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Algebra Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it Hong Kong

For each integer k4k \ge 4, prove that if F(x)F(x) is a polynomial with integer coefficients satisfying the condition 0F(c)k0 \le F(c) \le k for every c=0,1,,k+1c = 0, 1, \dots, k+1, then
F(0)=F(1)==F(k+1). F(0) = F(1) = \dots = F(k+1).

Solution

Note that (k+1)0=F(k+1)F(0)(k+1)-0 = F(k+1)-F(0). Since F(k+1)F(0)k|F(k+1)-F(0)| \le k, we must have F(k+1)=F(0)=dF(k+1) = F(0) = d for some constant dd. Let F(x)=d+x(xk1)G(x)F(x) = d + x(x-k-1)G(x) for some polynomial GG with integer coefficients.

For 2nk12 \le n \le k-1, we have F(n)=d+n(nk1)G(n)F(n) = d+n(n-k-1)G(n), and so n(k+1n)F(n)dn(k+1-n) \mid F(n)-d.
Again, F(n)dk|F(n)-d| \le k. Since n(k+1n)2(k+12)>kn(k+1-n) \ge 2(k+1-2) > k, we must have F(n)=dF(n) = d.
Thus, we can write F(x)=d+x(x2)(xk+1)(xk1)H(x)F(x) = d+x(x-2)(x-k+1)(x-k-1)H(x) for some polynomial HH with integer coefficients. (Note that we have used the fact k4k \ge 4 to show that the roots 0,2,k1,k+10, 2, k-1, k+1 of F(x)dF(x)-d are distinct.)

Lastly, for n=1,kn = 1, k, we have n(n2)(nk+1)(k+1n)F(n)dn(n-2)(n-k+1)(k+1-n) \mid F(n) - d. Again, F(n)dk|F(n)-d| \le k. Also, n(n2)(nk+1)(k+1n)=k(k2)2kn(n-2)(n-k+1)(k+1-n) = k(k-2) \ge 2k in both cases. Therefore, we must have F(n)=dF(n) = d.

Thus, we have shown that F(n)=dF(n) = d for n=0,1,,k+1n = 0, 1, \dots, k+1.

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