Answer: No, not necessarily.
As an example, consider the following two polynomials:
Q(x)=1+2x+3x2+4x3+⋯+2023x2022+2024x2023+2023x2024+⋯+x4046,R(x)=x−1,
then P(x)=Q(x)(x−1)=−1−x−x2−⋯−x2023+x2024+x2025+⋯+x4047.
Then a=1 and b=2024, with b>2023a.
Alternative solution. Consider the following two polynomials:
P(x)=(x3−1)N,Q(x)=(x2+x+1)N.
By the construction of P(x):Q(x), that is, the polynomial R(x) exists. Since
P(x)=(x3−1)N=j=0∑NCNjx3j⇒a=CNj for some j=0,N⇒a=CNj<j=0∑NCNj=(1+1)N=2N.
The sum of the coefficients of the polynomial Q(x) is equal to Q(1)=(1+1+1)N=3N and the number of coefficients is 2N+1, because it has degree 2N. Therefore, according to Dirichlet's principle, there is a coefficient at least
2N+13N⇒b≥2N+13N.
It is clear that with sufficiently large N inequality will hold:
ab≥2N(2N+1)3N>2023.