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Algebra Difficulty 6.7 National olympiad Prove it Romania

Determine all positive integers nn satisfying the following condition: There exist pairwise distinct integers a1,,an,b1,,bna_1, \dots, a_n, b_1, \dots, b_n such that
i=1n(ak2+aiak+bi)=i=1n(bk2+aibk+bi)=0for all k=1,,n. \prod_{i=1}^{n} (a_k^2 + a_i a_k + b_i) = \prod_{i=1}^{n} (b_k^2 + a_i b_k + b_i) = 0 \quad \text{for all } k = 1, \dots, n.

Solution

The required integers are n=1n = 1 and n=2n = 2. In the former case, (a1,b1)=(1,2)(a_1, b_1) = (1, -2) is the unique pair of integers satisfying the conditions in the statement; and in the latter, only (a1,b1,a2,b2)=(2,0,1,2)(a_1, b_1, a_2, b_2) = (2, 0, -1, -2) and (a1,b1,a2,b2)=(1,2,2,0)(a_1, b_1, a_2, b_2) = (-1, -2, 2, 0) fit the bill. Verification is routine.

The degree 2n2n monic polynomial f=i=1n(X2+aiX+bi)f = \prod_{i=1}^{n} (X^2 + a_i X + b_i) vanishes at each aka_k and at each bkb_k. Since these 2n2n numbers are pairwise distinct and degf=2n\deg f = 2n, they form the root set of ff. Moreover, since the root set of each factor fi=X2+aiX+bif_i = X^2 + a_i X + b_i has size at most 2, and the union of these nn root sets has size 2n2n, they must be pairwise disjoint sets of size 2 each. Recall now that ff is monic to write f=k=1n(Xak)(Xbk)f = \prod_{k=1}^{n} (X - a_k)(X - b_k). Consequently, k=1n(X2+akX+bk)=k=1n(Xak)(Xbk)\prod_{k=1}^{n} (X^2 + a_k X + b_k) = \prod_{k=1}^{n} (X - a_k)(X - b_k).

If no bkb_k is zero, identification of constant terms of both sides yields a1an=1a_1 \cdots a_n = 1. This is impossible for pairwise distinct integers unless n=1n = 1, in which case a1=1a_1 = 1, and f=X2+X+b1f = X^2 + X + b_1. This polynomial must vanish at a1=1a_1 = 1, so b1=2b_1 = -2. Consequently, f=X2+X2=(X1)(X+2)=(Xa1)(Xb1)f = X^2 + X - 2 = (X-1)(X+2) = (X-a_1)(X-b_1), as required.

If some bk=0b_k = 0, say, b1=0b_1 = 0, then a10a_1 \neq 0, so f1=X2+a1Xf_1 = X^2 + a_1 X does not vanish at a1a_1. Since the root set of f1f_1 has size 2, this forces n2n \ge 2. The polynomial equality at the end of the second paragraph now reads (X+a1)k=2n(X2+akX+bk)=(Xa1)k=2n(Xak)(Xbk)(X + a_1) \prod_{k=2}^{n} (X^2 + a_k X + b_k) = (X - a_1) \prod_{k=2}^{n} (X - a_k)(X - b_k).

Since a1,b2,,bna_1, b_2, \dots, b_n are all non-zero, identification of constant terms of both sides above yields a2an=1a_2 \cdots a_n = -1. This is impossible for pairwise distinct integers unless n=2n = 2 or n=3n = 3.

If n=2n = 2, then a2=1a_2 = -1, and f1=X2+a1Xf_1 = X^2 + a_1 X and f2=X2X+b2f_2 = X^2 - X + b_2. Recall that the root sets of f1f_1 and f2f_2 are disjoint and both have size 2. Since f2(b1)=f2(0)=b2b1=0f_2(b_1) = f_2(0) = b_2 \neq b_1 = 0 and f2(b2)=b220f_2(b_2) = b_2^2 \neq 0, the roots of f2f_2 must be a1a_1 and a2a_2, so the other root of f1f_1 must be b2b_2. The condition f2(a2)=0f_2(a_2) = 0 yields b2=2b_2 = -2, and the condition f1(b2)=0f_1(b_2) = 0 then yields a1=2a_1 = 2. Consequently, (a1,b1,a2,b2)=(2,0,1,2)(a_1, b_1, a_2, b_2) = (2, 0, -1, -2).

The other quadruple, (a1,b1,a2,b2)=(1,2,2,0)(a_1, b_1, a_2, b_2) = (-1, -2, 2, 0), corresponds to the case where b2=0b_2 = 0.

Finally, to rule out the case n=3n = 3, we may and will assume that a2=1a_2 = -1 and a3=1a_3 = 1. Then f1=X2+a1Xf_1 = X^2 + a_1 X, f2=X2X+b2f_2 = X^2 - X + b_2, f3=X2+X+b3f_3 = X^2 + X + b_3, and f=f1f2f3f = f_1 f_2 f_3 has the (pairwise distinct) roots a1,a2=1,a3=1,b1=0,b2a_1, a_2 = -1, a_3 = 1, b_1 = 0, b_2 and b3b_3. Since f1(1)f1(1)=(1a1)(1+a1)0f_1(-1)f_1(1) = (1-a_1)(1+a_1) \neq 0, it follows that 1-1 and 11 are roots of f2f3f_2 f_3. Notice that f(1)=b20f(1) = b_2 \neq 0 and f3(1)=b30f_3(-1) = b_3 \neq 0, so 2+b2=f2(1)=0=f3(1)=2+b32+b_2 = f_2(-1) = 0 = f_3(1) = 2+b_3, i. e., b2=b3b_2 = b_3. This contradiction settles the case.

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