Let $b$ and $c$ be real numbers and define the polynomial $P(x)=x^2+bx+c$. Suppose that $P(P(1))=P(P(2))=0$, and that $P(1) \neq P(2)$. Find $P(0)$.

Call a two-element subset of $\mathbb{N}$ [i]cute[/i] if it contains exactly one prime number and one composite number. Determine all polynomials $f \in \mathbb{Z}[x]$ such that for every [i]cute[/i] subset $ \{ p,q \}$, the subset $ \{ f(p) + q, f(q) + p \} $ is [i]cute[/i] as well. [i]Proposed by Valentio Iverson (Indonesia)[/i]

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)

Let $P(X),Q(X)$ be monic irreducible polynomials with rational coefficients. suppose that $P(X)$ and $Q(X)$ have roots $\alpha$ and $\beta$ respectively, such that $\alpha + \beta $ is rational. Prove that $P(X)^2-Q(X)^2$ has a rational root. [i]Bogdan Enescu[/i]

Let $ f(x)$ be a polynomial with the following properties: (i) $ f(0)\equal{}0$; (ii) $ \frac{f(a)\minus{}f(b)}{a\minus{}b}$ is an integer for any two different integers $ a$ and $ b$. Is there a polynomial which has these properties, although not all of its coefficients are integers?

For any positive integer $n$ and $0 \leqslant i \leqslant n$, denote $C_n^i \equiv c(n,i)\pmod{2}$, where $c(n,i) \in \left\{ {0,1} \right\}$. Define \[f(n,q) = \sum\limits_{i = 0}^n {c(n,i){q^i}}\] where $m,n,q$ are positive integers and $q + 1 \ne {2^\alpha }$ for any $\alpha \in \mathbb N$. Prove that if $f(m,q)\left| {f(n,q)} \right.$, then $f(m,r)\left| {f(n,r)} \right.$ for any positive integer $r$.

We have $n$ points in the plane, no three on a line. We call $k$ of them good if they form a convex polygon and there is no other point in the convex polygon. Suppose that for a fixed $k$ the number of $k$ good points is $c_k$. Show that the following sum is independent of the structure of points and only depends on $n$ : \[ \sum_{i=3}^n (-1)^i c_i \]

$f(x) = x^3+3x^2 - 1$. Find the number of real solutions of $f(f(x)) = 0$.

A magician intends to perform the following trick. She announces a positive integer $n$, along with $2n$ real numbers $x_1 < \dots < x_{2n}$, to the audience. A member of the audience then secretly chooses a polynomial $P(x)$ of degree $n$ with real coefficients, computes the $2n$ values $P(x_1), \dots , P(x_{2n})$, and writes down these $2n$ values on the blackboard in non-decreasing order. After that the magician announces the secret polynomial to the audience. Can the magician find a strategy to perform such a trick?

Let $n>1$ be an integer and $a,b,c$ be three complex numbers such that $a+b+c=0$ and $a^n+b^n+c^n=0$. Prove that two of $a,b,c$ have the same magnitude. [i]Evan O'Dorney.[/i]

For each integer $n > 0$ show that there is a polynomial $p(x)$ such that $p(2 cos x) = 2 cos nx$.

Let $P_1(x)=\frac{1}{x}$ and $P_n(x)=P_{n-1}(x)+P_{n-1}(x-1)$ for every natural $ n$ greater than $1$. Find the value of $P_{2008}(2008)$. [i](Mathophile)[/i]

$P,Q,R$ are non-zero polynomials that for each $z\in\mathbb C$, $P(z)Q(\bar z)=R(z)$. a) If $P,Q,R\in\mathbb R[x]$, prove that $Q$ is constant polynomial. b) Is the above statement correct for $P,Q,R\in\mathbb C[x]$?

Let $ P(x)$ be a nonzero polynomial such that, for all real numbers $ x$, $ P(x^2 \minus{} 1) \equal{} P(x)P(\minus{}x)$. Determine the maximum possible number of real roots of $ P(x)$.

Find all functions $f: \mathbb N \to \mathbb N$ for which \[ f(n) + f(n+1) = f(n+2)f(n+3)-1996\] holds for all positive integers $n$.

