1) Since degP=1, put P(x)=ax+b with a,b∈Z and a=0. Note that
∣P(2021)−P(0)∣=∣2021a∣≥2021⇒max{∣P(2021)∣,∣P(0)∣}≥22021.
Thus, ∣P(2021)−P(0)∣=∣2021a∣≥2021 which implies that
max{∣P(2021)∣,∣P(0)∣}≥22021⇒max{∣P(2021)∣,∣P(0)∣}≥1011.
On the other hand, T(x)=x−1011 satisfies the condition ∣T(x)∣≤1011,∀x∈[0;2021]. Hence, the minimum value of MP(x) is 1011, the equality holds when P(x)=x−1011.
2) Suppose that there is some integer polynomial P(x) with
2≤degP≤2022 and MP(x)<1011.
One can see that ∣P(x)∣<1011,∀x∈[0;2021] thus ∣P(x)∣≤1010,∀x∈[0;2021]∩Z. By the property of integer polynomials, 2021∣P(2021)−P(0) so P(2021)=P(0) which leads to
∣P(2021)−P(0)∣≤∣P(0)∣+∣P(2021)∣≤2020.
From that, let's put P(x)=x(x−2021)Q(x)+c with c∈Z and Q(x)∈Z[x]. So x(x−2021)≥2022,∀x∈{2,3,…,2019}. If there exists x0∈{2,3,…,2019} such that Q(x0)=0 then
max∣x0(x0−2021)Q(x0)−c∣≥21∣x0(x0−2021)Q(x0)∣≥1011.
From this, we can conclude that Q(2)=Q(3)=⋯=Q(2019)=0 so let's write
P(x)=x(x−2)(x−3)⋯(x−2019)(x−2021)H(x)+c
with H(x)∈Z[x] then P(1)=−2020⋅2018!H(1)+c. Note that if H(1)=0 then MP(x)>1011. Similarly, H(2020)=0 also leads to another contradiction, so H(1)=H(2020)=0 then there is some R(x)∈Z[x] for which
Q(x)=(x−1)(x−2)⋯(x−2020)R(x).
Since degP≤2022 then R(x)≡c∈Z. On the other hand, P(21)>1011 so c=0, which contradicts P(x) being non-constant. Therefore, the contrary hypothesis is false and it follows that MP(x)≥1011. □