f(x, y) in the form
f(x,y)=g(x,y)KCgn(x,y)(cx+dy)L f(x, y)=g(x, y)^{K}-C \cdot g_{n}(x, y) \cdot(c x+d y)^{L}
where KK and LL are some positive integers and CC is some integer. We assume that L=Kjn+1L=K j-n+1 so that ff is homogenous.

Due to g(x1,y1)==g(xn1,yn1)=1g(x_{1}, y_{1})=\ldots=g(x_{n-1}, y_{n-1})=1 and gn(x1,y1)==gn(xn1,yn1)=0g_{n}(x_{1}, y_{1})=\ldots=g_{n}(x_{n-1}, y_{n-1})=0, the property f(x1,y1)==f(xn1,yn1)=1f(x_{1}, y_{1})=\ldots=f(x_{n-1}, y_{n-1})=1 is automatically satisfied with any choice of K,LK, L, and CC.

Furthermore,
f(xn,yn)=g(xn,yn)KCgn(xn,yn)(cxn+dyn)L=g(xn,yn)KCan. f(x_{n}, y_{n})=g(x_{n}, y_{n})^{K}-C \cdot g_{n}(x_{n}, y_{n}) \cdot(c x_{n}+d y_{n})^{L}=g(x_{n}, y_{n})^{K}-C a_{n} .
If we have an exponent KK such that g(xn,yn)K1(modan)g(x_{n}, y_{n})^{K} \equiv 1\pmod{a_{n}}, then we may choose CC such that f(xn,yn)=1f(x_{n}, y_{n})=1. We now choose such a KK.

Consider an arbitrary prime divisor pp of ana_{n}. By
pan=gn(xn,yn)=k=1n1(ykxnxkyn) p \mid a_{n}=g_{n}(x_{n}, y_{n})=\prod_{k=1}^{n-1}(y_{k} x_{n}-x_{k} y_{n})
there is some 1k<n1 \leqslant k<n such that xkynxnyk(modp)x_{k} y_{n} \equiv x_{n} y_{k}\pmod{p}. We first show that xkxnx_{k} x_{n} or ykyny_{k} y_{n} is relatively prime with pp. This is trivial in the case xkynxnyk≢0(modp)x_{k} y_{n} \equiv x_{n} y_{k} \not \equiv 0\pmod{p}. In the other case, we have xkynxnyk0(modp)x_{k} y_{n} \equiv x_{n} y_{k} \equiv 0\pmod{p}. If, say pxkp \mid x_{k}, then pykp \nmid y_{k} because (xk,yk)(x_{k}, y_{k}) is irreducible, so pxnp \mid x_{n}; then pynp \nmid y_{n} because (xn,yn)(x_{n}, y_{n}) is irreducible. In summary, pxkp \mid x_{k} implies pykynp \nmid y_{k} y_{n}. Similarly, pynp \mid y_{n} implies pxkxnp \nmid x_{k} x_{n}.

By the homogeneity of gg we have the congruences
xkdg(xn,yn)=g(xkxn,xkyn)g(xkxn,ykxn)=xndg(xk,yk)=xnd(modp) x_{k}^{d} \cdot g(x_{n}, y_{n})=g(x_{k} x_{n}, x_{k} y_{n}) \equiv g(x_{k} x_{n}, y_{k} x_{n})=x_{n}^{d} \cdot g(x_{k}, y_{k})=x_{n}^{d}\pmod{p}
and
ykdg(xn,yn)=g(ykxn,ykyn)g(xkyn,ykyn)=yndg(xk,yk)=ynd(modp). y_{k}^{d} \cdot g(x_{n}, y_{n})=g(y_{k} x_{n}, y_{k} y_{n}) \equiv g(x_{k} y_{n}, y_{k} y_{n})=y_{n}^{d} \cdot g(x_{k}, y_{k})=y_{n}^{d} \pmod{p} .
If pxkxnp \nmid x_{k} x_{n}, then take the (p1)st(p-1)^{st} power of the first congruence; otherwise take the (p1)st(p-1)^{st} power of the second; by Fermat's theorem, in both cases we get
g(xn,yn)p11(modp) g(x_{n}, y_{n})^{p-1} \equiv 1 \pmod{p}
If pαmp^{\alpha} \mid m, then we have
g(xn,yn)pα1(p1)1(modpα) g(x_{n}, y_{n})^{p^{\alpha-1}(p-1)} \equiv 1 \pmod{p^{\alpha}}
which implies that the exponent K=nφ(an)K=n \cdot \varphi(a_{n}), which is a multiple of all pα1(p1)p^{\alpha-1}(p-1), is a suitable choice. (The factor nn is added only so that KnK \geqslant n and so L>0L>0.)

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