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Algebra Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it Vietnam

Let P(x)Z[x]P(x) \in \mathbb{Z}[x] be a polynomial. Determine all polynomials Q(x)Z[x]Q(x) \in \mathbb{Z}[x], such that for every positive integer nn, there exists a polynomial Rn(x)Z[x]R_n(x) \in \mathbb{Z}[x] satisfies
Q(x)2n1=Rn(x)(P(x)2n1). Q(x)^{2n} - 1 = R_n(x) (P(x)^{2n} - 1).

Solution

By fixing xZx \in \mathbb{Z}, we obtain that Q(x)2n1Q(x)^{2n} - 1 is a multiple of P(x)2n1P(x)^{2n} - 1 for all positive integer nn. We now prove the following lemma.

Lemma. If aa and bb are two integers larger than 11 such that an1bn1a^n - 1 \mid b^n - 1 for all positive integer nn then b=akb = a^k for some positive integer kk.

Proof. (adapted from Andreescu, T., Dospinescu, G, Problems from the Book.)
Let xn=bn1an1x_n = \frac{b^{n-1}}{a^{n-1}} and consider the sequence (xn(i))n>0(x_n^{(i)})_{n>0} indexed by i>0i > 0 defined by the formulas
xn(i+1)=bxn(i)aixn+1(i),xn(1)=xn. x_n^{(i+1)} = b x_n^{(i)} - a^i x_{n+1}^{(i)}, \quad x_n^{(1)} = x_n.
We can show by induction that xn(i)x_n^{(i)} can be written as
ci(i)bn+ci1(i)a(i1)n++c1(i)an+c0(i)(an+i1a)(an1). \frac{c_i^{(i)} b^n + c_{i-1}^{(i)} a^{(i-1)n} + \dots + c_1^{(i)} a^n + c_0^{(i)}}{(a^n + i - 1 - a) \dots (a^n - 1)}.
Thus, for the index ii such that ai>ba^i > b, we obtain that limnxn(i)=0\lim_{n \to \infty} x_n^{(i)} = 0. However, by the definition, xn(1)Zx_n^{(1)} \in \mathbb{Z} for all nn, thus all the terms xn(i)x_n^{(i)} are integers, which means xn(i)=0x_n^{(i)} = 0 for nn sufficiently large. We suppose that jj is the minimal index satisfying xn(j)=0x_n^{(j)} = 0 for all nMjn \ge M_j. We have
xn(j)=0    bxn(j1)=ajxn+1(j1) x_n^{(j)} = 0 \implies b x_n^{(j-1)} = a^j x_{n+1}^{(j-1)}
which concludes by induction that
xn(j1)=(baj)nMxM(j1). x_n^{(j-1)} = \left(\frac{b}{a^j}\right)^{n-M} x_M^{(j-1)}.
By setting baj=c>0\frac{b}{a^j} = c > 0, we obtain that cMnxn(j1)Zc^{M-n} \cdot x_n^{(j-1)} \in \mathbb{Z} for all M>nM > n, which means cZc \in \mathbb{Z} or xn(j1)=0x_n^{(j-1)} = 0. The latter cannot hold since it follows that xM(j1)=0x_M^{(j-1)} = 0 for all MnM \ge n, thus contradicts the minimality of jj. In conclusion, cZc \in \mathbb{Z} thus aa is a divisor of bb. Now, write b=cab = c a for cZ>0c \in \mathbb{Z}_{>0}, we have
an1(ac)n1    an1cn1 a^n - 1 \mid (a c)^n - 1 \implies a^n - 1 \mid c^n - 1
thus we can prove similarly that aca \mid c or c=1c = 1. Repeating this process, we obtain b=akb = a^k for some kk.

Back to the problem, since (Q(x)2)n1(Q(x)^2)^n - 1 is divisible by (P(x)2)n1(P(x)^2)^n - 1 for all pairs (x,n)Z×Z>0(x, n) \in \mathbb{Z} \times \mathbb{Z}_{>0}. If degP>0\deg P > 0 and degQ>0\deg Q > 0, there exists an integer x0x_0 such that for all x>x0x > x_0, one has P(x),Q(x)>1|P(x)|, |Q(x)| > 1. The lemma concludes that for each x>x0x > x_0, there exists an integer kxk_x such that
Q(x)=P(x)kx. |Q(x)| = |P(x)|^{k_x}.
On the other hand, if we write degQdegP=k\frac{\deg Q}{\deg P} = k then for all ε>0\varepsilon > 0, we have
limnP(x)kεQ(x)=0,limnP(x)k+εQ(x)=+ \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{|P(x)|^{k-\varepsilon}}{|Q(x)|} = 0, \quad \lim_{n \to \infty} \frac{|P(x)|^{k+\varepsilon}}{|Q(x)|} = +\infty
thus k=kxk = k_x for all sufficiently large xx, which means Q|Q| is a power of P|P|. It remains to consider the case degP<1\deg P < 1 or degQ<1\deg Q < 1.

* If degQ<1\deg Q < 1 and degP>1\deg P > 1, we always have degQ2n1<deg(P2n1)\deg Q^{2n} - 1 < \deg (P^{2n} - 1) thus Q2n=1Q^{2n} = 1, which means Q(x)1Q(x) \equiv 1 or 1-1.

* If degP<1\deg P < 1, write P(x)=pP(x) = p. If p=1|p| = 1, we have Q2n=1Q^{2n} = 1 thus Q(x)1Q(x) \equiv 1 or 1-1. Otherwise, we obtain Q(x)2n1Q(x)^{2n} - 1 is a multiple of p2n1p^{2n} - 1 for all nn, thus Q(x)=pkx|Q(x)| = p^{k_x} for some kxk_x. By Schur's lemma, if degQ>0\deg Q > 0, the sequence (Q(n))n0(Q(n))_{n \ge 0} has infinitely many prime divisors, which is a contradiction because almost all the prime divisors of this sequence are divisors of pp. In this case, we conclude that degQ=0\deg Q = 0 and Q(x)=pk|Q(x)| = p^k for some fixed positive integer kk.

So the polynomials Q(x)Q(x) satisfying the problem are:
Q(x)=±P(x)kQ(x) = \pm P(x)^k for some positive integer kk, or Q(x)±1Q(x) \equiv \pm 1.

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