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Mongolian National Mathematical Olympiad

Number theory Difficulty 5.1 AIME, harder Prove it Mongolia

Let a≥1a \ge 1 and b≥2b \ge 2 be given positive integers. Show that there does not exist any non-constant polynomial f(x)f(x) with integer coefficients such that f(na)f(n^a) and f(bn)f(b^n) are relatively prime for every positive integer nn.
(Battsengel B., Bayarmagnai G.)

Solution

Suppose that such an ff exists.
Since f(ba)f(b^a) and f(bb)f(b^b) are relatively prime, so are f(0)f(0) and bb. Since ff is non-constant polynomial, there exist a prime pp and a positive integer mm such that p∣f(bam)p \mid f(b^{am}). It is clear that bb is relatively prime to pp. We choose a positive integer x0x_0 such that
x0≡am−bm(modp)x_0 \equiv am - b^m \pmod p

and set n=am+(p−1)x0n = am + (p-1)x_0. Then f(na)≡f((am−x0)a)≡f(bma)≡0(modp)f(n^a) \equiv f((am - x_0)^a) \equiv f(b^{ma}) \equiv 0 \pmod{p}. On the other hand, by the Fermat's little theorem, we have
f(bma)≡f(bam+(p−1)x0)≡f(bn)(modp), f(b^{ma}) \equiv f(b^{am+(p-1)x_0}) \equiv f(b^n) \pmod{p},
which gives a contradiction.

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