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Algebra Difficulty 6.5 National olympiad Prove it Greece

Find all nonzero polynomials with real coefficients satisfying the equality: (P(x))3+3(P(x))2=P(x3)3P(x),(P(x))^3 + 3(P(x))^2 = P(x^3) - 3P(-x), for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}.

Solution

Let degP(x)=0\deg P(x) = 0. Then P(x)=a0P(x) = a \neq 0 and from relation (1) we have: a3+3a2=2aa=1a^3 + 3a^2 = -2a \Leftrightarrow a = -1 or a=2a = -2.
Hence the constant (nonzero) polynomials P(x)=1P(x) = -1 and P(x)=2P(x) = -2, are solutions of the problem.

Let degP(x)=n>0\deg P(x) = n > 0. Then the polynomial P(x)P(x) can be written as
P(x)=axn+Q(x), with a0 and degQ(x)=kn1 or Q(x)=0. P(x) = a x^n + Q(x), \text{ with } a \neq 0 \text{ and } \deg Q(x) = k \le n-1 \text{ or } Q(x) = 0.
By substitution into relation (1) we get:
(axn+Q(x))3+3(axn+Q(x))2=ax3n+Q(x3)3Q(x)3a(1)nxn,(2) (a x^n + Q(x))^3 + 3(a x^n + Q(x))^2 = a x^{3n} + Q(x^3) - 3Q(-x) - 3a \cdot (-1)^n x^n, \quad (2)
for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}. Equating the coefficients of x3nx^{3n} in the two parts we find:
a3=aa=1 or a=1. a^3 = a \Leftrightarrow a = 1 \text{ or } a = -1.
Therefore we distinguish the following cases:

I. a=1a=1. Then relation (2) becomes:
(xn+Q(x))3+3(xn+Q(x))2=x3n+Q(x3)3Q(x)3(1)nxnA(x)=B(x),(3) (x^n + Q(x))^3 + 3(x^n + Q(x))^2 = x^{3n} + Q(x^3) - 3Q(-x) - 3(-1)^n x^n \\ \Leftrightarrow A(x) = B(x), \qquad (3)
where we have put
A(x)=3x2nQ(x)+3xn(Q(x))2+(Q(x))3+3x2n+6xnQ(x)+3(Q(x))2B(x)=Q(x3)3Q(x)3(1)nxn. A(x) = 3x^{2n}Q(x) + 3x^n(Q(x))^2 + (Q(x))^3 + 3x^{2n} + 6x^nQ(x) + 3(Q(x))^2 \\ B(x) = Q(x^3) - 3Q(-x) - 3(-1)^n x^n.
If Q(x)=0Q(x) = 0, then: 3x2n=3(1)nxn3x^{2n} = -3 \cdot (-1)^n x^n, (impossible).
If degQ(x)=k>0\deg Q(x) = k > 0, then, since 0<k<n0 < k < n, we have:
2n+k=degA(x)=degB(x)=max{3k,n}3knk, absurd. 2n + k = \deg A(x) = \deg B(x) = \max\{3k, n\} \ge 3k \Rightarrow n \ge k, \text{ absurd.}
Thus, we have degQ(x)=0\deg Q(x) = 0, that is Q(x)=c0Q(x) = c \neq 0 and then A(x)=B(x)A(x) = B(x):
3(c+1)x2n+3(c2+2c+(1)n)xn+c3+3c2+2c=0, for all xRc+1=0, c2+2c+(1)n=0, c3+3c2+2c=0c=1, n=2m, mN. 3(c+1)x^{2n} + 3(c^2+2c+(-1)^n)x^n + c^3 + 3c^2 + 2c = 0, \text{ for all } x \in \mathbb{R} \Leftrightarrow \\ c+1=0,\ c^2+2c+(-1)^n = 0,\ c^3 + 3c^2 + 2c = 0 \Leftrightarrow c=-1,\ n=2m,\ m \in \mathbb{N}^*.
Hence the polynomial: P(x)=x2m1, xR, mNP(x) = x^{2m}-1,\ x \in \mathbb{R},\ m \in \mathbb{N}^* is a solution.

II. a=1a = -1. Then relation (2) becomes:
(xn+Q(x))3+3(xn+Q(x))2=x3n+Q(x3)3Q(x)+3(1)nxnA(x)=B(x), (-x^n + Q(x))^3 + 3(-x^n + Q(x))^2 = -x^{3n} + Q(x^3) - 3Q(-x) + 3(-1)^n x^n \\ \Leftrightarrow A(x) = B(x),
where we have put
A(x)=3x2nQ(x)3xn(Q(x))2+(Q(x))3+3x2n6xnQ(x)+3(Q(x))2B(x)=Q(x3)3Q(x)+3(1)nxn. A(x) = 3x^{2n}Q(x) - 3x^n(Q(x))^2 + (Q(x))^3 + 3x^{2n} - 6x^nQ(x) + 3(Q(x))^2 \\ B(x) = Q(x^3) - 3Q(-x) + 3(-1)^n x^n.
Working as in case (I), if Q(x)=0Q(x) = 0, then: 3x2n=3(1)nxn3x^{2n} = 3 \cdot (-1)^n x^n, (impossible).
If degQ(x)=k>0\deg Q(x) = k > 0, then, since 0<k<n0 < k < n, we have:
2n+k=degA(x)=degB(x)=max{3k,n}3knk, absurd. 2n + k = \deg A(x) = \deg B(x) = \max\{3k, n\} \geq 3k \Rightarrow n \geq k, \text{ absurd.}
Hence degQ(x)=0\deg Q(x) = 0, that is Q(x)=c0Q(x) = c \neq 0 and then from equality A(x)=B(x)A(x) = B(x) we have:
3(c+1)x2n3(c2+2c+(1)n)xn+c3+3c2+2c=0, for all xRc+1=0, c2+2c+(1)n=0, c3+3c2+2c=0c=1, n=2m, mN. 3(c+1)x^{2n} - 3(c^2 + 2c + (-1)^n)x^n + c^3 + 3c^2 + 2c = 0, \text{ for all } x \in \mathbb{R} \\ c+1 = 0,\ c^2 + 2c + (-1)^n = 0,\ c^3 + 3c^2 + 2c = 0 \Leftrightarrow c = -1,\ n = 2m,\ m \in \mathbb{N}^*.
Hence we have the solution: P(x)=x2m1, xR, mNP(x) = -x^{2m} - 1,\ x \in \mathbb{R},\ m \in \mathbb{N}.

Finally, all solutions of the problem are the following:
P(x)=1, P(x)=2, P(x)=x2m1, P(x)=x2m1, xR, mN. P(x) = -1,\ P(x) = -2,\ P(x) = x^{2m} - 1,\ P(x) = -x^{2m} - 1,\ x \in \mathbb{R},\ m \in \mathbb{N}^*.

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