a. Let f(x)=x2+8. Prove that f(x2) is the product P(x)Q(x) of two polynomials of degree two with integer coefficients.
b. Let g(x)=x4+x3+x2+x+1. Prove that g(5x2) is the product R(x)S(x) of two polynomials of degree four with integer coefficients.
c. Let h(x)=(x+1)13−x13−1. Prove that h(x) is the product T(x)U(x) of two polynomials of degree six with integer coefficients.
Solution
a. (x22)2+8=2(x4+4)=2((x2+2)2−4x2)=2(x2−2x+2)(x2+2x+2).
b. g(x)=x4+x3+x2+x+1=(x−ζ)(x−ζ2)(x−ζ3)(x−ζ4), where ζ is a primitive fifth root of unity. Using ζ=ζ6 and ζ3=ζ8 we have g(x)=(x−ζ2)(x−ζ4)(x−ζ6)(x−ζ8). As 5x2−ζ2k=(x5+ζk)(x5−ζk), we can write g(5x2)=g1(x)g2(x) where g1(x)=(x5+ζ)(x5+ζ4)(x5−ζ2)(x5−ζ3) and g2(x)=(x5+ζ2)(x5+ζ3)(x5−ζ)(x5−ζ4).
When multiplying these out, we are interested in z=ζ+ζ4=ζ+ζ−1. Using g(ζ)=0 we easily verify that z2+z−1=0. Therefore z=(−1±5)/2 and 2z+1=±5. Moreover, ζ2+ζ3=ζ2+ζ−2=z2−2=−(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. This gives the factorisation g(5x2)=(25x4+25x3+15x2+5x+1)(25x4−25x3+15x2−5x+1).
c. h(x)=(x+1)13−x13−1 has obvious roots x=0,x=−1. A key observation is that if ω is a primitive cube root of unity, then ω+1=−ω2, so (ω+1)13−ω13−1=−ω2−ω−1=0. Since (x−ω)(x−ω2)=x2+x+1, this gives the factor x(x+1)(x2+x+1) of h(x). By long division, we obtain h(x)=13x(x+1)(x2+x+1)k(x), where k(x)=x8+4x7+12x6+22x5+27x4+22x3+12x2+4x+1. We find k(ω)=0 and thus k(x) is divisible by x2+x+1, and the result is proved. Alternatively, we might use that the derivative h′(x)=13(x+1)12−13x12 has ω as a root, which is easily seen. This implies that h(x) has a root of order at least two at ω. Without long division we see now that h(x) has the factor of degree six x(x+1)(x2+x+1)2 and the result follows again. The factorisation of h(x) explicitly is 13(x6+3x5+5x4+5x3+3x2+x)(x6+3x5+8x4+11x3+8x2+3x+1).
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