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Algebra Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Saudi Arabia

Let fZ[X],f=X2+aX+bf \in \mathbb{Z}[X], f = X^{2} + a X + b, be a quadratic polynomial. Prove that ff has integer zeros if and only if for each positive integer nn there is an integer unu_{n} such that nf(un)n \mid f\left(u_{n}\right).

Solution

If f=(Xx1)(Xx2), x1,x2Zf = (X - x_{1})(X - x_{2}),\ x_{1}, x_{2} \in \mathbb{Z}, then take un=n+x1u_{n} = n + x_{1} and get f(un)=n(n+x1x2)f\left(u_{n}\right) = n\left(n + x_{1} - x_{2}\right), hence nf(un), n1n \mid f\left(u_{n}\right),\ n \geq 1.

Conversely, assume that f(un)=knnf\left(u_{n}\right) = k_{n} \cdot n, for some integer knk_{n}, n=1,2,n = 1, 2, \ldots Then, the quadratic equation
u2+aν+bknn=0 u^{2} + a \nu + b - k_{n} \cdot n = 0
has integer zeros, hence its discriminant Δn\Delta_{n} is a perfect square, that is Δn=tn2, n=1,2,\Delta_{n} = t_{n}^{2},\ n = 1, 2, \ldots. This is equivalent to
a24(bknn)=tn2a^{2} - 4\left(b - k_{n} \cdot n\right) = t_{n}^{2}
hence we have
Δ+4knn=tn2,n=1,2,(1) \Delta + 4 k_{n} \cdot n = t_{n}^{2}, \quad n = 1, 2, \ldots \tag{1}
where Δ=a24b\Delta = a^{2} - 4b is the discriminant of equation f(n)=0f(n) = 0. In (1) we take n=Δ2n = \Delta^{2} and obtain
Δ(1+4kΔ2Δ)=tΔ22.(2) \Delta \cdot \left(1 + 4 k_{\Delta^{2}} \cdot \Delta\right) = t_{\Delta_{2}}^{2} . \tag{2}
Since Δ\Delta and 1+4kΔ2Δ1 + 4 k_{\Delta^{2}} \cdot \Delta are relatively prime, from (2) it follows that Δ\Delta is a perfect square, hence the zeros of ff, x1,x2x_{1}, x_{2} are rational. We have Δ=a24b=c2, cZ\Delta = a^{2} - 4b = c^{2},\ c \in \mathbb{Z}, and
x1,2=12(a±c).(3) x_{1,2} = \frac{1}{2}(-a \pm c) . \tag{3}
It is clear that aa and cc are of the same parity, and from (3) we get that x1,x2Zx_{1}, x_{2} \in \mathbb{Z}.

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