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Algebra Difficulty 6.0 National olympiad Prove it Czech-Polish-Slovak Mathematical Match

Find all polynomials PP with real coefficients for which the equality
P(x2)=P(x)P(x+2) P(x^2) = P(x) \cdot P(x+2)
holds for every real number xx.

Solution

The constant polynomial P(x)=cP(x) = c is a solution if and only if c=c2c = c^2, thus the polynomials P(x)=0P(x) = 0 and P(x)=1P(x) = 1 are solutions of the problem.
We claim that the only polynomial of a positive degree nn which solves the equation is of the form P(x)=(x1)nP(x) = (x-1)^n. In view of the identity (x21)n=(x1)n(x+1)n(x^2 - 1)^n = (x-1)^n(x+1)^n, the latter is clearly a solution for any n1n \ge 1.
If axna x^n (a0a \neq 0) is the leading term of a polynomial P(x)P(x) of a positive degree nn, then ax2na x^{2n} is the leading term of the polynomial P(x2)P(x^2) and a2x2na^2 x^{2n} is the leading term of the polynomial P(x)P(x+2)P(x) P(x+2). If PP satisfies the given equality, comparing the leading order terms thus gives a=a2a = a^2, hence a=1a = 1. The polynomial PP can therefore be written in the form P(x)=(x1)n+Q(x)P(x) = (x-1)^n + Q(x), where QQ is either identically zero, or is a nonzero polynomial of degree kk, where 0k<n0 \le k < n. Comparing the polynomials
P(x2)=(x21)n+Q(x2),P(x)P(x+2)=[(x1)n+Q(x)][(x+1)n+Q(x+2)] P(x^2) = (x^2 - 1)^n + Q(x^2), \\ P(x) P(x+2) = [(x-1)^n + Q(x)][(x+1)^n + Q(x+2)]
we obtain (upon multiplying out the brackets and cancelling the terms (x21)n(x^2 - 1)^n on both sides) the equality
Q(x2)=(x1)nQ(x+2)+(x+1)nQ(x)+Q(x)Q(x+2). Q(x^2) = (x-1)^n Q(x+2) + (x+1)^n Q(x) + Q(x) Q(x+2).
The zero polynomial QQ clearly satisfies this relation. For a nonzero QQ of degree k<nk < n, however, Q(x2)Q(x^2) is a polynomial of degree 2k2k, while on the right-hand side of the last equation there is a polynomial of degree n+kn+k (whose leading term is 2bxn+k2b x^{n+k}, if bxkb x^k is the leading order term of the polynomial Q(x)Q(x)). Since 2k<n+k2k < n+k, this is not possible.
Conclusion. The solutions are the constant polynomials P(x)=0P(x) = 0 and P(x)=1P(x) = 1 and the polynomial P(x)=(x1)nP(x) = (x-1)^n for any natural number nn.

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