For each integer , consider the polynomial For what values of is the product of two non-constant polynomials with integer coefficients?
Solution
By the quadratic formula, if , then , and hence the four roots of are given by . If factors into two nonconstant polynomials over the integers, then some subset of consisting of one or two elements form the roots of a polynomial with integer coefficients.
First suppose this subset has a single element, say ; this element must be a rational number. Then is an integer, so is twice a perfect square, say . But then is only rational if , i.e., if .
Next, suppose that the subset contains two elements; then we can take it to be one of , or . In all cases, the sum and the product of the elements of the subset must be a rational number. In the first case, this means , so is a perfect square. In the second case, we have , contradiction. In the third case, we have , or , which means that is twice a perfect square.
We conclude that factors into two nonconstant polynomials over the integers if and only if is either a square or twice a square.
Note: a more sophisticated interpretation of this argument can be given using Galois theory. Namely, if is neither a square nor twice a square, then the number fields and are distinct quadratic fields, so their compositum is a number field of degree 4, whose Galois group acts transitively on . Thus is irreducible.