Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /355 of 462

Algebra Difficulty 6.5 National Olympiad Prove it Ireland

A polynomial in two variables xx, yy is called homogeneous of degree n0n \geq 0 if all its terms are constant multiples of xkynkx^k y^{n-k} for some integer kk with 0kn0 \leq k \leq n. Fix n1n \geq 1 and suppose that P(x,y)P(x, y) and Q(x,y)Q(x, y) are two homogeneous polynomials of degree nn, such that P(k,nk)=Q(nk,k)P(k, n-k) = Q(n-k, k) for all integers kk satisfying 0kn0 \leq k \leq n. Prove that P(x,y)=Q(y,x)P(x, y) = Q(y, x) for all xx and yy.

Solution

Consider the homogeneous polynomial R(x,y)=P(x,y)Q(y,x)R(x, y) = P(x, y) - Q(y, x); it can be written as
R(x,y)=r0xn+r1xn1y++rkxnkyk++rn1xyn1+rnyn. R(x, y) = r_0x^n + r_1x^{n-1}y + \dots + r_kx^{n-k}y^k + \dots + r_{n-1}xy^{n-1} + r_ny^n.

By assumption we have R(k,nk)=0R(k, n - k) = 0 for k=0,1,2,,nk = 0, 1, 2, \dots, n. For k=0k = 0 and k=nk = n we get 0=R(0,n)=rnnn0 = R(0, n) = r_n n^n and 0=R(n,0)=r0nn0 = R(n, 0) = r_0 n^n. Therefore,

r0=rn=0r_0 = r_n = 0 and each term of R(x,y)R(x, y) is divisible by xyxy. If n=1n = 1, this means that R=0R = 0. For n2n \ge 2 there is a homogeneous polynomial S(x,y)S(x, y) of degree n2n-2 such that xyS(x,y)=R(x,y)xyS(x, y) = R(x, y).
Our aim is to show that R(x,y)=0R(x, y) = 0 and so we can assume n2n \ge 2. From the univariate polynomial S~(x)=S(x,1)\tilde{S}(x) = S(x, 1) we can recover SS, because
S(x,y)=ynS~(x/y). S(x, y) = y^n \tilde{S}(x/y).
This is so because SS is homogeneous and xnkyk=yn(x/y)kx^{n-k}y^k = y^n(x/y)^k. To prove that R=0R = 0 it is therefore sufficient to show that S~=0\tilde{S} = 0.
By assumption we have S(k,nk)=0S(k, n-k) = 0 for k=1,2,,n1k = 1, 2, \dots, n-1. From S(k,nk)=(nk)nS~(k/(nk))S(k, n-k) = (n-k)^n \tilde{S}(k/(n-k)) we deduce that the n1n-1 distinct numbers 1n1,2n2,,n22,n11\frac{1}{n-1}, \frac{2}{n-2}, \dots, \frac{n-2}{2}, \frac{n-1}{1} are roots of the polynomial S~(x)\tilde{S}(x). Because the degree of S~(x)\tilde{S}(x) is at most the degree of S(x,y)S(x, y), which was equal to n2n-2, this implies that S~=0\tilde{S} = 0 and so R=0R = 0 as well.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.