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Algebra Difficulty 8.2 Shortlist Find the answer

Find all polynomials PP in two variables with real coefficients satisfying the identity P(x,y)P(z,t)=P(xzyt,xt+yz)P(x, y) P(z, t)=P(x z-y t, x t+y z).

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

First we find all polynomials P(x,y)P(x, y) with complex coefficients which satisfies the condition of the problem statement. The identically zero polynomial clearly satisfies the condition. Let consider other polynomials. Let i2=1i^{2}=-1 and P(x,y)=(x+iy)n(xiy)mQ(x,y)P(x, y)=(x+i y)^{n}(x-i y)^{m} Q(x, y), where nn and mm are non-negative integers and Q(x,y)Q(x, y) is a polynomial with complex coefficients such that it is not divisible neither by x+iyx+i y nor xiyx-i y. By the problem statement we have Q(x,y)Q(z,t)=Q(xzyt,xt+yz)Q(x, y) Q(z, t)=Q(x z-y t, x t+y z). Note that z=t=0z=t=0 gives Q(x,y)Q(0,0)=Q(0,0)Q(x, y) Q(0,0)=Q(0,0). If Q(0,0)0Q(0,0) \neq 0, then Q(x,y)=1Q(x, y)=1 for all xx and yy. Thus P(x,y)=(x+iy)n(xiy)mP(x, y)=(x+i y)^{n}(x-i y)^{m}. Now consider the case when Q(0,0)=0Q(0,0)=0. Let x=iyx=i y and z=itz=-i t. We have Q(iy,y)Q(it,t)=Q(0,0)=0Q(i y, y) Q(-i t, t)=Q(0,0)=0 for all yy and tt. Since Q(x,y)Q(x, y) is not divisible by xiy,Q(iy,y)x-i y, Q(i y, y) is not identically zero and since Q(x,y)Q(x, y) is not divisible by x+iyx+i y, Q(it,t)Q(-i t, t) is not identically zero. Thus there exist yy and tt such that Q(iy,y)0Q(i y, y) \neq 0 and Q(it,t)0Q(-i t, t) \neq 0 which is impossible because Q(iy,y)Q(it,t)=0Q(i y, y) Q(-i t, t)=0 for all yy and tt. Finally, P(x,y)P(x, y) polynomials with complex coefficients which satisfies the condition of the problem statement are P(x,y)=0P(x, y)=0 and P(x,y)=(x+iy)n(xiy)nP(x, y)=(x+i y)^{n}(x-i y)^{n}. It is clear that if nmn \neq m, then P(x,y)=(x+iy)n(xiy)mP(x, y)=(x+i y)^{n}(x-i y)^{m} cannot be polynomial with real coefficients. So we need to require n=mn=m, and for this case P(x,y)=(x+iy)n(xiy)n=(x2+y2)nP(x, y)=(x+i y)^{n}(x-i y)^{n}=\left(x^{2}+y^{2}\right)^{n}.

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