Found problems: 3597
2002 Czech-Polish-Slovak Match, 6
Let $n \ge 2$ be a fixed even integer. We consider polynomials of the form
\[P(x) = x^n + a_{n-1}x^{n-1} + \cdots + a_1x + 1\]
with real coefficients, having at least one real roots. Find the least possible value of $a^2_1 + a^2_2 + \cdots + a^2_{n-1}$.
2014 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 9
Given $a$, $b$, and $c$ are complex numbers satisfying
\[ a^2+ab+b^2=1+i \]
\[ b^2+bc+c^2=-2 \]
\[ c^2+ca+a^2=1, \]
compute $(ab+bc+ca)^2$. (Here, $i=\sqrt{-1}$)
2006 Balkan MO, 2
Let $ABC$ be a triangle and $m$ a line which intersects the sides $AB$ and $AC$ at interior points $D$ and $F$, respectively, and intersects the line $BC$ at a point $E$ such that $C$ lies between $B$ and $E$. The parallel lines from the points $A$, $B$, $C$ to the line $m$ intersect the circumcircle of triangle $ABC$ at the points $A_1$, $B_1$ and $C_1$, respectively (apart from $A$, $B$, $C$). Prove that the lines $A_1E$ , $B_1F$ and $C_1D$ pass through the same point.
[i]Greece[/i]
1994 Irish Math Olympiad, 3
Find all real polynomials $ f(x)$ satisfying $ f(x^2)\equal{}f(x)f(x\minus{}1)$ for all $ x$.
2001 Romania National Olympiad, 1
a) Consider the polynomial $P(X)=X^5\in \mathbb{R}[X]$. Show that for every $\alpha\in\mathbb{R}^*$, the polynomial $P(X+\alpha )-P(X)$ has no real roots.
b) Let $P(X)\in\mathbb{R}[X]$ be a polynomial of degree $n\ge 2$, with real and distinct roots. Show that there exists $\alpha\in\mathbb{Q}^*$ such that the polynomial $P(X+\alpha )-P(X)$ has only real roots.
2024 Belarus Team Selection Test, 2.2
A positive integer $n$ is given. Consider all polynomials $P(x)=x^n+a_{n-1}x^{n-1}+\ldots+a_0$, whose coefficients are nonnegative integers, not exceeding $100$. Call $P$ [i]reducible[/i] if it can be factored into two non-constant polynomials with nonnegative integer coeffiecients, and [i]irreducible[/i] otherwise. Prove that the number of [i]irreducible[/i] polynomials is at least twice as big as the number of [i]reducible[/i] polynomials.
[i]D. Zmiaikou[/i]
2023 Bulgaria National Olympiad, 3
Let $f(x)$ be a polynomial with positive integer coefficients. For every $n\in\mathbb{N}$, let $a_{1}^{(n)}, a_{2}^{(n)}, \dots , a_{n}^{(n)}$ be fixed positive integers that give pairwise different residues modulo $n$ and let
\[g(n) = \sum\limits_{i=1}^{n} f(a_{i}^{(n)}) = f(a_{1}^{(n)}) + f(a_{2}^{(n)}) + \dots + f(a_{n}^{(n)})\]
Prove that there exists a constant $M$ such that for all integers $m>M$ we have $\gcd(m, g(m))>2023^{2023}$.
2014 NIMO Problems, 8
Define the function $\xi : \mathbb Z^2 \to \mathbb Z$ by $\xi(n,k) = 1$ when $n \le k$ and $\xi(n,k) = -1$ when $n > k$, and construct the polynomial \[ P(x_1, \dots, x_{1000}) = \prod_{n=1}^{1000} \left( \sum_{k=1}^{1000} \xi(n,k)x_k \right). \]
(a) Determine the coefficient of $x_1x_2 \dots x_{1000}$ in $P$.
(b) Show that if $x_1, x_2, \dots, x_{1000} \in \left\{ -1,1 \right\}$ then $P(x_1,x_2,\dots,x_{1000}) = 0$.
[i]Proposed by Evan Chen[/i]
2024 Romanian Master of Mathematics, 6
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]
2005 Thailand Mathematical Olympiad, 19
Let $P(x)$ be a monic polynomial of degree $4$ such that for $k = 1, 2, 3$, the remainder when $P(x)$ is divided by $x - k$ is equal to $k$. Find the value of $P(4) + P(0)$.
2019 Belarusian National Olympiad, 9.3
Positive real numbers $a$ and $b$ satisfy the following conditions: the function $f(x)=x^3+ax^2+2bx-1$ has three different real roots, while the function $g(x)=2x^2+2bx+a$ doesn't have real roots.
Prove that $a-b>1$.
[i](V. Karamzin)[/i]
2003 Iran MO (3rd Round), 29
Let $ c\in\mathbb C$ and $ A_c \equal{} \{p\in \mathbb C[z]|p(z^2 \plus{} c) \equal{} p(z)^2 \plus{} c\}$.
a) Prove that for each $ c\in C$, $ A_c$ is infinite.
b) Prove that if $ p\in A_1$, and $ p(z_0) \equal{} 0$, then $ |z_0| < 1.7$.
c) Prove that each element of $ A_c$ is odd or even.
