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Algebra Difficulty 6.8 National olympiad Prove it Romania

Let f0f_0, f1f_1, f2f_2 and f3f_3 be polynomials in R[X]\mathbb{R}[X] such that fk(1)=fk+1(0)f_k(1) = f_{k+1}(0), k=0,1,2,3k = 0, 1, 2, 3 (indices are reduced modulo 44). Show that there exists a polynomial ff in R[X,Y]\mathbb{R}[X, Y] such that f(X,0)=f0(X)f(X, 0) = f_0(X), f(1,Y)=f1(Y)f(1, Y) = f_1(Y), f(1X,1)=f2(X)f(1 - X, 1) = f_2(X), and f(0,1Y)=f3(Y)f(0, 1 - Y) = f_3(Y).

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

The idea is to consider a suitable R[Y]\mathbb{R}[Y]-linear combination of f0(X)f_0(X) and f2(1X)f_2(1 - X), namely, (1Y)f0(X)+Yf2(1X)(1 - Y)f_0(X) + Yf_2(1 - X), and a suitable R[X]\mathbb{R}[X]-linear combination of f1(Y)f_1(Y) and f3(1Y)f_3(1-Y), namely, Xf1(Y)+(1X)f3(1Y)Xf_1(Y) + (1-X)f_3(1-Y), along with a suitable degree 22 corrective term, a11XY+a10X+a01Y+a00a_{11}XY + a_{10}X + a_{01}Y + a_{00}, collect them together to form
f(X,Y)=(1Y)f0(X)+Xf1(Y)+Yf2(1X)+(1X)f3(1Y)+a11XY+a10X+a01Y+a00 f(X, Y) = (1-Y)f_0(X) + Xf_1(Y) + Yf_2(1-X) + (1-X)f_3(1-Y) + a_{11}XY + a_{10}X + a_{01}Y + a_{00}
and require the latter to satisfy the conditions in the statement.

Thus, the condition f(X,0)=f0(X)f(X, 0) = f_0(X) requires a10=f3(1)f1(0)a_{10} = f_3(1) - f_1(0) and a00=f3(1)a_{00} = -f_3(1). Refer to the hypothesis on the fkf_k to write a10=f0(0)f1(0)a_{10} = f_0(0) - f_1(0) and a00=f0(0)a_{00} = -f_0(0).
Next, the condition f(0,1Y)=f3(Y)f(0, 1-Y) = f_3(Y) requires a01=f0(0)f2(1)a_{01} = f_0(0) - f_2(1) and f2(1)+a01+a00=0f_2(1) + a_{01} + a_{00} = 0. Notice that the latter holds automatically. With reference again to the hypothesis on the fkf_k, a01=f0(0)f3(0)a_{01} = f_0(0) - f_3(0).
Similarly, the condition f(1,Y)=f1(Y)f(1, Y) = f_1(Y) requires a11=f0(1)f2(0)a01a_{11} = f_0(1) - f_2(0) - a_{01} and f0(1)+a10+a00=0f_0(1) + a_{10} + a_{00} = 0. The latter holds again automatically, while the former yields a11=f1(0)f2(0)f0(0)+f3(0)a_{11} = f_1(0) - f_2(0) - f_0(0) + f_3(0).
Finally, the condition f(1X,1)=f2(X)f(1-X, 1) = f_2(X) requires f3(0)f1(1)a11a10=0f_3(0) - f_1(1) - a_{11} - a_{10} = 0 and f1(1)+a11+a10+a01+a00=0f_1(1) + a_{11} + a_{10} + a_{01} + a_{00} = 0, both of which hold by the preceding and the hypothesis on the fkf_k.
In terms of the data, the desired polynomial is
f(X,Y)=(1Y)f0(X)+Xf1(Y)+Yf2(1X)+(1X)f3(1Y)(f0(0)f1(0)+f2(0)f3(0))XY+(f0(0)f1(0))X+(f0(0)f3(0))Yf0(0). f(X, Y) = (1 - Y)f_0(X) + Xf_1(Y) + Yf_2(1 - X) + (1 - X)f_3(1 - Y) - (f_0(0) - f_1(0) + f_2(0) - f_3(0))XY + (f_0(0) - f_1(0))X + (f_0(0) - f_3(0))Y - f_0(0).

Solution 2

The polynomial in the previous solution may equally well be obtained as follows: begin by seeking a two-variable polynomial ff of the form
f(X,Y)=g(X,Y)+Xh(Y)+Yk(X)+aXY, f(X, Y) = g(X, Y) + Xh(Y) + Yk(X) + aXY,
where gg is a two-variable polynomial satisfying g(X,0)=f0(X)g(X, 0) = f_0(X) and g(0,1Y)=f3(Y)g(0, 1-Y) = f_3(Y), hh and kk are one-variable polynomials subject to h(0)=k(0)=0h(0) = k(0) = 0 and h(1)=k(1)h(1) = k(1), and aa is a real number to be determined from the requirements. The common value h(1)=k(1)h(1) = k(1) will come out of the choice of hh and kk.
Notice that such a choice of gg, hh and kk yields f(X,0)=f0(X)f(X, 0) = f_0(X) and f(0,1Y)=f3(Y)f(0, 1-Y) = f_3(Y).
Now, the two-variable polynomial g(X,Y)=f0(X)+f3(1Y)f0(0)g(X, Y) = f_0(X) + f_3(1-Y) - f_0(0) clearly fits the bill; with reference to the hypothesis on the fkf_k, the verification is routine and hence omitted.
Next, letting h(Y)=f1(Y)g(1,Y)h(Y) = f_1(Y) - g(1, Y) and k(X)=f2(1X)g(X,1)k(X) = f_2(1-X) - g(X, 1), it is again readily checked that h(0)=k(0)=0h(0) = k(0) = 0, and h(1)=f1(1)g(1,1)=f2(0)g(1,1)=k(1)h(1) = f_1(1) - g(1, 1) = f_2(0) - g(1, 1) = k(1). In terms of the data, h(Y)=f1(Y)f3(1Y)+f0(0)f1(0)h(Y) = f_1(Y) - f_3(1-Y) + f_0(0) - f_1(0), k(X)=f0(X)+f2(1X)+f0(0)f3(0)k(X) = -f_0(X) + f_2(1-X) + f_0(0) - f_3(0), and h(1)=k(1)=f0(0)f1(0)+f2(0)f3(0)h(1) = k(1) = f_0(0) - f_1(0) + f_2(0) - f_3(0).
At this stage, requiring f(1,Y)=f1(Y)f(1, Y) = f_1(Y) yields a=f0(0)+f1(0)f2(0)+f3(0)a = -f_0(0) + f_1(0) - f_2(0) + f_3(0); incidentally, yet not accidentally at all, this is precisely the value of a11a_{11} in the previous solution.
Finally, notice that h(1)=ah(1) = -a, to check the remaining requirement: f(1X,1)=g(1X,1)+h(1)(1X)+k(1X)+a(1X)=g(1X,1)+k(1X)=f2(X)f(1-X, 1) = g(1-X, 1) + h(1)(1-X) + k(1-X) + a(1-X) = g(1-X, 1) + k(1-X) = f_2(X).

Expressing ff in terms of the data yields the polynomial in the previous solution, just as mentioned in the beginning.

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