Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /48 of 68

Algebra Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it Estonia

a) Does there exist an integer cc and a polynomial P(x)P(x) with integer coefficients for which P(c)cP(c) \neq c, but P(P(c))=cP(P(c)) = c?

b) Does there exist an integer cc and a polynomial P(x)P(x) with integer coefficients for which P(c)cP(c) \neq c and P(P(c))cP(P(c)) \neq c, but P(P(P(c)))=cP(P(P(c))) = c?

Solution

a) Take P(x)=xP(x) = -x and c=1c = 1, then P(c)=1cP(c) = -1 \neq c and P(P(c))=P(1)=1=cP(P(c)) = P(-1) = 1 = c.

b) Suppose that there exist a polynomial with integer coefficients P(x)P(x) and an integer cc, for which P(c)cP(c) \neq c, P(P(c))cP(P(c)) \neq c and P(P(P(c)))=cP(P(P(c))) = c. Notice that P(c)P(P(c))P(c) \neq P(P(c)), because otherwise P(P(c))=P(P(P(c)))=cP(P(c)) = P(P(P(c))) = c, which would contradict the assumption.
In the following calculations we will use the well-known property of polynomials with integer coefficients: kmP(k)P(m)k - m \mid P(k) - P(m) for any distinct integers kk and mm.
Using this and the premise that P(P(P(c)))=cP(P(P(c))) = c, we see that number cP(c)=P(P(P(c)))P(P(P(P(c))))c - P(c) = P(P(P(c))) - P(P(P(P(c)))) is divisible by P(P(c))P(P(P(c)))=P(P(c))cP(P(c)) - P(P(P(c))) = P(P(c)) - c, which in turn is divisible by P(c)P(P(c))P(c) - P(P(c)), which in turn is divisible by cP(c)c - P(c). Hence cP(c)P(P(c))ccP(c)|c - P(c)| \ge |P(P(c)) - c| \ge |c - P(c)|, implying cP(c)=P(P(c))c|c - P(c)| = |P(P(c)) - c|, and similarly cP(c)=P(c)P(P(c))|c - P(c)| = |P(c) - P(P(c))|.
Therefore three numbers cc, P(c)P(c) and P(P(c))P(P(c)) are all at the same distance away from each other on the number line, which is possible only when those numbers coincide, that is c=P(c)=P(P(c))c = P(c) = P(P(c)), which contradicts the assumptions made. This contradiction shows that polynomial P(x)P(x) and integer cc do not exist.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

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