Olympiad problems

2016 All-Russian Olympiad, 5

Let $n$ be a positive integer and let $k_0,k_1, \dots,k_{2n}$ be nonzero integers such that $k_0+k_1 +\dots+k_{2n}\neq 0$. Is it always possible to a permutation $(a_0,a_1,\dots,a_{2n})$ of $(k_0,k_1,\dots,k_{2n})$ so that the equation \begin{align*} a_{2n}x^{2n}+a_{2n-1}x^{2n-1}+\dots+a_0=0 \end{align*} has not integer roots?

2000 Saint Petersburg Mathematical Olympiad, 11.4

Tags: polynomial , integer polynomial , number theory , existence

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]

1992 Romania Team Selection Test, 6

Tags: number theory , prime , integer polynomial , prime number

Let $m,n$ be positive integers and $p$ be a prime number. Show that if $\frac{7^m + p \cdot 2^n}{7^m - p \cdot 2^n}$ is an integer, then it is a prime number.

2000 ITAMO, 6

Tags: polynomial , integer polynomial , algebra

Let $p(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients such that $p(0) = 0$ and $0 \le p(1) \le 10^7$. Suppose that there exist positive integers $a,b$ such that $p(a) = 1999$ and $p(b) = 2001$. Determine all possible values of $p(1)$. (Note: $1999$ is a prime number.)

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.

2014 Israel National Olympiad, 5

Tags: integer polynomial , number theory , algebra , polynomial

Let $p$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients satisfying $p(16)=36,p(14)=16,p(5)=25$. Determine all possible values of $p(10)$.

2013 Czech-Polish-Slovak Match, 1

Tags: perfect square , trinomial , number theory , integer polynomial

Let $a$ and $b$ be integers, where $b$ is not a perfect square. Prove that $x^2 + ax + b$ may be the square of an integer only for finite number of integer values of $x$. (Martin Panák)

1991 Nordic, 4

Tags: integer polynomial , number theory , integer root

Let $f(x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients. We assume that there exists a positive integer $k$ and $k$ consecutive integers $n, n+1, ... , n+k -1$ so that none of the numbers $f(n), f(n+ 1),... , f(n + k - 1)$ is divisible by $k$. Show that the zeroes of $f(x)$ are not integers.

2021 Estonia Team Selection Test, 2

Tags: polynomial , algebra , integer polynomial

Find all polynomials $P(x)$ with integral coefficients whose values at points $x = 1, 2, . . . , 2021$ are numbers $1, 2, . . . , 2021$ in some order.

2021 Estonia Team Selection Test, 2

Tags: polynomial , algebra , integer polynomial

Find all polynomials $P(x)$ with integral coefficients whose values at points $x = 1, 2, . . . , 2021$ are numbers $1, 2, . . . , 2021$ in some order.

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 $(P(x),a)$.

2014 Swedish Mathematical Competition, 1

Tags: algebra , polynomial , integer polynomial

Determine all polynomials $p(x)$ with non-negative integer coefficients such that $p (1) = 7$ and $p (10) = 2014$.

2011 Ukraine Team Selection Test, 11

Tags: polynomial , algebra , inequalities , integer polynomial

Let $ P (x) $ and $ Q (x) $ be polynomials with real coefficients such that $ P (0)> 0 $ and all coefficients of the polynomial $ S (x) = P (x) \cdot Q (x) $ are integers. Prove that for any positive $ x $ the inequality holds: $$S ({{x} ^ {2}}) - {{S} ^ {2}} (x) \le \frac {1} {4} ({{P} ^ {2}} ({{ x} ^ {3}}) + Q ({{x} ^ {3}})). $$

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$.

2015 Irish Math Olympiad, 9

Tags: algebra , polynomial , integer root , integer polynomial

Let $p(x)$ and $q(x)$ be non-constant polynomial functions with integer coeffcients. It is known that the polynomial $p(x)q(x) - 2015$ has at least $33$ different integer roots. Prove that neither $p(x)$ nor $q(x)$ can be a polynomial of degree less than three.

2006 Estonia Team Selection Test, 1

Tags: integer , algebra , quadratic , trinomial , integer polynomial

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.

1999 Czech And Slovak Olympiad IIIA, 1

Tags: min , integer polynomial , algebra , fraction

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.

1985 Spain Mathematical Olympiad, 7

Tags: polynomial , root , integer polynomial , polynomial equation , algebra

Find the values of $p$ for which the equation $x^5 - px-1 = 0$ has two roots $r$ and $s$ which are the roots of equation $x^2-ax+b= 0$ for some integers $a,b$.

1998 Czech and Slovak Match, 2

Tags: integer root , integer polynomial , algebra

A polynomial $P(x)$ of degree $n \ge 5$ with integer coefficients has $n$ distinct integer roots, one of which is $0$. Find all integer roots of the polynomial $P(P(x))$.

1990 Austrian-Polish Competition, 6

Tags: polynomial , integer polynomial , algebra

$p(x)$ is a polynomial with integer coefficients. The sequence of integers $a_1, a_2, ... , a_n$ (where $n > 2$) satisfies $a_2 = p(a_1), a_3 = p(a_2), ... , a_n = p(a_{n-1}), a_1 = p(a_n)$. Show that $a_1 = a_3$.

2004 BAMO, 5

Tags: polynomial , algebra , integer polynomial , irrational

Find (with proof) all monic polynomials $f(x)$ with integer coefficients that satisfy the following two conditions. 1. $f (0) = 2004$. 2. If $x$ is irrational, then $f (x)$ is also irrational. (Notes: Apolynomial is monic if its highest degree term has coefficient $1$. Thus, $f (x) = x^4-5x^3-4x+7$ is an example of a monic polynomial with integer coefficients. A number $x$ is rational if it can be written as a fraction of two integers. A number $x$ is irrational if it is a real number which cannot be written as a fraction of two integers. For example, $2/5$ and $-9$ are rational, while $\sqrt2$ and $\pi$ are well known to be irrational.)

1992 Nordic, 2

Tags: integer polynomial , polynomial division , algebra

Let $n > 1$ be an integer and let $a_1, a_2,... , a_n$ be $n$ different integers. Show that the polynomial $f(x) = (x -a_1)(x - a_2)\cdot ... \cdot (x -a_n) - 1$ is not divisible by any polynomial with integer coefficients and of degree greater than zero but less than $n$ and such that the highest power of $x$ has coefficient $1$.

2017 Tuymaada Olympiad, 5

Tags: trinomial , integer polynomial , algebra , quadratic

Does there exist a quadratic trinomial $f(x)$ such that $f(1/2017)=1/2018$, $f(1/2018)=1/2017$, and two of its coefficients are integers? (A. Khrabrov)

2020 Jozsef Wildt International Math Competition, W27

Tags: integer polynomial , algebra , polynomial , number theory

Let $$P(x)=a_0x^n+a_1x^{n-1}+\ldots+a_n$$ where $a_0,\ldots,a_n$ are integers. Show that if $P$ takes the value $2020$ for four distinct integral values of $x$, then $P$ cannot take the value $2001$ for any integral value of $x$. [i]Proposed by Ángel Plaza[/i]

1995 Romania Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: algebra , polynomial , integer polynomial , irreducible

Let $f$ be an irreducible (in $Z[x]$) monic polynomial with integer coefficients and of odd degree greater than $1$. Suppose that the modules of the roots of $f$ are greater than $1$ and that $f(0)$ is a square-free number. Prove that the polynomial $g(x) = f(x^3)$ is also irreducible