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Algebra Difficulty 5.0 AIME Prove it Singapore

Let bb be a number with 2<b<0-2 < b < 0. Prove that there exists a positive integer nn such that all the coefficients of the polynomial (x+1)n(x2+bx+1)(x+1)^n(x^2+bx+1) are positive.

Solution

Expanding (x+1)n(x2+bx+1)(x+1)^n(x^2+bx+1), we obtain
xn+2+(n+b)xn+1+k=0n2[(nk+2)+b(nk+1)+(nk)]xnk+(n+b)x+1. x^{n+2} + (n+b)x^{n+1} + \sum_{k=0}^{n-2} \left[ \binom{n}{k+2} + b\binom{n}{k+1} + \binom{n}{k} \right] x^{n-k} + (n+b)x + 1.
We require n>2n > 2 so that n+b>0n+b > 0. We also require (nk+2)+b(nk+1)+(nk)>0\binom{n}{k+2} + b\binom{n}{k+1} + \binom{n}{k} > 0 for all k=0,,n2k=0, \dots, n-2 which is equivalent to require H(nk+2)+b(nk+1)+(nk)(nk)>0H \equiv \frac{\binom{n}{k+2} + b\binom{n}{k+1} + \binom{n}{k}}{\binom{n}{k}} > 0 for all k=0,,n2k=0, \dots, n-2. Direct simplification gives
H=(2b)k2+(b2)(n2)k+2bn+n2n+2(k+2)(k+1). H = \frac{(2-b)k^2 + (b-2)(n-2)k + 2bn + n^2 - n + 2}{(k+2)(k+1)}.
The numerator of HH as a quadratic expression in kk has leading coefficient (2b)>0(2-b) > 0 and discriminant [(b2)(n2)]24(2b)(2bn+n2n+2)=(n+2)(b2)(bn+2b+2n)[(b-2)(n-2)]^2 - 4(2-b)(2bn+n^2-n+2) = (n+2)(b-2)(bn+2b+2n). Since b2<0b-2 < 0, HH is positive if and only if bn+2b+2n>0bn+2b+2n > 0, which is equivalent to n>2bb+2n > -\frac{2b}{b+2}.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.