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Algebra Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Find the answer

Let nn be an even positive integer. Let pp be a monic, real polynomial of degree 2n2n; that is to say, p(x)=x2n+a2n1x2n1++a1x+a0p(x) = x^{2n} + a_{2n-1} x^{2n-1} + \cdots + a_1 x + a_0 for some real coefficients a0,,a2n1a_0, \dots, a_{2n-1}. Suppose that p(1/k)=k2p(1/k) = k^2 for all integers kk such that 1kn1 \leq |k| \leq n. Find all other real numbers xx for which p(1/x)=x2p(1/x) = x^2.

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Solution

The only other real numbers with this property are ±1/n!\pm 1/n!. (Note that these are indeed \emph{other} values than ±1,,±n\pm 1, \dots, \pm n because n>1n>1.) Define the polynomial q(x)=x2n+2x2np(1/x)=x2n+2(a0x2n++a2n1x+1)q(x) = x^{2n+2}-x^{2n}p(1/x) = x^{2n+2}-(a_0x^{2n}+\cdots+a_{2n-1}x+1). The statement that p(1/x)=x2p(1/x)=x^2 is equivalent (for x0x\neq 0) to the statement that xx is a root of q(x)q(x). Thus we know that ±1,±2,,±n\pm 1,\pm 2,\ldots,\pm n are roots of q(x)q(x), and we can write q(x)=(x2+ax+b)(x21)(x24)(x2n2) q(x) = (x^2+ax+b)(x^2-1)(x^2-4)\cdots (x^2-n^2) for some monic quadratic polynomial x2+ax+bx^2+ax+b. Equating the coefficients of x2n+1x^{2n+1} and x0x^0 on both sides gives 0=a0=a and 1=(1)n(n!)2b-1=(-1)^n(n!)^2 b, respectively. Since nn is even, we have x2+ax+b=x2(n!)2x^2+ax+b = x^2-(n!)^{-2}. We conclude that there are precisely two other real numbers xx such that p(1/x)=x2p(1/x)=x^2, and they are ±1/n!\pm 1/n!.

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