Find all such positive integer n that for every polynomial g(x) with real coefficients there exist such polynomials p1(x),p2(x),...,pn(x) and q1(x),q2(x),...,qn(x) that g(x)=∑i=1n(pi2(x)+qi3(x)).
Solution
For n≥2 let q1(x)=q2(x)=...=qn(x)=0 and p2(x)=p3(x)=...=pn(x)=0, q2(x)=−3x+1, q1(x)=3x−2, p1(x)=31(x+1). Then
i=1∑n(pi2(x)+qi3(x))=x,(1) and changing x by g(x) for all polynomials pi(x) and qi(x), any polynomial g(x) can be obtained:
q2(x)=−3g(x)+1,q1(x)=3g(x)−2,p1(x)=31(g(x)+1), from (1) it is easy to see that we get what is required.
Lets show that n=1 does not suit. Suppose that there exist such polynomials p(x) and q(x) that p2(x)+q3(x)=x.(2) Changing x by x2 in (2), we get: (x−p(x2))(x+p(x2))=q3(x2). Suppose that both polynomials x−p(x2) and x+p(x2) have common (possibly complex) root α, then α=p(α2)=−p(α2), hence α=0 and p(0)=p(α2)=α=0, q(0)=0. But in such case the left-hand side of (2) is divisible by x2, and the right-hand side is not, which is
impossible. So x−p(x2) and x+p(x2) have no common roots. Then each of them has to be a cube of some polynomial (with, possibly, complex coefficients). I.e. x−p(x2)=q13(x) and x+p(x2)=q23(x). Adding up these equalities we get 2x=q13(x)+q23(x)=(q1(x)+q2(x))(q12(x)−q1(x)q2(x)+q22(x)), and 2 cases are possible: 1) q1(x)+q2(x)=c; 2) q1(x)+q2(x)=2cx. For the first case, c2x=q12(x)−q1(x)q2(x)+q22(x)=c2−3q1(x)(c−q1(x)), which is impossible because the degree of the left-hand side is odd and of the right-hand side is even. For the second case c1=q12(x)−q1(x)q2(x)+q22(x)=4c2x2−3q1(x)(2cx−q1(x)), thus degq1(x)=1, i.e. q1(x)=ax+b (a=0). Then the equality p(x2)=x−q13(x) is impossible, because the right-hand side is the polynomial of the third degree, and the left-hand side is the polynomial of even degree.
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