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Romania — NMO Selection Tests for the Balkan and International Mathematical Olympiads

Algebra Difficulty 8.1 Shortlist Prove it Romania

Let ff and gg be two polynomials with integral coefficients such that deg⁡f>deg⁡g\deg f > \deg g and deg⁡f≥2\deg f \ge 2. If the polynomial pf+gpf+g has a rational root for infinitely many primes pp, prove that ff has a rational root.

Solution

Since deg⁡f>deg⁡g\deg f > \deg g, ∣g(z)/f(z)∣<1|g(z)/f(z)| < 1 for all complex numbers zz of large enough absolute value. Consequently, as pp runs through the infinite set of primes under consideration, the roots of the pf+gpf + g all lie in some disc ∣z∣<R|z| < R, where RR does not depend on pp; for if ∣z∣|z| is large enough, then
∣pf(z)+g(z)∣≥∣f(z)∣(p−∣g(z)/f(z)∣)>0. |pf(z) + g(z)| \ge |f(z)|(p - |g(z)/f(z)|) > 0.
For each prime pp such that pf+gpf + g has a rational root, by Gauss' lemma, pf+gpf + g is the product of two integral polynomials, one of degree 1 and the other of degree deg⁡f−1\deg f - 1. Now the condition that pp be prime comes in to imply that the leading coefficient of one of these factors is a divisor of the leading coefficient of ff.
For each such prime pp, it is therefore possible to choose an integral factor hph_p of pf+gpf+g, deg⁡hp=1\deg h_p = 1 or deg⁡hp=deg⁡f−1\deg h_p = \deg f - 1, whose leading coefficient divides the leading coefficient of ff. Hence the leading coefficients of the hph_p form a bounded set. Since the roots of the hph_p all lie in the same disc, ∣z∣<R|z| < R, Vieta's relations imply that the coefficients of the hph_p all form a bounded set; and since they are all integral, this set is finite, so hp=hh_p = h for infinitely many of these primes pp.
Finally, if pp and qq are two such, then hh is a divisor of (p−q)f(p-q)f. Since deg⁡hp=1\deg h_p = 1 or deg⁡hp=deg⁡f−1\deg h_p = \deg f - 1, the conclusion follows.

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