Let $ f_c \equal{} z^2 \plus{} c\in \mathbb C[z]$. We see easily that $ B_c: \equal{} \{z,f_c(z),f_c(f_c(z)),\dots\}$ is a subset of $ A_c$. Prove that in the following cases $ A_c \equal{} B_c$.
d) $ |c| > 2$.
e) $ c\in \mathbb Q\backslash\mathbb Z$.
f) $ c$ is a non-algebraic number
g) $ c$ is a real number and $ c\not\in [ \minus{} 2,\frac14]$.
2008 District Olympiad, 2
Determine $ x$ irrational so that $ x^2\plus{}2x$ and $ x^3\minus{}6x$ are both rational.
2013 CHMMC (Fall), 2
Suppose the roots of
$$x^4 - 3x^2 + 6x - 12 = 1$$
are $\alpha$, $\beta$, $\gamma$ , and $\delta$. What is the value of
$$\frac{\alpha+ \beta+ \gamma }{\delta^2}+\frac{\alpha+ \delta+ \gamma}{\beta^2}+\frac{\alpha+ \beta+ \delta}{\gamma^2}+\frac{\delta+ \beta+ \gamma }{\alpha^2}?$$
1968 IMO Shortlist, 23
Find all complex numbers $m$ such that polynomial
\[x^3 + y^3 + z^3 + mxyz\]
can be represented as the product of three linear trinomials.
2002 IMO Shortlist, 6
Find all pairs of positive integers $m,n\geq3$ for which there exist infinitely many positive integers $a$ such that \[ \frac{a^m+a-1}{a^n+a^2-1} \] is itself an integer.
[i]Laurentiu Panaitopol, Romania[/i]
2017 India PRMO, 19
Suppose $1, 2, 3$ are the roots of the equation $x^4 + ax^2 + bx = c$. Find the value of $c$.
2023 Azerbaijan Senior NMO, 3
Let $m$ be a positive integer. Find polynomials $P(x)$ with real coefficients such that $$(x-m)P(x+2023) = xP(x)$$
is satisfied for all real numbers $x.$
2001 India IMO Training Camp, 2
Let $Q(x)$ be a cubic polynomial with integer coefficients. Suppose that a prime $p$ divides $Q(x_j)$ for $j = 1$ ,$2$ ,$3$ ,$4$ , where $x_1 , x_2 , x_3 , x_4$ are distinct integers from the set $\{0,1,\cdots, p-1\}$. Prove that $p$ divides all the coefficients of $Q(x)$.
1972 Putnam, B4
Show that for $n > 1$ we can find a polynomial $P(a, b, c)$ with integer coefficients such that
$$P(x^{n},x^{n+1},x+x^{n+2})=x.$$
1963 Bulgaria National Olympiad, Problem 2
It is given the equation $x^2+px+1=0$, with roots $x_1$ and $x_2$;
(a) find a second-degree equation with roots $y_1,y_2$ satisfying the conditions $y_1=x_1(1-x_1)$, $y_2=x_2(1-x_2)$;
(b) find all possible values of the real parameter $p$ such that the roots of the new equation lies between $-2$ and $1$.
2016 Singapore MO Open, 4
Let $b$ be a number with $-2 < b < 0$. Prove that there exists a positive integer $n$ such that all the coefficients of the polynomial $(x + 1)^n(x^2 + bx + 1)$ are positive.
2024 Brazil Undergrad MO, 4
We say that a function \( f: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} \) is morally odd if its graph is symmetric with respect to a point, that is, there exists \((x_0, y_0) \in \mathbb{R}^2\) such that if \((u, v) \in \{(x, f(x)) : x \in \mathbb{R}\}\), then \((2x_0 - u, 2y_0 - v) \in \{(x, f(x)) : x \in \mathbb{R}\}\). On the other hand, \( f \) is said to be morally even if its graph \(\{(x, f(x)) : x \in \mathbb{R}\}\) is symmetric with respect to some line (not necessarily vertical or horizontal). If \( f \) is morally even and morally odd, we say that \( f \) is parimpar.
(a) Let \( S \subset \mathbb{R} \) be a bounded set and \( f: S \to \mathbb{R} \) be an arbitrary function. Prove that there exists \( g: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} \) that is parimpar such that \( g(x) = f(x) \) for all \( x \in S \).
(b) Find all polynomials \( P \) with real coefficients such that the corresponding polynomial function \( P: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} \) is parimpar.
2009 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament, 8
Let $a$, $b$, and $c$ be the $3$ roots of $x^3-x+1=0$. Find $\frac{1}{a+1}+\frac{1}{b+1}+\frac{1}{c+1}.$
1976 Canada National Olympiad, 7
Let $ P(x,y)$ be a polynomial in two variables $ x,y$ such that $ P(x,y)\equal{}P(y,x)$ for every $ x,y$ (for example, the polynomial $ x^2\minus{}2xy\plus{}y^2$ satisfies this condition). Given that $ (x\minus{}y)$ is a factor of $ P(x,y)$, show that $ (x\minus{}y)^2$ is a factor of $ P(x,y)$.