Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /516 of 520

Algebra Difficulty 6.8 National olympiad Prove it

## Task A-3.2.

Let S={0,95}S=\{0,95\}. In each step, Lucija expands the set SS by choosing some polynomial with coefficients from SS, different from the zero polynomial, and adding all integer roots of that polynomial to the set SS. The process continues by selecting another polynomial with coefficients from the thus expanded set SS as long as new roots can be obtained in this way.

Prove that Lucija can expand the set SS to a set that cannot be further expanded by a finite sequence of steps. How many elements will the set SS have then?

Solution

## Solution.

An integer root of a polynomial with integer coefficients must be a divisor of the free term. Since, without loss of generality, we can assume that the free term of the polynomial Lucija chooses is different from zero, we conclude that the set SS can only be extended by integer divisors of the number 95. Since the number of divisors of the number 95 is finite, Lucija will not be able to extend the set SS infinitely.

Let's prove that Lucija will add all integer divisors of 95 to the set SS, i.e., that SS will eventually have 9 elements.

Since -1 is a root of the polynomial 95x+9595 x+95, the number -1 can be added to SS.

The number 1 is a root of the polynomial x95x94x+95-x^{95}-x^{94}-\cdots-x+95, so 1 can be added to SS.

Now the number -95 can be added because it is a root of the polynomial x+95x+95.

The polynomial x3+x2+x+95-x^{3}+x^{2}+x+95 with coefficients from SS has a root 5, so 5 can be added to SS. Now we see that -5 can also be added to SS because -5 is a root of the polynomial x+5x+5.

Similarly, at the end, 19,19S-19,19 \in S because they are roots of the polynomials 5x+955 x+95 and 5x955 x-95.

Note: The polynomial for which 5 is a root can be obtained in a systematic way. Clearly, 5 cannot be obtained as a root of a linear polynomial with coefficients from the set S={95,1,0,1,95}S=\{-95,-1,0,1,95\}.

Assume that 5 is a root of the polynomial ax2+bx+ca x^{2}+b x+c, for a,b,cSa, b, c \in S. Then 5c5 \mid c and c0c \neq 0, so c=95c=95 or c=95c=-95. We have

25a+5b=±95 25 a+5 b= \pm 95

or

5a+b=±19 5 a+b= \pm 19

which is impossible for a,bSa, b \in S. Therefore, if 5 is a root of a polynomial with coefficients from SS, the polynomial must be of degree at least 3.

Assume that

53a+52b+5c+d=0 5^{3} a+5^{2} b+5 c+d=0

for some a,b,c,dSa, b, c, d \in S. Then 5d5 \mid d and d0d \neq 0, so d=95d=95 or d=95d=-95.

If d=95d=95, dividing the above equation by 5 gives

25a+5b+c=19 25 a+5 b+c=-19

so we see that c1(mod5)c \equiv 1(\bmod 5). Since cSc \in S, it must be c=1c=1.

Now 5a+b=45 a+b=-4 from which it easily follows that a=1a=-1 and b=1b=1.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

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