Olympiad problems

2015 India Regional MathematicaI Olympiad, 3

Let $P(x)$ be a polynomial whose coefficients are positive integers. If $P(n)$ divides $P(P(n)-2015)$ for every natural number $n$, prove that $P(-2015)=0$. [hide]One additional condition must be given that $P$ is non-constant, which even though is understood.[/hide]

2022 Turkey Team Selection Test, 6

Tags: algebra , polynomial , Integer Polynomial , number theory

For a polynomial $P(x)$ with integer coefficients and a prime $p$, if there is no $n \in \mathbb{Z}$ such that $p|P(n)$, we say that polynomial $P$ [i]excludes[/i] $p$. Is there a polynomial with integer coefficients such that having degree of 5, excluding exactly one prime and not having a rational root?

1939 Moscow Mathematical Olympiad, 049

Tags: algebra , polynomial , Integer Polynomial , Even , odd

Let the product of two polynomials of a variable $x$ with integer coefficients be a polynomial with even coefficients not all of which are divisible by $4$. Prove that all the coefficients of one of the polynomials are even and that at least one of the coefficients of the other polynomial is odd.

2015 India Regional MathematicaI Olympiad, 2

Tags: algebra , polynomial , Integer Polynomial , Even

Let $P_1(x) = x^2 + a_1x + b_1$ and $P_2(x) = x^2 + a_2x + b_2$ be two quadratic polynomials with integer coeffcients. Suppose $a_1 \ne a_2$ and there exist integers $m \ne n$ such that $P_1(m) = P_2(n), P_2(m) = P_1(n)$. Prove that $a_1 - a_2$ is even.

2016 Saint Petersburg Mathematical Olympiad, 7

Tags: algebra , polynomial , Integer Polynomial , Integer

A polynomial $P(x)$ with integer coefficients and a positive integer $a>1$, are such that for all integers $x$, there exists an integer $z$ such that $aP(x)=P(z)$. Find all such pairs of $(P(x),a)$.

1988 Austrian-Polish Competition, 1

Tags: Integer Polynomial , polynomial , Integers , algebra

Let $P(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients. Show that if $Q(x) = P(x) +12$ has at least six distinct integer roots, then $P(x)$ has no integer roots.

2000 Czech and Slovak Match, 4

Tags: algebra , polynomial , Integer Polynomial , integer root

Let $P(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients. Prove that the polynomial $Q(x) = P(x^4)P(x^3)P(x^2)P(x)+1$ has no integer roots.

2016 Saudi Arabia IMO TST, 2

Tags: algebra , Integer Polynomial , polynomial

Find all pairs of polynomials $P(x),Q(x)$ with integer coefficients such that $P(Q(x)) = (x - 1)(x - 2)...(x - 9)$ for all real numbers $x$

2018 Iran Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: polynomial , Integer Polynomial , Iranian TST , number theory , Iran

$n>1$ and distinct positive integers $a_1,a_2,\ldots,a_{n+1}$ are given. Does there exist a polynomial $p(x)\in\Bbb{Z}[x]$ of degree $\le n$ that satisfies the following conditions? a. $\forall_{1\le i < j\le n+1}: \gcd(p(a_i),p(a_j))>1 $ b. $\forall_{1\le i < j < k\le n+1}: \gcd(p(a_i),p(a_j),p(a_k))=1 $ [i]Proposed by Mojtaba Zare[/i]

2014 Saudi Arabia GMO TST, 2

Tags: Integer Polynomial , polynomial , algebra

Let $S = \{f(a, b) | a, b = 1,2,3, 4$ and $a \ne b\}$, and consider all nonzero polynomials $p(X,Y )$ with integer coefficients such that $p(a, b) = 0$ for every element $(a,b)$ in $S$. (a) What is the minimal degree of such polynomial $p(X, Y )$ ? (b) Determine all such polynomials $p(X, Y )$ with minimal degree.

2015 Latvia Baltic Way TST, 3

Tags: polynomial , Integer Polynomial , algebra

Prove that there does not exist a polynomial $P (x)$ with integer coefficients and a natural number $m$ such that $$x^m + x + 2 = P(P(x))$$ holds for all integers $x$.

2017 Balkan MO Shortlist, A5

Tags: polynomial , algebra , Integer Polynomial , Perfect Powers , Perfect power

Consider integers $m\ge 2$ and $n\ge 1$. Show that there is a polynomial $P(x)$ of degree equal to $n$ with integer coefficients such that $P(0),P(1),...,P(n)$ are all perfect powers of $m$ .

1986 Czech And Slovak Olympiad IIIA, 2

Tags: algebra , polynomial , Integer Polynomial , Integer

Let $P(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients of degree $n \ge 3$. If $x_1,...,x_m$ ($n\ge m\ge3$) are different integers such that $P(x_1) = P(x_2) = ... = P(x_m) = 1$, prove that $P$ cannot have integer roots$.

2021 Taiwan Mathematics Olympiad, 5.

Tags: polynomial , Integer Polynomial , algebra

Let $n$ be a given positive integer. Alice and Bob play a game. In the beginning, Alice determines an integer polynomial $P(x)$ with degree no more than $n$. Bob doesn’t know $P(x)$, and his goal is to determine whether there exists an integer $k$ such that no integer roots of $P(x) = k$ exist. In each round, Bob can choose a constant $c$. Alice will tell Bob an integer $k$, representing the number of integer $t$ such that $P(t) = c$. Bob needs to pay one dollar for each round. Find the minimum cost such that Bob can guarantee to reach his goal. [i]Proposed by ltf0501[/i]

1964 Swedish Mathematical Competition, 3

Tags: radical , Integer Polynomial , polynomial , algebra

Find a polynomial with integer coefficients which has $\sqrt2 + \sqrt3$ and $\sqrt2 + \sqrt[3]{3}$ as roots.

