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Algebra Difficulty 5.0 AIME, harder Prove it Saudi Arabia

Let a1a_{1}, a2a_{2}, a3a_{3}, a4a_{4}, a5a_{5} be nonzero real numbers. Prove that the polynomial
P(X)=k=04(ak+1X4+ak+2X3+ak+3X2+ak+4X+ak+5), P(X) = \prod_{k=0}^{4} \left( a_{k+1} X^{4} + a_{k+2} X^{3} + a_{k+3} X^{2} + a_{k+4} X + a_{k+5} \right),
where a5+i=aia_{5+i} = a_{i} for i=1,2,3,4i = 1, 2, 3, 4, has a root with negative real part.

Solution

Assume, to the contrary, that all roots of the polynomial P(X)P(X) have nonegative real parts. We deduce that the real parts of the sums of the roots of its factors
akX4+ak+1X3+ak+2X2+ak+3X+ak+4 a_{k} X^{4} + a_{k+1} X^{3} + a_{k+2} X^{2} + a_{k+3} X + a_{k+4}
for k=1,2,3,4k = 1, 2, 3, 4, are nonegative. Therefore, by Vieta's relations, we have
Re(ak+1ak)0 \operatorname{Re} \left( -\frac{a_{k+1}}{a_{k}} \right) \geq 0
for k=1,2,3,4k = 1, 2, 3, 4. Hence
1=Rek=14(ak+1ak)=k=14Re(ak+1ak)0, -1 = \operatorname{Re} \prod_{k=1}^{4} \left( -\frac{a_{k+1}}{a_{k}} \right) = \prod_{k=1}^{4} \operatorname{Re} \left( -\frac{a_{k+1}}{a_{k}} \right) \geq 0,
which is a contradiction.

This proves that the polynomial P(X)P(X) has a root with negative real part.

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