Maths Olympiad Prep

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Number theory Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Prove it Taiwan

Prove that there exists a polynomial f(x)f(x) with integer coefficients such that:
(1) f(x)=0f(x) = 0 has no rational real root.
(2) For any positive integer nn, there exists an integer mm such that f(m)f(m) is a multiple of nn.

Solution

(Note that the possible f(x)f(x) is not unique.) We now prove that
f(x)=(x2+1)(x2+2)(x22)(x2+7) f(x) = (x^2 + 1)(x^2 + 2)(x^2 - 2)(x^2 + 7)
satisfies the conditions. It is easy to see that f(x)=0f(x) = 0 has no rational real root.

1. First we prove: for every power of an odd prime pαp^\alpha, there exists an integer mpαm_{p^\alpha} such that
pαf(mpα). p^{\alpha}|f(m_{p^{\alpha}}).
In fact, we can prove the following lemma by induction:

Lemma 1. For every odd prime pp, there exists rp{1,2,2}r_p \in \{-1, -2, 2\}, such that for all α1\alpha \ge 1, there must exist mpαZm_{p^\alpha} \in \mathbb{Z} such that pαmp2rpp^\alpha|m_p^2 - r_p.

a. First, for α=1\alpha = 1, note that:
- If p=4k+1p = 4k + 1, then 1-1 is a quadratic residue modulo pp;
- If p=8k+3p = 8k + 3, then 2-2 is a quadratic residue modulo pp;
- If p=8k+7p = 8k + 7, then 22 is a quadratic residue modulo pp.

Combining the above, there must exist mpZm_p \in \mathbb{Z} and rp{1,2,2}r_p \in \{-1, -2, 2\}, such that pmp2rpp|m_p^2 - r_p.

b. Suppose the proposition holds for α=k\alpha = k. When α=k+1\alpha = k+1, take mpk+1=mpk+tpkm_{p^{k+1}} = m_{p^k} + tp^k, where tt is to be determined. Note that we have
mpk+12rp=(mpk+tpk)2rp(mpk2rp)+2mpktpk(modpk+1). \begin{aligned} m_{p^{k+1}}^2 - r_p &= (m_{p^k} + tp^k)^2 - r_p \\ &\equiv (m_{p^k}^2 - r_p) + 2m_{p^k}tp^k \pmod{p^{k+1}}. \end{aligned}
By the induction hypothesis, pkmpk2rpp^k|m_{p^k}^2 - r_p, so it suffices to take
tmpk2rppk(2mpk)1(modp), t \equiv - \frac{m_{p^k}^2 - r_p}{p^k} (2m_{p^k})^{-1} \pmod{p},
to make pk+1mpk+12rpp^{k+1}|m_{p^{k+1}}^2 - r_p hold (Note: clearly pp does not divide mpkm_{p^k}, so (2mpk)1(2m_{p^k})^{-1} exists.)

Combining the above, Lemma 1 is proved, and hence the original proposition holds when nn is a power of an odd prime.

2. Next we prove: for every power of 22, 2α2^\alpha, there exists an integer m2αm_{2^\alpha} such that 2αf(m2α)2^\alpha|f(m_{2^\alpha}).
In fact, we can prove the following lemma by induction:

Lemma 2. For all α1\alpha \ge 1, there must exist m2αZm_{2^\alpha} \in \mathbb{Z} such that 2αmp2+72^\alpha|m_p^2 + 7.

a. First, for α3\alpha \ge 3, take m2α=1m_{2^\alpha} = 1.

b. Suppose the proposition holds for α=k3\alpha = k \ge 3. When α=k+1\alpha = k + 1, take
m2k+1=m2k+t2k1, m_{2^{k+1}} = m_{2^k} + t2^{k-1},
where tt is to be determined. Note that we have
m2k+12+7=(m2k+t2k1)2+7(m2k2+7)+m2kt2k(mod2k+1). \begin{aligned} m_{2^{k+1}}^2 + 7 &= (m_{2^k} + t2^{k-1})^2 + 7 \\ &\equiv (m_{2^k}^2 + 7) + m_{2^k}t2^k \pmod{2^{k+1}}. \end{aligned}
By the induction hypothesis, 2km2k2+72^k|m_{2^k}^2 + 7, so it suffices to take
tm2k2+72k(mod2), t \equiv \frac{m_{2^k}^2 + 7}{2^k} \pmod{2},
to make 2k+1m2k+12+72^{k+1}|m_{2^{k+1}}^2 + 7 hold.

Combining the above, Lemma 2 is proved, and hence the original proposition holds when nn is a power of 22.

- From the two lemmas above, we know that for all 1is1 \le i \le s there exists an integer mpiαim_{p_i^{\alpha_i}} such that piαif(mpiαi)p_i^{\alpha_i} \mid f(m_{p_i^{\alpha_i}}).
- Also, for any polynomial f(x)f(x) with integer coefficients, and any two distinct integers u,vu, v, it must be that
uvf(u)f(v). u - v \mid f(u) - f(v).
Hence, as long as we let mm satisfy the system of congruences
mmpiαi(mod piαi)i=1,2,,s m \equiv m_{p_i^{\alpha_i}} (\text{mod } p_i^{\alpha_i}) \quad \forall i = 1, 2, \dots, s
we then have
f(m)=[f(m)f(mpiαi)]+f(mpiαi)[mmpiαi]+00(modpiαi) \begin{aligned} f(m) &= [f(m) - f(m_{p_i^{\alpha_i}})] + f(m_{p_i^{\alpha_i}}) \\ &\equiv [m - m_{p_i^{\alpha_i}}] + 0 \equiv 0 \pmod{p_i^{\alpha_i}} \end{aligned}
holding for all i=1,2,,si = 1, 2, \dots, s; in other words, nf(m)n \mid f(m).

Combining the above, we know that f(x)f(x) satisfies the requirements of the problem.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.