Find the least natural number n for which cosnπ can not be expressed in the form p+q+3r, where p,q and r are rational numbers.
Solution
We show that n=7. Note that cosπ=−1,cos2π=0,cos3π=21,cos4π=22,cos6π=23. Further, it follows from 0=cos53π+cos52π that x5=cos5π is a root of the equation 0=4x3−3x+2x2−1=(x+1)(4x2−2x−1), i.e. x5=41+5. It remains to prove that x7=cos7π can not be expressed in the form p+q+3r, where p,q and r are rational numbers. Since 0=cos74π+cos73π we have that x7 is a root of 0=2(2x2−1)2−1+4x3−3x=(x+1)(8x3−4x2−4x+1), i.e. x7 is a zero of P(x)=8x3−4x2−4x+1. Suppose that x7=p+q+3r, where q≥0,p,r∈Q. Now x7 is a zero of Q(x)=(x−p−q)3−r with coefficients of the form a+bq, a,b∈Q, i.e. from Q[q]. Since the coefficient of x is nonnegative we have that P=8Q. Thus P=8Q+R, where R is a
polynomial of degree 1 or 2 with coefficients from Q[q] and R(x7)=0. If degR=1, then x7∈Q[q]. If degR=2 and R does not divide P, then x7 is a zero of the remainder of P divided by R, i.e. again x7∈Q[q]. If degR=2 and R divides P then the zero of RP, which is from Q[q] is also zero of P. Thus, P has a zero from Q[q]. It is a zero of a polynomial of degree 1 or 2 with rational coefficients. It follows as above that P has rational zero. Direct verification shows that none of the numbers ±1,±21,±41,±81 (which are all possible rational zeroes of P) is a zero of P, a contradiction.
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