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Taiwan IMO Selection Camp

Algebra Difficulty 6.1 National Olympiad Prove it Taiwan

Let nn be a positive integer. Find the number of odd coefficients of the polynomial (x2−x+1)n(x^2 - x + 1)^n.

Solution

Let P(x),Q(x)P(x), Q(x) be polynomials with integer coefficients. If all coefficients of P(x)−Q(x)P(x) - Q(x) are even, then the two polynomials are said to be similar, denoted by P(x)∼Q(x)P(x) \sim Q(x). In this case, the polynomials P(x),Q(x)P(x), Q(x) have the same number of terms with odd coefficients; denote the number of odd coefficients of the polynomial P(x)P(x) by β(P)\beta(P). Clearly,
(x2−x+1)n∼(x2+x+1)n. (x^2 - x + 1)^n \sim (x^2 + x + 1)^n.
Below we discuss the problem of the number of odd coefficients of Pn(x)=(x2+x+1)nP_n(x) = (x^2 + x + 1)^n.

Use mathematical induction to prove: when n=2qn = 2^q (qq a positive integer), Pn(x)∼x2n+xn+1P_n(x) \sim x^{2n} + x^n + 1. In this way, one can convert the positive integer nn into binary. First consider a simple case: n=2m−1,mn = 2^m - 1, m a positive integer.

Let m=2k+1,km = 2k + 1, k be an integer greater than or equal to 0. Then
n=22k+1−1≡1(mod3). n = 2^{2k+1} - 1 \equiv 1 \pmod{3}.
Consider the polynomial
R(x)=(x+1)(∑k=0(n−1)3xn+3k+∑k=0(n−4)3x3k)+xn−1. R(x) = (x+1) \left( \sum_{k=0}^{\frac{(n-1)}{3}} x^{n+3k} + \sum_{k=0}^{\frac{(n-4)}{3}} x^{3k} \right) + x^{n-1}.
Then β(R)=2m+2−13\beta(R) = \frac{2^{m+2}-1}{3}.
R(x)(x2+x+1)∼(x+1)(∑k=0n+1xn+k+∑k=0n−2xk)+xn−1(x2+x+1)∼x2n+2+xn+1+1, \begin{aligned} R(x)(x^2+x+1) &\sim (x+1) \left( \sum_{k=0}^{n+1} x^{n+k} + \sum_{k=0}^{n-2} x^k \right) + x^{n-1}(x^2+x+1) \\ &\sim x^{2n+2} + x^{n+1} + 1, \end{aligned}
and Pn(x)(x2+x+1)∼x2n+2+xn+1+1P_n(x)(x^2+x+1) \sim x^{2n+2} + x^{n+1} + 1.
Hence β(Pn)=β(R)=2m+2+13\beta(P_n) = \beta(R) = \frac{2^{m+2}+1}{3}.

Now let m=2k+1,km = 2k + 1, k be a positive integer. Then
n=22k−1≡0(mod3). n = 2^{2k} - 1 \equiv 0 \pmod{3}.
Consider the polynomial
Q(x)=(x+1)∑k=0(n−3)3(xn+2+3k+x3k)+xn. Q(x) = (x+1) \sum_{k=0}^{\frac{(n-3)}{3}} (x^{n+2+3k} + x^{3k}) + x^n.
Similarly β(Pn)=β(Q)=2m+2−13\beta(P_n) = \beta(Q) = \frac{2^{m+2}-1}{3}.
Hence β(P2m−1(x))=2m+2+(−1)m+13\beta(P_{2^m-1}(x)) = \frac{2^{m+2} + (-1)^{m+1}}{3}.

Next consider the general case: express the positive integer nn in binary,
n=(11⋯1⏟ak digits00⋯0⏟bk digits11⋯1⏟ak−1 digits00⋯0⏟bk−1 digits⋯11⋯1⏟a1 digits00⋯0⏟b1 digits)2, n = (\underbrace{11\cdots1}_{a_k \text{ digits}} \underbrace{00\cdots0}_{b_k \text{ digits}} \underbrace{11\cdots1}_{a_{k-1} \text{ digits}} \underbrace{00\cdots0}_{b_{k-1} \text{ digits}} \cdots \underbrace{11\cdots1}_{a_1 \text{ digits}} \underbrace{00\cdots0}_{b_1 \text{ digits}})_2,
where ai,bia_i, b_i are positive integers, b1≥0b_1 \ge 0.
Let Si=∑j=1i−1(bj+aj)+bi (i = 1, 2, …, k). \text{Let } S_i = \sum_{j=1}^{i-1} (b_j + a_j) + b_i \text{ (i = 1, 2, \dots, k).}
Then n=∑i=1k2Si(2ai−1), \text{Then } n = \sum_{i=1}^{k} 2^{S_i}(2^{a_i} - 1),
Pn(x)=∏i=1k(x2+x+1)2Si(2ai−1) P_n(x) = \prod_{i=1}^{k} (x^2 + x + 1)^{2^{S_i} (2^{a_i} - 1)}
∼∏i=1k(x2Si+1+x2Si+1)2ai−1. \sim \prod_{i=1}^{k} (x^{2^{S_i+1}} + x^{2^{S_i}} + 1)^{2^{a_i}-1}.
Therefore
β(Pn)=∏i=1k2ai+2−(−1)ai3. \beta(P_n) = \prod_{i=1}^{k} \frac{2^{a_i+2} - (-1)^{a_i}}{3}.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.