Suppose that $P$ is the polynomial of least degree with integer coefficients such that $$P(\sqrt{7} + \sqrt{5}) = 2(\sqrt{7} - \sqrt{5})$$Find $P(2)$.

Let $a,b,c,d >0$ and $abcd=1$. Prove that: \[ \frac{1}{(1+a)^2}+\frac{1}{(1+b)^2}+\frac{1}{(1+c)^2}+\frac{1}{(1+d)^2} \geq 1 \]

Let $n$ be a fixed positive integer. - Show that there exist real polynomials $p_1, p_2, p_3, \cdots, p_k \in \mathbb{R}[x_1, \cdots, x_n]$ such that \[(x_1 + x_2 + \cdots + x_n)^2 + p_1(x_1, \cdots, x_n)^2 + p_2(x_1, \cdots, x_n)^2 + \cdots + p_k(x_1, \cdots, x_n)^2 = n(x_1^2 + x_2^2 + \cdots + x_n^2)\] - Find the least natural number $k$, depending on $n$, such that the above polynomials $p_1, p_2, \cdots, p_k$ exist.

It is given polynomial $$P(x)=x^4+3x^3+3x+p, (p \in \mathbb{R})$$ $a)$ Find $p$ such that there exists polynomial with imaginary root $x_1$ such that $\mid x_1 \mid =1$ and $2Re(x_1)=\frac{1}{2}\left(\sqrt{17}-3\right)$ $b)$ Find all other roots of polynomial $P$ $c)$ Prove that does not exist positive integer $n$ such that $x_1^n=1$

Given a polynomial $P\in \mathbb{Z}[X]$ of degree $k$, show that there always exist $2d$ distinct integers $x_1, x_2, \cdots x_{2d}$ such that $$P(x_1)+P(x_2)+\cdots P(x_{d})=P(x_{d+1})+P(x_{d+2})+\cdots + P(x_{2d})$$ for some $d\le k+1$. [Extra: Is this still true if $d\le k$? (Of course false for linear polynomials, but what about higher degree?)]

Let $p_1(x)=p(x)=4x^3-3x$ and $p_{n+1}(x)=p(p_n(x))$ for each positive integer $n$. Also, let $A(n)$ be the set of all the real roots of the equation $p_n(x)=x$. Prove that $A(n)\subseteq A(2n)$ and that the product of the elements of $A(n)$ is the average of the elements of $A(2n)$.

Let $P(x)$ be a nonzero polynomial of degree $n>1$ with nonnegative coefficients such that function $y=P(x)$ is odd. Is that possible thet for some pairwise distinct points $A_{1}, A_{2}, \dots A_{n}$ on the graph $G: y = P(x)$ the following conditions hold: tangent to $G$ at $A_{1}$ passes through $A_{2}$, tangent to $G$ at $A_{2}$ passes through $A_{3}$, $\dots$, tangent to $G$ at $A_{n}$ passes through $A_{1}$?

Given a polynomial $P(x)=a_{d}x^{d}+ \ldots +a_{2}x^{2}+a_{0}$ with positive integers for coefficients and degree $d\geq 2$. Consider the sequence defined by $$b_{1}=a_{0} ,b_{n+1}=P(b_{n}) $$ for $n \geq 1$ . Prove that for all $n \geq 2$ there exists a prime $p$ such that $p$ divides $b_{n}$ but does not divide $b_{1}b_{2} \ldots b_{n-1}$.

Fix two positive integers $a,k\ge2$, and let $f\in\mathbb{Z}[x]$ be a nonconstant polynomial. Suppose that for all sufficiently large positive integers $n$, there exists a rational number $x$ satisfying $f(x)=f(a^n)^k$. Prove that there exists a polynomial $g\in\mathbb{Q}[x]$ such that $f(g(x))=f(x)^k$ for all real $x$. [i]Victor Wang.[/i]

Let $f = aX^2 + bX+ c \in Z[X]$ be a polynomial such that for every positive integer $n$,$ f(n )$ is a perfect square. Prove that $f = g^2$ for some polynomial $g \in Z[X]$.