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Algebra Difficulty 7.0 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Ireland

a. Let f(x)=x2+8f(x) = x^2 + 8. Prove that f(x2)f(x\sqrt{2}) is the product P(x)Q(x)P(x)Q(x) of two polynomials of degree two with integer coefficients.

b. Let g(x)=x4+x3+x2+x+1g(x) = x^4 + x^3 + x^2 + x + 1. Prove that g(5x2)g(5x^2) is the product R(x)S(x)R(x)S(x) of two polynomials of degree four with integer coefficients.

c. Let h(x)=(x+1)13x131h(x) = (x+1)^{13} - x^{13} - 1. Prove that h(x)h(x) is the product T(x)U(x)T(x)U(x) of two polynomials of degree six with integer coefficients.

Solution

a.
(x22)2+8=2(x4+4)=2((x2+2)24x2)=2(x22x+2)(x2+2x+2).(x^2\sqrt{2})^2 + 8 = 2(x^4+4) = 2((x^2+2)^2 - 4x^2) = 2(x^2-2x+2)(x^2+2x+2).

b.
g(x)=x4+x3+x2+x+1=(xζ)(xζ2)(xζ3)(xζ4)g(x) = x^4 + x^3 + x^2 + x + 1 = (x - \zeta)(x - \zeta^2)(x - \zeta^3)(x - \zeta^4), where ζ\zeta is a primitive fifth root of unity. Using ζ=ζ6\zeta = \zeta^6 and ζ3=ζ8\zeta^3 = \zeta^8 we have
g(x)=(xζ2)(xζ4)(xζ6)(xζ8). g(x) = (x - \zeta^2)(x - \zeta^4)(x - \zeta^6)(x - \zeta^8).
As 5x2ζ2k=(x5+ζk)(x5ζk)5x^2 - \zeta^{2k} = (x\sqrt{5} + \zeta^k)(x\sqrt{5} - \zeta^k), we can write g(5x2)=g1(x)g2(x)g(5x^2) = g_1(x)g_2(x) where
g1(x)=(x5+ζ)(x5+ζ4)(x5ζ2)(x5ζ3) and g_1(x) = (x\sqrt{5} + \zeta)(x\sqrt{5} + \zeta^4)(x\sqrt{5} - \zeta^2)(x\sqrt{5} - \zeta^3) \text{ and}
g2(x)=(x5+ζ2)(x5+ζ3)(x5ζ)(x5ζ4). g_2(x) = (x\sqrt{5} + \zeta^2)(x\sqrt{5} + \zeta^3)(x\sqrt{5} - \zeta)(x\sqrt{5} - \zeta^4).

When multiplying these out, we are interested in z=ζ+ζ4=ζ+ζ1z = \zeta + \zeta^4 = \zeta + \zeta^{-1}. Using g(ζ)=0g(\zeta) = 0 we easily verify that z2+z1=0z^2 + z - 1 = 0. Therefore z=(1±5)/2z = (-1 \pm \sqrt{5})/2 and 2z+1=±52z + 1 = \pm\sqrt{5}. Moreover, ζ2+ζ3=ζ2+ζ2=z22=(z+1)\zeta^2 + \zeta^3 = \zeta^2 + \zeta^{-2} = z^2 - 2 = -(z + 1). Hence
g1(x)=(5x2+xz5+1)(5x2+x(z+1)5+1)=25x4+55(2z+1)x3+5(z2+z+2)x2+5(2z+1)x+1=25x4±25x3+15x2±5x+1. \begin{aligned} g_1(x) &= (5x^2 + xz\sqrt{5} + 1)(5x^2 + x(z+1)\sqrt{5} + 1) \\ &= 25x^4 + 5\sqrt{5}(2z+1)x^3 + 5(z^2+z+2)x^2 + \sqrt{5}(2z+1)x + 1 \\ &= 25x^4 \pm 25x^3 + 15x^2 \pm 5x + 1. \end{aligned}
This gives the factorisation
g(5x2)=(25x4+25x3+15x2+5x+1)(25x425x3+15x25x+1). g(5x^2) = (25x^4 + 25x^3 + 15x^2 + 5x + 1)(25x^4 - 25x^3 + 15x^2 - 5x + 1).

c.
h(x)=(x+1)13x131h(x) = (x+1)^{13} - x^{13} - 1 has obvious roots x=0,x=1x = 0, x = -1. A key observation is that if ω\omega is a primitive cube root of unity, then ω+1=ω2\omega + 1 = -\omega^2, so (ω+1)13ω131=ω2ω1=0(\omega+1)^{13} - \omega^{13} - 1 = -\omega^2 - \omega - 1 = 0. Since (xω)(xω2)=x2+x+1(x-\omega)(x-\omega^2) = x^2+x+1, this gives the factor x(x+1)(x2+x+1)x(x+1)(x^2+x+1) of h(x)h(x). By long division, we obtain h(x)=13x(x+1)(x2+x+1)k(x)h(x) = 13x(x+1)(x^2+x+1)k(x), where
k(x)=x8+4x7+12x6+22x5+27x4+22x3+12x2+4x+1. k(x) = x^8 + 4x^7 + 12x^6 + 22x^5 + 27x^4 + 22x^3 + 12x^2 + 4x + 1.
We find k(ω)=0k(\omega) = 0 and thus k(x)k(x) is divisible by x2+x+1x^2 + x + 1, and the result is proved.
Alternatively, we might use that the derivative h(x)=13(x+1)1213x12h'(x) = 13(x+1)^{12} - 13x^{12} has ω\omega as a root, which is easily seen. This implies that h(x)h(x) has a root of order at least two at ω\omega. Without long division we see now that h(x)h(x) has the factor of degree six x(x+1)(x2+x+1)2x(x+1)(x^2+x+1)^2 and the result follows again. The factorisation of h(x)h(x) explicitly is
13(x6+3x5+5x4+5x3+3x2+x)(x6+3x5+8x4+11x3+8x2+3x+1). 13(x^6 + 3x^5 + 5x^4 + 5x^3 + 3x^2 + x)(x^6 + 3x^5 + 8x^4 + 11x^3 + 8x^2 + 3x + 1).

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