Olympiad problems

2000 Saint Petersburg Mathematical Olympiad, 11.4

Let $P(x)=x^{2000}-x^{1000}+1$. Prove that there don't exist 8002 distinct positive integers $a_1,\dots,a_{8002}$ such that $a_ia_ja_k|P(a_i)P(a_j)P(a_k)$ for all $i\neq j\neq k$. [I]Proposed by A. Baranov[/i]

PEN Q Problems, 10

Tags: algebra , polynomial , Polynomials

Suppose that the integers $a_{1}$, $a_{2}$, $\cdots$, $a_{n}$ are distinct. Show that \[(x-a_{1})(x-a_{2}) \cdots (x-a_{n})-1\] cannot be expressed as the product of two nonconstant polynomials with integer coefficients.

2023 ELMO Shortlist, A1

Tags: Elmo , algebra , Polynomials , functional equation

Find all polynomials $P(x)$ with real coefficients such that for all nonzero real numbers $x$, \[P(x)+P\left(\frac1x\right) =\frac{P\left(x+\frac1x\right) +P\left(x-\frac1x\right)}2.\] [i]Proposed by Holden Mui[/i]

2000 Saint Petersburg Mathematical Olympiad, 9.3

Tags: number theory , Polynomials , integer polynomials , Existence , St. Petersburg MO

Let $P(x)=x^{2000}-x^{1000}+1$. Do there exist distinct positive integers $a_1,\dots,a_{2001}$ such that $a_ia_j|P(a_i)P(a_j)$ for all $i\neq j$? [I]Proposed by A. Baranov[/i]

2024 Romanian Master of Mathematics, 6

Tags: Polynomials , Analytic Number Theory , complex roots , RMM , algebra , number theory , polynomial

A polynomial $P$ with integer coefficients is [i]square-free[/i] if it is not expressible in the form $P = Q^2R$, where $Q$ and $R$ are polynomials with integer coefficients and $Q$ is not constant. For a positive integer $n$, let $P_n$ be the set of polynomials of the form $$1 + a_1x + a_2x^2 + \cdots + a_nx^n$$ with $a_1,a_2,\ldots, a_n \in \{0,1\}$. Prove that there exists an integer $N$ such that for all integers $n \geq N$, more than $99\%$ of the polynomials in $P_n$ are square-free. [i]Navid Safaei, Iran[/i]

1986 Bulgaria National Olympiad, Problem 2

Tags: quadratics , Polynomials , algebra , polynomial

Let $f(x)$ be a quadratic polynomial with two real roots in the interval $[-1,1]$. Prove that if the maximum value of $|f(x)|$ in the interval $[-1,1]$ is equal to $1$, then the maximum value of $|f'(x)|$ in the interval $[-1,1]$ is not less than $1$.

1979 Vietnam National Olympiad, 2

Tags: algebra , Polynomials

Find all real numbers $a, b, c$ such that $x^3 + ax^2 + bx + c$ has three real roots $\alpha, \beta,\gamma$ (not necessarily all distinct) and the equation $x^3 + \alpha^3 x^2 + \beta^3 x + \gamma^3$ has roots $\alpha^3, \beta^3,\gamma^3$ .

1997 China Team Selection Test, 1

Tags: algebra , polynomial , inequalities , Vieta , induction , algebra unsolved , Polynomials

Find all real-coefficient polynomials $f(x)$ which satisfy the following conditions: [b]i.[/b] $f(x) = a_0 x^{2n} + a_2 x^{2n - 2} + \cdots + a_{2n - 2} x^2 + a_{2n}, a_0 > 0$; [b]ii.[/b] $\sum_{j=0}^n a_{2j} a_{2n - 2j} \leq \left( \begin{array}{c} 2n\\ n\end{array} \right) a_0 a_{2n}$; [b]iii.[/b] All the roots of $f(x)$ are imaginary numbers with no real part.