1987 Tournament Of Towns, (144) 1

Tags: polynomial , algebra , Integer Polynomial

Suppose $p(x)$ is a polynomial with integer coefficients. It is known that $p(a) - p(b) = 1$ (where $a$ and $b$ are integers). Prove that $a$ and $b$ differ by $1$ . (Folklore)

2010 Belarus Team Selection Test, 5.1

Tags: game , polynomial , Integer Polynomial , winning strategy , game strategy , algebra , combinatorics

The following expression $x^{30} + *x^{29} +...+ *x+8 = 0$ is written on a blackboard. Two players $A$ and $B$ play the following game. $A$ starts the game. He replaces all the asterisks by the natural numbers from $1$ to $30$ (using each of them exactly once). Then player $B$ replace some of" $+$ "by ” $-$ "(by his own choice). The goal of $A$ is to get the equation having a real root greater than $10$, while the goal of $B$ is to get the equation having a real root less that or equal to $10$. If both of the players achieve their goals or nobody of them achieves his goal, then the result of the game is a draw. Otherwise, the player achieving his goal is a winner. Who of the players wins if both of them play to win? (I.Bliznets)

2021 239 Open Mathematical Olympiad, 1

Tags: primes , Integer , polynomial , Integer Polynomial , algebra

You are given $n$ different primes $p_1, p_2,..., p_n$. Consider the polynomial $$x^n + a_1x^{n -1} + a_2x^{n - 2} + ...+ a_{n - 1}x + a_n$$, where $a_i$ is the product of the first $i$ given prime numbers. For what $n$ can it have an integer root?

1997 Austrian-Polish Competition, 5

Tags: Integer Polynomial , primes , polynomial , Cubic

Let $p_1,p_2,p_3,p_4$ be four distinct primes. Prove that there is no polynomial $Q(x) = ax^3 + bx^2 + cx + d$ with integer coefficients such that $|Q(p_1)| =|Q(p_2)| = |Q(p_3)|= |Q(p_4 )| = 3$.

2006 Estonia Team Selection Test, 1

Tags: algebra , quadratics , trinomial , Integer Polynomial , Integers

Let $k$ be any fixed positive integer. Let's look at integer pairs $(a, b)$, for which the quadratic equations $x^2 - 2ax + b = 0$ and $y^2 + 2ay + b = 0$ are real solutions (not necessarily different), which can be denoted by $x_1, x_2$ and $y_1, y_2$, respectively, in such an order that the equation $x_1 y_1 - x_2 y_2 = 4k$. a) Find the largest possible value of the second component $b$ of such a pair of numbers ($a, b)$. b) Find the sum of the other components of all such pairs of numbers.

2016 HMIC, 4

Tags: HMIC , HMMT , algebra , polynomial , Integer Polynomial

Let $P$ be an odd-degree integer-coefficient polynomial. Suppose that $xP(x)=yP(y)$ for infinitely many pairs $x,y$ of integers with $x\ne y$. Prove that the equation $P(x)=0$ has an integer root. [i]Victor Wang[/i]

2019 USA TSTST, 6

Tags: algebra , tstst 2019 , Integer Polynomial , Fibonacci

Suppose $P$ is a polynomial with integer coefficients such that for every positive integer $n$, the sum of the decimal digits of $|P(n)|$ is not a Fibonacci number. Must $P$ be constant? (A [i]Fibonacci number[/i] is an element of the sequence $F_0, F_1, \dots$ defined recursively by $F_0=0, F_1=1,$ and $F_{k+2} = F_{k+1}+F_k$ for $k\ge 0$.) [i]Nikolai Beluhov[/i]

1999 Czech And Slovak Olympiad IIIA, 1

Tags: min , Fraction , Integer Polynomial , algebra

We are allowed to put several brackets in the expression $$\frac{29 : 28 : 27 : 26 :... : 17 : 16}{15 : 14 : 13 : 12 : ... : 3 : 2}$$ always in the same places below each other. (a) Find the smallest possible integer value we can obtain in that way. (b) Find all possible integer values that can be obtained. Remark: in this problem, $$\frac{(29 : 28) : 27 : ... : 16}{(15 : 14) : 13 : ... : 2},$$ is valid position of parenthesis, on the other hand $$\frac{(29 : 28) : 27 : ... : 16}{15 : (14 : 13) : ... : 2}$$ is forbidden.

1998 Israel National Olympiad, 6

Tags: polynomial , Integer Polynomial

Find all pairs $(m,n)$ of integers with $m > n > 7$ for which there exists a polynomial $p(x)$ with integer coefficients such that $p(7) = 77, p(m) = 0$, and $p(n) = 85$.

1986 All Soviet Union Mathematical Olympiad, 439

Tags: polynomial , algebra , Integer Polynomial

Let us call a polynomial [i]admissible[/i] if all it's coefficients are $0, 1, 2$ or $3$. For given $n$ find the number of all the [i]admissible [/i] polynomials $P$ such, that $P(2) = n$.