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Algebra Difficulty 7.6 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it

Consider 2 non-constant polynomials P(x),Q(x)P(x),Q(x), with nonnegative coefficients. The coefficients of P(x)P(x) is not larger than 20212021 and Q(x)Q(x) has at least one coefficient larger than 20212021. Assume that P(2022)=Q(2022)P(2022)=Q(2022) and P(x),Q(x)P(x),Q(x) has a root pq0(p,qZ,(p,q)=1)\frac p q \ne 0 (p,q\in \mathbb Z,(p,q)=1). Prove that p+nqQ(n)P(n)|p|+n|q|\le Q(n)-P(n) for all n=1,2,...,2021n=1,2,...,2021

Solution

1. Given that P(x) P(x) and Q(x) Q(x) are non-constant polynomials with nonnegative coefficients, and the coefficients of P(x) P(x) are not larger than 2021, while Q(x) Q(x) has at least one coefficient larger than 2021. We also know that P(2022)=Q(2022) P(2022) = Q(2022) and both polynomials have a root pq0 \frac{p}{q} \neq 0 where p,qZ p, q \in \mathbb{Z} and gcd(p,q)=1 \gcd(p, q) = 1 .

2. Since P(2022)=Q(2022) P(2022) = Q(2022) , we can write:
Q(x)P(x)=(x2022)(bmxm+bm1xm1++b0) Q(x) - P(x) = (x - 2022)(b_m x^m + b_{m-1} x^{m-1} + \cdots + b_0)
where bm,bm1,,b0 b_m, b_{m-1}, \ldots, b_0 are coefficients.

3. The polynomial Q(x)P(x) Q(x) - P(x) is not constant because Q(x) Q(x) has at least one coefficient larger than 2021, and P(x) P(x) has coefficients not larger than 2021. Therefore, m>0 m > 0 .

4. The coefficients of Q(x)P(x) Q(x) - P(x) are:
bmxm+1+(2022bm+bm1)xm++(2022b1+b0)x+(2022b0) b_m x^{m+1} + (-2022b_m + b_{m-1}) x^m + \cdots + (-2022b_1 + b_0) x + (-2022b_0)
Since the coefficients of P(x) P(x) are not larger than 2021 and Q(x) Q(x) has at least one coefficient larger than 2021, all coefficients of Q(x)P(x) Q(x) - P(x) are 2021 \geq -2021 .

5. We have the following inequalities:
bm2021 b_m \geq -2021
2022bm+bm12021 -2022b_m + b_{m-1} \geq -2021
\vdots
2022b1+b02021 -2022b_1 + b_0 \geq -2021
2022b02021 -2022b_0 \geq -2021

6. Assume bi1 b_i \geq 1 for some i i . Then:
2022bi+bi12021    bi12022bi2021202212021=1 -2022b_i + b_{i-1} \geq -2021 \implies b_{i-1} \geq 2022b_i - 2021 \geq 2022 \cdot 1 - 2021 = 1
By continuing this process, we get b01 b_0 \geq 1 , which contradicts 2022b02021 -2022b_0 \geq -2021 . Therefore, bi0 b_i \leq 0 for all i=0,1,,m i = 0, 1, \ldots, m .

7. Thus, bmxm+bm1xm1++b0<0 b_m x^m + b_{m-1} x^{m-1} + \cdots + b_0 < 0 for all x>0 x > 0 . This implies Q(n)P(n)>0 Q(n) - P(n) > 0 for all n=1,2,,2021 n = 1, 2, \ldots, 2021 .

8. Since P(x) P(x) has nonnegative coefficients, its root pq \frac{p}{q} must be negative. Assume p>0 p > 0 , then pnq=p+nq>0 pn - q = |p| + n|q| > 0 for all n=1,2,,2021 n = 1, 2, \ldots, 2021 .

9. Given P(pq)=Q(pq)=0 P\left(\frac{p}{q}\right) = Q\left(\frac{p}{q}\right) = 0 , we can write:
Q(x)P(x)=(pxq)H(x) Q(x) - P(x) = (px - q) H(x)
where H(x) H(x) has integer coefficients.

10. We have:
(p+nq)H(n)=Q(n)P(n)>0 for all n=1,2,,2021 (|p| + n|q|) H(n) = Q(n) - P(n) > 0 \text{ for all } n = 1, 2, \ldots, 2021
This implies H(n)>0 H(n) > 0 , so H(n)1 H(n) \geq 1 for all n=1,2,,2021 n = 1, 2, \ldots, 2021 .

11. Therefore:
Q(n)P(n)=(p+nq)H(n)p+nq for all n=1,2,,2021 Q(n) - P(n) = (|p| + n|q|) H(n) \geq |p| + n|q| \text{ for all } n = 1, 2, \ldots, 2021

\blacksquare

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.