2024 All-Russian Olympiad, 3

Tags: algebra , polynomial , Polynomials , algebra proposed

Let $n$ be a positive integer. Ilya and Sasha both choose a pair of different polynomials of degree $n$ with real coefficients. Lenya knows $n$, his goal is to find out whether Ilya and Sasha have the same pair of polynomials. Lenya selects a set of $k$ real numbers $x_1<x_2<\dots<x_k$ and reports these numbers. Then Ilya fills out a $2 \times k$ table: For each $i=1,2,\dots,k$ he writes a pair of numbers $P(x_i),Q(x_i)$ (in any of the two possible orders) intwo the two cells of the $i$-th column, where $P$ and $Q$ are his polynomials. Sasha fills out a similar table. What is the minimal $k$ such that Lenya can surely achieve the goal by looking at the tables? [i]Proposed by L. Shatunov[/i]

2015 Belarus Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: IMO Shortlist , algebra , Functional inequality , Polynomials

Consider all polynomials $P(x)$ with real coefficients that have the following property: for any two real numbers $x$ and $y$ one has \[|y^2-P(x)|\le 2|x|\quad\text{if and only if}\quad |x^2-P(y)|\le 2|y|.\] Determine all possible values of $P(0)$. [i]Proposed by Belgium[/i]

2015 Dutch IMO TST, 2

Tags: Polynomials , algebra , polynomial

Determine all polynomials P(x) with real coefficients such that [(x + 1)P(x − 1) − (x − 1)P(x)] is a constant polynomial.

PEN Q Problems, 3

Tags: Polynomials

Let $n \ge 2$ be an integer. Prove that if $k^2 + k + n$ is prime for all integers $k$ such that $0 \leq k \leq \sqrt{\frac{n}{3}}$, then $k^2 +k + n$ is prime for all integers $k$ such that $0 \leq k \leq n - 2$.

2019 USAMO, 6

Tags: USAMO , sad stories , sadder , 2019 USAMO Problem 6 , Polynomials , Weird problem , the saddest

Find all polynomials $P$ with real coefficients such that $$\frac{P(x)}{yz}+\frac{P(y)}{zx}+\frac{P(z)}{xy}=P(x-y)+P(y-z)+P(z-x)$$ holds for all nonzero real numbers $x,y,z$ satisfying $2xyz=x+y+z$. [i]Proposed by Titu Andreescu and Gabriel Dospinescu[/i]

PEN Q Problems, 1

Tags: Polynomials

Suppose $p(x) \in \mathbb{Z}[x]$ and $P(a)P(b)=-(a-b)^2$ for some distinct $a, b \in \mathbb{Z}$. Prove that $P(a)+P(b)=0$.

2023 Costa Rica - Final Round, 3.5

Tags: algebra , Polynomials

Let $t$ be a positive real number such that $t^4 + t^{-4} = 2023$. Determine the value of $t^3 + t^{-3}$ in the form of $a\sqrt b$, where $a$ and $b$ are positive integers.

2017 China Team Selection Test, 4

Tags: Tstst , Polynomials , algebra , polynomial , China

Find out all the integer pairs $(m,n)$ such that there exist two monic polynomials $P(x)$ and $Q(x)$ ,with $\deg{P}=m$ and $\deg{Q}=n$,satisfy that $$P(Q(t))\not=Q(P(t))$$ holds for any real number $t$.

2014 IFYM, Sozopol, 5

Tags: number theory , Polynomials , coprime

Let $f(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients, for which there exist $a,b\in \mathbb{Z}$ ($a\neq b$), such that $f(a)$ and $f(b)$ are coprime. Prove that there exist infinitely many values for $x$, such that each $f(x)$ is coprime with any other.

Kvant 2019, M2585

Tags: algebra , Polynomials , Kvant

Let $a_1,...,a_n$ be $n$ real numbers. If for each odd positive integer $k\leqslant n$ we have $a_1^k+a_2^k+\ldots+a_n^k=0$, then for each odd positive integer $k$ we have $a_1^k+a_2^k+\ldots+a_n^k=0$. [i]Proposed by M. Didin[/i]

1971 IMO Shortlist, 3

Tags: algebra , system of equations , Vieta , Polynomials , IMO Shortlist

Knowing that the system \[x + y + z = 3,\]\[x^3 + y^3 + z^3 = 15,\]\[x^4 + y^4 + z^4 = 35,\] has a real solution $x, y, z$ for which $x^2 + y^2 + z^2 < 10$, find the value of $x^5 + y^5 + z^5$ for that solution.

PEN Q Problems, 8

Tags: algebra , polynomial , analytic geometry , graphing lines , slope , combinatorial geometry , Polynomials

Show that a polynomial of odd degree $2m+1$ over $\mathbb{Z}$, \[f(x)=c_{2m+1}x^{2m+1}+\cdots+c_{1}x+c_{0},\] is irreducible if there exists a prime $p$ such that \[p \not\vert c_{2m+1}, p \vert c_{m+1}, c_{m+2}, \cdots, c_{2m}, p^{2}\vert c_{0}, c_{1}, \cdots, c_{m}, \; \text{and}\; p^{3}\not\vert c_{0}.\]