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Algebra Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Vietnam

Let fn(x)f_n(x) be a sequence of polynomials, where f0(x)=2f_0(x) = 2, f1(x)=3xf_1(x) = 3x, and
fn(x)=3xfn1(x)+(1x2x2)fn2(x) f_n(x) = 3x f_{n-1}(x) + (1 - x - 2x^2) f_{n-2}(x)
for all n2n \ge 2. Determine all positive integers nn such that fn(x)f_n(x) is divisible by x3x2+xx^3 - x^2 + x.

Solution

By direct calculation, one can obtain
fn(x)=(2x1)n+(x+1)n f_n(x) = (2x-1)^n + (x+1)^n
for all positive integers nn. Let Q(x)=x3x2+x=x(x2x+1)Q(x) = x^3 - x^2 + x = x(x^2 - x + 1) and nn be the natural number such that Q(x)Q(x) is a divisor of fn(x)f_n(x). It is easy to see that
(1)n+1n=fn(0)=0, (-1)^n + 1^n = f_n(0) = 0,
then nn is odd.

Let R(x)=fn(x)Q(x)R(x) = \frac{f_n(x)}{Q(x)}, we will show that R(x)R(x) is an integer coefficient polynomial. In this step, we assume that
R(x)=aR1(x)b, R(x) = \frac{aR_1(x)}{b},
where a,bZ+a, b \in \mathbb{Z}^+ and R1(x)R_1(x) is a primitive polynomial. Hence,
bfn(x)=aR1(x)Q(x). b f_n(x) = a R_1(x) Q(x).
By Gauss lemma, R1(x)Q(x)R_1(x)Q(x) is primitive then the greatest common divisor of all the coefficients of aR1(x)Q(x)aR_1(x)Q(x) is aa hence aa is divisible by bb. Denoted a=bca = b \cdot c then
R(x)=cR1(x)Z[x]. R(x) = cR_1(x) \in \mathbb{Z}[x].

Putting x=2x = -2, since nn is odd, we get
Q(2)=(14)fn(2)=(5n+1). Q(-2) = (-14) \mid f_n(-2) = -(5^n + 1).
Note that 561(mod6)5^6 \equiv 1 \pmod 6 hence we can check that the above condition is equivalent to n=3kn = 3k where kk is an odd natural number. On the other hand, if n=3kn = 3k where kk is odd, we have
9Q(x)=(x+1)3+(2x1)3fn(x). 9Q(x) = (x+1)^3 + (2x-1)^3 \mid f_n(x).
In conclusion, the answer is n=6p+3n = 6p + 3 where pp is a non-negative integer. \square

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