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Algebra Difficulty 6.1 National Olympiad Prove it Serbia

Problem:

Prove that there exists exactly one polynomial P(x)P(x) with real coefficients for which the polynomial
(x+y)1000P(x)P(y) (x+y)^{1000}-P(x)-P(y)
is divisible by the polynomial xyxyx y-x-y.

Solution

Solution:

Let us denote n=1000n=1000. By the substitution x=u+1x=u+1 and y=v+1y=v+1 we obtain that the polynomial uv1u v-1 divides the polynomial P(u+1)+P(v+1)(u+v+2)nP(u+1)+P(v+1)-(u+v+2)^{n}. An equivalent condition is that P(u+1)+P(v+1)(u+v+2)n=0P(u+1)+P(v+1)-(u+v+2)^{n}=0 whenever uv1=0u v-1=0 (see remark). Thus for u0u \neq 0 and v=1uv=\frac{1}{u} we have P(u+1)+P(1u+1)=(u+1u+2)n=(u+1)2nunP(u+1)+P\left(\frac{1}{u}+1\right)=\left(u+\frac{1}{u}+2\right)^{n}=\frac{(u+1)^{2 n}}{u^{n}}. The polynomial Q(x)=P(x+1)=i=0naixiQ(x)=P(x+1)=\sum_{i=0}^{n} a_{i} x^{i} satisfies
2a0+i=1nai(ui+ui)=Q(u)+Q(1u)=(u+1)2nun=(2nn)+i=1n(2nni)(ui+ui) 2 a_{0}+\sum_{i=1}^{n} a_{i}\left(u^{i}+u^{-i}\right)=Q(u)+Q\left(\frac{1}{u}\right)=\frac{(u+1)^{2 n}}{u^{n}}=\binom{2 n}{n}+\sum_{i=1}^{n}\binom{2 n}{n-i}\left(u^{i}+u^{-i}\right)
from which it immediately follows that a0=12(2nn)a_{0}=\frac{1}{2}\binom{2 n}{n} and ai=(2nni)a_{i}=\binom{2 n}{n-i} for 1in1 \leqslant i \leqslant n. Hence,
P(x)=12(2nn)+i=1n(2nni)(x1)i P(x)=\frac{1}{2}\binom{2 n}{n}+\sum_{i=1}^{n}\binom{2 n}{n-i}(x-1)^{i}

Second solution. We seek polynomials P(x)=i=0npixiP(x)=\sum_{i=0}^{n} p_{i} x^{i} and Q(x,y)=i,jai,jxiyjQ(x, y)=\sum_{i, j} a_{i, j} x^{i} y^{j} such that
A(x,y)=(xyxy)Q(x,y)=(x+y)1000P(x)P(y) A(x, y)=(x y-x-y) Q(x, y)=(x+y)^{1000}-P(x)-P(y)
Notice that degQ998\operatorname{deg} Q \leqslant 998. Indeed, if ai,jxiyja_{i, j} x^{i} y^{j} is the monomial of highest degree in Q(x,y)Q(x, y), then the coefficient of xi+1yj+1x^{i+1} y^{j+1} in A(x,y)A(x, y) equals ai,j0a_{i, j} \neq 0, so i+j+21000i+j+2 \leqslant 1000. It follows that degA1000\operatorname{deg} A \leqslant 1000, hence also degP1000\operatorname{deg} P \leqslant 1000.
Equating the coefficients of xiyjx^{i} y^{j} in (*) gives the equalities ai1,j1=(1000i)a_{i-1, j-1}=\binom{1000}{i} for i+j=998(i,j>0),ai1,j1=ai1,j+ai,j1i+j=998(i, j>0), a_{i-1, j-1}=a_{i-1, j}+a_{i, j-1} for i+j<998(i,j>0)i+j<998(i, j>0) and ai1,0=a_{i-1,0}= a0,i1=pia_{0, i-1}=p_{i}, from which by simple induction we find ai1,j1=(2000ij1000i)a_{i-1, j-1}=\binom{2000-i-j}{1000-i} for i+j1000(i,j>0)i+j \leqslant 1000(i, j>0) and pi=(1999i999)p_{i}=\binom{1999-i}{999}, i.e.,
P(x)=x1000+(1000999)x999+(1001999)x998++(1998999)x P(x)=x^{1000}+\binom{1000}{999} x^{999}+\binom{1001}{999} x^{998}+\cdots+\binom{1998}{999} x

Third solution. There do not exist two distinct polynomials with the desired property. Indeed, if P1(x)≢P2(x)P_{1}(x) \not \equiv P_{2}(x) have this property, then xyxyx y-x-y divides the difference P1(x)+P1(y)P2(x)P2(y)=(xyxy)U(x,y)P_{1}(x)+P_{1}(y)-P_{2}(x)-P_{2}(y)=(x y-x-y) U(x, y). However, if cxiyjc x^{i} y^{j} is the monomial of highest degree in U(x,y)U(x, y), then the coefficient of xi+1yj+1x^{i+1} y^{j+1} on the left-hand side of this equality equals c0c \neq 0, which is impossible.
Let us now prove that for every symmetric polynomial Q(x,y)Q(x, y) there exists a polynomial P(t)P(t) such that xyxyQ(x,y)P(x)P(y)x y-x-y \mid Q(x, y)-P(x)-P(y). It suffices to prove that for polynomials QQ of the form xiyj+xjyi(0ij)x^{i} y^{j}+x^{j} y^{i}(0 \leqslant i \leqslant j) there exists the required polynomial Pi,j(t)P_{i, j}(t). The claim is trivial for i=0i=0. For i>0i>0 we carry out the proof by induction on i+ji+j. Namely, xiyj+xjyi(x+y)(xi1yj1+xj1yi1)=(xiyj1+xj1yi)+x^{i} y^{j}+x^{j} y^{i} \equiv(x+y)\left(x^{i-1} y^{j-1}+x^{j-1} y^{i-1}\right)=\left(x^{i} y^{j-1}+x^{j-1} y^{i}\right)+ (xi1yj+xjyi1)(modxyxy)\left(x^{i-1} y^{j}+x^{j} y^{i-1}\right)(\bmod x y-x-y), so we can take Pi,j(t)=Pi,j1(t)+Pi1,j(t)P_{i, j}(t)=P_{i, j-1}(t)+P_{i-1, j}(t).

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