Let n be a positive integer. Find the number of odd coefficients of the polynomial (x2−x+1)n.
Solution
Let P(x),Q(x) be polynomials with integer coefficients. If all coefficients of P(x)−Q(x) are even, then the two polynomials are said to be similar, denoted by P(x)∼Q(x). In this case, the polynomials P(x),Q(x) have the same number of terms with odd coefficients; denote the number of odd coefficients of the polynomial P(x) by β(P). Clearly, (x2−x+1)n∼(x2+x+1)n. Below we discuss the problem of the number of odd coefficients of Pn(x)=(x2+x+1)n.
Use mathematical induction to prove: when n=2q (q a positive integer), Pn(x)∼x2n+xn+1. In this way, one can convert the positive integer n into binary. First consider a simple case: n=2m−1,m a positive integer.
Let m=2k+1,k be an integer greater than or equal to 0. Then n=22k+1−1≡1(mod3). Consider the polynomial R(x)=(x+1)k=0∑3(n−1)xn+3k+k=0∑3(n−4)x3k+xn−1. Then β(R)=32m+2−1. R(x)(x2+x+1)∼(x+1)(k=0∑n+1xn+k+k=0∑n−2xk)+xn−1(x2+x+1)∼x2n+2+xn+1+1, and Pn(x)(x2+x+1)∼x2n+2+xn+1+1. Hence β(Pn)=β(R)=32m+2+1.
Now let m=2k+1,k be a positive integer. Then n=22k−1≡0(mod3). Consider the polynomial Q(x)=(x+1)k=0∑3(n−3)(xn+2+3k+x3k)+xn. Similarly β(Pn)=β(Q)=32m+2−1. Hence β(P2m−1(x))=32m+2+(−1)m+1.
Next consider the general case: express the positive integer n in binary, n=(ak digits11⋯1bk digits00⋯0ak−1 digits11⋯1bk−1 digits00⋯0⋯a1 digits11⋯1b1 digits00⋯0)2, where ai,bi are positive integers, b1≥0. Let Si=j=1∑i−1(bj+aj)+bi (i = 1, 2, …, k). Then n=i=1∑k2Si(2ai−1), Pn(x)=i=1∏k(x2+x+1)2Si(2ai−1) ∼i=1∏k(x2Si+1+x2Si+1)2ai−1. Therefore β(Pn)=i=1∏k32ai+2−(−1)ai.
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