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Algebra Difficulty 7.1 National olympiad, round 2 Find the answer

Does there exist positive reals a0,a1,,a19a_0, a_1,\ldots ,a_{19}, such that the polynomial P(x)=x20+a19x19++a1x+a0P(x)=x^{20}+a_{19}x^{19}+\ldots +a_1x+a_0 does not have any real roots, yet all polynomials formed from swapping any two coefficients ai,aja_i,a_j has at least one real root?

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

Solution

To determine whether there exist positive reals a0,a1,,a19a_0, a_1, \ldots, a_{19} such that the polynomial P(x)=x20+a19x19++a1x+a0P(x) = x^{20} + a_{19}x^{19} + \ldots + a_1x + a_0 does not have any real roots, yet all polynomials formed from swapping any two coefficients ai,aja_i, a_j have at least one real root, we proceed as follows:

Consider the polynomial Pσ(x)=x20+aσ(19)x19+aσ(18)x18++aσ(0)P_\sigma(x) = x^{20} + a_{\sigma(19)}x^{19} + a_{\sigma(18)}x^{18} + \cdots + a_{\sigma(0)}, for all permutations σ\sigma of the numbers 0 to 19.

We construct the coefficients aia_i in a specific manner. Let ai=10000+iϵa_i = 10000 + i\epsilon for i=0,1,,19i = 0, 1, \ldots, 19 and some small ϵ>0\epsilon > 0. This ensures that a0<a1<<a19a_0 < a_1 < \cdots < a_{19}.

When t=0t = 0, we substitute x=100x = -100. Since a191001920>10020,a1810018,a1710017,,a0\frac{|a_{19} \cdot 100^{19}|}{20} > |100^{20}|, |a_{18} \cdot 100^{18}|, |a_{17} \cdot 100^{17}|, \ldots, |a_0|, we have P(100)<0P(-100) < 0.

As tt \rightarrow \infty, a18a_{18} \rightarrow \infty. When a18>minx<0(x2+a19x+a17x++a0x18)a_{18} > -\min_{x < 0} \left( x^2 + a_{19}x + \frac{a_{17}}{x} + \cdots + \frac{a_0}{x^{18}} \right), P(x)0P(x) \geq 0 for all x<0x < 0. This minimum exists because as x0x \rightarrow 0, a0x18\frac{a_0}{x^{18}} dominates and the sum tends to positive infinity, so it is positive for some x>x0x > x_0. Meanwhile, as xx \rightarrow -\infty, x2x^2 dominates, and the sum is positive for some x<x1x < x_1. The middle interval is closed and bounded, so it achieves its minimum which is finite.

Meanwhile, P(x)>0P(x) > 0 for all x0x \geq 0.

Fix tt as the minimum value such that P(x)0P(x) \geq 0 for all xx. By continuity, there is a root yy of P(x)P(x), which is clearly negative. If 1y<0-1 \leq y < 0, then a19y19+a18y18>a18(y18+y19)0a_{19}y^{19} + a_{18}y^{18} > a_{18}(y^{18} + y^{19}) \geq 0. Grouping the rest similarly in pairs, and using y20>0y^{20} > 0, P(y)>0P(y) > 0, a contradiction.

Hence y<1y < -1, and y19<y17<<y1<y0<y2<<y18y^{19} < y^{17} < \cdots < y^1 < y^0 < y^2 < \cdots < y^{18}. Since a19<a17<<a1<a0<a2<<a18a_{19} < a_{17} < \cdots < a_1 < a_0 < a_2 < \cdots < a_{18}, by the rearrangement inequality, 0=P(y)>Pσ(y)0 = P(y) > P_\sigma(y) for σId\sigma \neq \text{Id}.

Adding a small δ\delta to tt, P(x)>0P(x) > 0 for all xx, while Pσ(x)P_\sigma(x) (σId\sigma \neq \text{Id}) takes both positive and negative values. Therefore, such positive reals a0,a1,,a19a_0, a_1, \ldots, a_{19} do exist.

The answer is: \boxed{\text{Yes}}.

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