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Algebra Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it Slovenia

Find all polynomials pp with real coefficients, such that
p(p(x))=(x2+x+1)p(x) p(p(x)) = (x^2 + x + 1)p(x)
for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}.

Solution

The zero polynomial is obviously a valid solution. Let pp be a non-zero polynomial and write p(x)=anxn+an1xn1++a0p(x) = a_nx^n + a_{n-1}x^{n-1} + \dots + a_0, where an0a_n \ne 0. The leading term on the left-hand side of the equality is equal to an(anxn)n=ann+1xn2a_n(a_nx^n)^n = a_n^{n+1}x^{n^2}, and the leading term on the right-hand side is x2anxn=anxn+2x^2 \cdot a_nx^n = a_nx^{n+2}. The degrees of the two terms must be equal, so n2=n+2n^2 = n + 2, or (n2)(n+1)=0(n-2)(n+1) = 0. Since nn is a non-negative integer, we conclude that n=2n=2. Hence, p(x)=ax2+bx+cp(x) = ax^2 + bx + c, where a0a \ne 0. We have:
p(p(x))=a3x4+2a2bx3+(ab2+2a2c+ab)x2+(2abc+b2)x+(ac2+bc+c)(1) p(p(x)) = a^3 x^4 + 2a^2 bx^3 + (ab^2 + 2a^2 c + ab)x^2 + (2abc + b^2)x + (ac^2 + bc + c) \quad (1)
(x2+x+1)p(x)=ax4+(b+a)x3+(c+b+a)x2+(c+b)x+c.(2) (x^2 + x + 1)p(x) = ax^4 + (b+a)x^3 + (c+b+a)x^2 + (c+b)x + c. \quad (2)

From the given equality we obtain the system of equations
a3=a,2a2b=b+a,ab2+2a2c+ab=c+b+a,2abc+b2=c+b,ac2+bc+c=c. \begin{align*} a^3 &= a, \\ 2a^2b &= b+a, \\ ab^2 + 2a^2c + ab &= c+b+a, \\ 2abc + b^2 &= c+b, \\ ac^2 + bc + c &= c. \end{align*}
Since a0a \neq 0, the first equation implies a=1a = 1 or a=1a = -1. If a=1a = 1 the second equation becomes 2b=b+12b = b + 1, so b=1b = 1. Inserting both into the third equation we find that 2c+2=c+22c + 2 = c + 2, so c=0c = 0. It is easy to check that these three numbers also satisfy the final two equations. If a=1a = -1, then the system has no solutions. There are two solutions to the problem, namely p(x)=0p(x) = 0 and p(x)=x2+xp(x) = x^2 + x.

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