AlgebraDifficulty 5.1AIME, harderProve itUnited States
Problem: Show that the polynomial (x2+x)21000+1 cannot be factored as the product of two nonconstant polynomials with integer coefficients.
Solution
Solution: Assume for contradiction this is not the case, and the polynomial can be written as (x2+x)21000+1=f(x)g(x) for some nonconstant f and g with integer coefficients. Clearly we may assume f and g have leading coefficient one. Taking modulo 2 we obtain that f(x)g(x)≡(x2+x)21000+1≡(x2+x+1)21000(mod2) where the last step follows by noticing that (a+b)2≡a2+b2(mod2). As x2+x+1 is irreducible modulo 2, it follows that we must have f(x)=(x2+x+1)α+2f^(x) and g(x)=(x2+x+1)β+2g^(x) for some polynomials f^,g^ with integer coefficients, where α+β=1000. By hypothesis, α,β≥1. Let ε be a root to x2+x+1, namely ε=21(−1+i3). Substituting ε into the original relation, we derive 2=(−1)21000+1=4f^(ε)g^(ε) and hence 21=f^(ε)g^(ε). But we claim this is impossible. Indeed, the right-hand side is a polynomial in ε with integer coefficients. Repeatedly applying the identity ε2=−(ε+1), we find that the right-hand side must be of the form a+bε, where a,b are integers. By equating real and imaginary parts this gives a=21 and b=0, which is a contradiction.
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