Let $ f(x)$ be a polynomial of second degree the roots of which are contained in the interval $ [\minus{}1,\plus{}1]$ and let there be a point $ x_0\in [\minus{}1.\plus{}1]$ such that $ |f(x_0)|\equal{}1$. Prove that for every $ \alpha \in [0,1]$, there exists a $ \zeta \in [\minus{}1,\plus{}1]$ such that $ |f'(\zeta)|\equal{}\alpha$ and that this statement is not true if $ \alpha>1$.

Consider the polynomial $ f(x) \equal{} ax^2 \plus{} bx \plus{} c$, with degree less than or equal to 2. When $ f$ varies with subject to the constrain $ f(0) \equal{} 0,\ f(2) \equal{} 2$, find the minimum value of $ S\equal{}\int_0^2 |f'(x)|\ dx$.

Let $P (x)$ be a polynomial with integer coefficients. Given that for some integer $a$ and some positive integer $n$, where \[\underbrace{P(P(\ldots P}_{\text{n times}}(a)\ldots)) = a,\] is it true that $P (P (a)) = a$?

Prove that if $\frac{p}{q}$ is an irreducible rational number that serves as a root of the polynomial $f(x) = a_0x^n + a_1x^{n-1} + ... + a_n$ with integer coefficients, then $p - kq$ is a divisor of $f(k)$ for any integer $k$.

Let $N{}$ be the number of positive integers with $10$ digits $\overline{d_9d_8\cdots d_0}$ in base $10$ (where $0\le d_i\le9$ for all $i$ and $d_9>0$) such that the polynomial \[d_9x^9+d_8x^8+\cdots+d_1x+d_0\] is irreducible in $\Bbb Q$. Prove that $N$ is even. (A polynomial is irreducible in $\Bbb Q$ if it cannot be factored into two non-constant polynomials with rational coefficients.)

A polynomial $p$ with real coefficients satisfies $p(x+1)-p(x)=x^{100}$ for all $x \in \mathbb{R}.$ Prove that $p(1-t) \ge p(t)$ for $0 \le t \le 1/2.$

Given integers $a$, $ b$ and $c$, $c\ne b$. It is known that the square trinomials $ax^2 + bx + c$ and $(c-b)x^2 + (c- a)x + (a + b)$ have a common root (not necessarily integer). Prove that $a+b+2c$ is divisible by $3$.

For given positive integers $n$ and $N$, let $P_n$ be the set of all polynomials $f(x)=a_0+a_1x+\cdots+a_nx^n$ with integer coefficients such that: [list] (a) $|a_j| \le N$ for $j = 0,1, \cdots ,n$; (b) The set $\{ j \mid a_j = N\}$ has at most two elements. [/list] Find the number of elements of the set $\{f(2N) \mid f(x) \in P_n\}$.

Consider a polynomial $P(x,y,z)$ in three variables with integer coefficients such that for any real numbers $a,b,c,$ $$P(a,b,c)=0 \Leftrightarrow a=b=c.$$ Find the largest integer $r$ such that for all such polynomials $P(x,y,z)$ and integers $m,n,$ $$m^r\mid P(n,n+m,n+2m).$$ [i]Proposed by Ma Zhao Yu

(a) Let $u$, $v$, and $w$ be the real solutions to the equation $x^3 - 7x + 7 = 0$. Show that there exists a quadratic polynomial $f$ with rational coefficients such that $u = f(v)$, $v = f(w)$, and $w = f(u)$. (b) Let $u$, $v$, and $w$ be the real solutions to the equation $x^3 -7x+4 = 0$. Show that there does not exist a quadratic polynomial $f $with rational coefficients such that $u = f(v)$, $v = f(w)$, and $w = f(u)$.

Let $n{}$ be a non-negative integer and consider the standard power expansion of the following polynomial \[\sum_{k=0}^n\binom{n}{k}^2(X+1)^{2k}(X-1)^{2(n-k)}=\sum_{k=0}^{2n}a_kX^k.\]The coefficients $a_{2k+1}$ all vanish since the polynomial is invariant under the change $X\mapsto -X.$ Prove that the coefficients $a_{2k}$ are all positive.

Let $n\ge 2$ be a positive integer. There are $n$ real coefficient polynomials $P_1(x),P_2(x),\cdots ,P_n(x)$ which is not all the same, and their leading coefficients are positive. Prove that $$\deg(P_1^n+P_2^n+\cdots +P_n^n-nP_1P_2\cdots P_n)\ge (n-2)\max_{1\le i\le n}(\deg P_i)$$ and find when the equality holds.

For real numbers $a, b$, and $c$ the polynomial $p(x) = 3x^7 - 291x^6 + ax^5 + bx^4 + cx^2 + 134x - 2$ has $7$ real roots whose sum is $97$. Find the sum of the reciprocals of those $7$ roots.

The graph below shows a portion of the curve defined by the quartic polynomial $ P(x) \equal{} x^4 \plus{} ax^3 \plus{} bx^2 \plus{} cx \plus{} d$. Which of the following is the smallest? $ \textbf{(A)}\ P( \minus{} 1)$ $ \textbf{(B)}\ \text{The product of the zeros of }P$ $ \textbf{(C)}\ \text{The product of the non \minus{} real zeros of }P$ $ \textbf{(D)}\ \text{The sum of the coefficients of }P$ $ \textbf{(E)}\ \text{The sum of the real zeros of }P$ [asy] size(170); defaultpen(linewidth(0.7)+fontsize(7));size(250); real f(real x) { real y=1/4; return 0.2125(x*y)^4-0.625(x*y)^3-1.6125(x*y)^2+0.325(x*y)+5.3; } draw(graph(f,-10.5,19.4)); draw((-13,0)--(22,0)^^(0,-10.5)--(0,15)); int i; filldraw((-13,10.5)--(22,10.5)--(22,20)--(-13,20)--cycle,white, white); for(i=-3; i<6; i=i+1) { if(i!=0) { draw((4*i,0)--(4*i,-0.2)); label(string(i), (4*i,-0.2), S); }} for(i=-5; i<6; i=i+1){ if(i!=0) { draw((0,2*i)--(-0.2,2*i)); label(string(2*i), (-0.2,2*i), W); }} label("0", origin, SE);[/asy]

Let $ n\ge 3$ be a natural number. Find all nonconstant polynomials with real coeficcietns $ f_{1}\left(x\right),f_{2}\left(x\right),\ldots,f_{n}\left(x\right)$, for which \[ f_{k}\left(x\right)f_{k+ 1}\left(x\right) = f_{k +1}\left(f_{k + 2}\left(x\right)\right), \quad 1\le k\le n,\] for every real $ x$ (with $ f_{n +1}\left(x\right)\equiv f_{1}\left(x\right)$ and $ f_{n + 2}\left(x\right)\equiv f_{2}\left(x\right)$).