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Algebra Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it Saudi Arabia

Let nn be a positive integer. Prove that all roots of the equation
x(x+2)(x+4)(x+2n)+(x+1)(x+3)(x+2n1)=0 x(x+2)(x+4) \ldots(x+2n) + (x+1)(x+3) \ldots(x+2n-1) = 0
are real and irrational.

Solution

Consider the polynomial function
f(x)=x(x+2)(x+4)(x+2n)+(x+1)(x+3)(x+2n1) f(x) = x(x+2)(x+4) \ldots(x+2n) + (x+1)(x+3) \ldots(x+2n-1)
We have degf=n+1\deg f = n+1 and the leading coefficient is 11.

Observe that for 0k<n0 \leq k < n,
f(2k)=(1)k(2k1)(2k3)13(2k+2n1) f(-2k) = (-1)^k (2k-1)(2k-3) \ldots 1 \cdot 3 \ldots (-2k+2n-1)
and
f(2k2)=f(2(k+1))=(1)k+1(2k+1)(2k1)13(2k+2n3). \begin{gathered} f(-2k-2) = f(-2(k+1)) \\ = (-1)^{k+1} (2k+1)(2k-1) \ldots 1 \cdot 3 \ldots (-2k+2n-3) . \end{gathered}
It is clear that f(2k2)f(2k)<0f(-2k-2) f(-2k) < 0, that is, the interval Ik=(2k2,2k)I_k = (-2k-2, -2k) contains a root of ff for any k=0,1,,n1k = 0, 1, \ldots, n-1. Because ff is of degree n+1n+1 and it has nn real roots, it follows that ff has n+1n+1 real roots.

It is clear that ff has integer coefficients. If ff has a rational root aa, then aa must be integer since the leading coefficient is 11.

If aa is even, then from f(a)=0f(a) = 0 we get
a(a+2)(a+4)(a+2n)+(a+1)(a+3)(a+2n+1)=0, a(a+2)(a+4) \ldots(a+2n) + (a+1)(a+3) \ldots(a+2n+1) = 0,
that is, an odd number is equal to 00, not possible.

If aa is odd, then from f(a)=0f(a) = 0, it follows again that an odd number is equal to 00, not possible.

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