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Algebra Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Taiwan

For any positive integer kk, let S(k)S(k) denote the sum of its digits in base ten (example: S(209)=2+0+9=11S(209) = 2 + 0 + 9 = 11). Find all polynomials P(x)P(x) with integer coefficients such that for all positive integers n2017n \ge 2017, we have P(n)>0P(n) > 0 and
S(P(n))=P(S(n)). S(P(n)) = P(S(n)).

Solution

P(x)=xP(x) = x or P(x)=cP(x) = c, where c{1,,9}c \in \{1, \dots, 9\}

Suppose P(x)=adxd++a1x1+a0P(x) = a_{d}x^{d} + \cdots + a_{1}x^{1} + a_{0}. Consider n=9×10kn = 9 \times 10^{k}, where kk is a sufficiently large positive integer; note that S(n)=9P(S(n))=P(9)S(n) = 9 \Rightarrow P(S(n)) = P(9).

1. We first prove that all coefficients are nonnegative.
Suppose there exists 0i<d0 \le i < d such that ai<0a_i < 0, then it is easy to see that the digits of P(n)P(n) corresponding to 10ik+m+110^{ik+m+1} through 10(i+1)k110^{(i+1)k-1} are all 9, so S(P(n))9(km1)S(P(n)) \ge 9(k-m-1). Taking kk sufficiently large, then 9(km1)>P(9)=P(S(n))9(k-m-1) > P(9) = P(S(n)), so S(P(n))P(S(n))S(P(n)) \ne P(S(n)), a contradiction.

2. Next we prove that deg(P(x))1\deg(P(x)) \le 1.
Since all coefficients are nonnegative, when kk is sufficiently large, P(n)P(n) will consist of ad×9d,ad1×9d1,,a0a_d \times 9^d, a_{d-1} \times 9^{d-1}, \dots, a_0 with some 0's inserted in between, that is,
S(P(n))=S(ad×9d)++S(a0). S(P(n)) = S(a_d \times 9^d) + \cdots + S(a_0).
Also S(P(n))=P(S(n))=P(9)S(P(n)) = P(S(n)) = P(9), so we have
S(ad×9d)++S(a0)=P(9)=ad×9d++a0.(1) S(a_d \times 9^d) + \cdots + S(a_0) = P(9) = a_d \times 9^d + \cdots + a_0. \quad (1)
However, for all positive integers mm, it is clear that S(m)mS(m) \le m, with equality holding only when m{1,,9}m \in \{1, \dots, 9\}, so i2,ai=0\forall i \ge 2, a_i = 0.

3. (1) also tells us that a11a_1 \le 1 and a09a_0 \le 9.
- If a1=1a_1 = 1 and a01a_0 \ge 1, take n=10k+(10a0)n = 10^k + (10 - a_0), we get
S(P(n))=S(10k+10)=211=P(11a0)=P(S(n)). S(P(n)) = S(10^k + 10) = 2 \neq 11 = P(11 - a_0) = P(S(n)).
So P(x)=xP(x) = x, substituting confirms it works.
- If a1=0a_1 = 0, then it is easy to see that a0{1,,9}a_0 \in \{1, \dots, 9\} all satisfy the requirements of the problem.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.