This website contains problems from math contests. Problems and corresponding tags were obtained from the Art of Problem Solving website.

Tags were heavily modified to better represent problems.

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Found problems: 3597

2012 IMC, 1

Consider a polynomial \[f(x)=x^{2012}+a_{2011}x^{2011}+\dots+a_1x+a_0.\] Albert Einstein and Homer Simpson are playing the following game. In turn, they choose one of the coefficients $a_0,a_1,\dots,a_{2011}$ and assign a real value to it. Albert has the first move. Once a value is assigned to a coefficient, it cannot be changed any more. The game ends after all the coefficients have been assigned values. Homer's goal is to make $f(x)$ divisible by a fixed polynomial $m(x)$ and Albert's goal is to prevent this. (a) Which of the players has a winning strategy if $m(x)=x-2012$? (b) Which of the players has a winning strategy if $m(x)=x^2+1$? [i]Proposed by Fedor Duzhin, Nanyang Technological University.[/i]

2009 Italy TST, 1

Let $n$ be an even positive integer. An $n$-degree monic polynomial $P(x)$ has $n$ real roots (not necessarily distinct). Suppose $y$ is a positive real number such that for any real number $t<y$, we have $P(t)>0$. Prove that \[P(0)^{\frac{1}{n}}-P(y)^{\frac{1}{n}}\ge y.\]

2018 Germany Team Selection Test, 1

Let $a_1,a_2,\ldots a_n,k$, and $M$ be positive integers such that $$\frac{1}{a_1}+\frac{1}{a_2}+\cdots+\frac{1}{a_n}=k\quad\text{and}\quad a_1a_2\cdots a_n=M.$$ If $M>1$, prove that the polynomial $$P(x)=M(x+1)^k-(x+a_1)(x+a_2)\cdots (x+a_n)$$ has no positive roots.

2002 China Team Selection Test, 3

The positive integers $ \alpha, \beta, \gamma$ are the roots of a polynomial $ f(x)$ with degree $ 4$ and the coefficient of the first term is $ 1$. If there exists an integer such that $ f(\minus{}1)\equal{}f^2(s)$. Prove that $ \alpha\beta$ is not a perfect square.

2011 Math Prize For Girls Problems, 17

There is a polynomial $P$ such that for every real number $x$, \[ x^{512} + x^{256} + 1 = (x^2 + x + 1) P(x). \] When $P$ is written in standard polynomial form, how many of its coefficients are nonzero?

2008 China Team Selection Test, 2

Prove that for all $ n\geq 2,$ there exists $ n$-degree polynomial $ f(x) \equal{} x^n \plus{} a_{1}x^{n \minus{} 1} \plus{} \cdots \plus{} a_{n}$ such that (1) $ a_{1},a_{2},\cdots, a_{n}$ all are unequal to $ 0$; (2) $ f(x)$ can't be factorized into the product of two polynomials having integer coefficients and positive degrees; (3) for any integers $ x, |f(x)|$ isn't prime numbers.

2023 VN Math Olympiad For High School Students, Problem 8

Prove that: for all positive integers $n\ge 2,$ the polynomial$$(x^2-1)^2(x^2-1)^2...(x^2-2023)^2+1$$ is irreducible in $\mathbb{Q}[x].$

1992 IMO Longlists, 35

Let $ f(x)$ be a polynomial with rational coefficients and $ \alpha$ be a real number such that \[ \alpha^3 \minus{} \alpha \equal{} [f(\alpha)]^3 \minus{} f(\alpha) \equal{} 33^{1992}.\] Prove that for each $ n \geq 1,$ \[ \left [ f^{n}(\alpha) \right]^3 \minus{} f^{n}(\alpha) \equal{} 33^{1992},\] where $ f^{n}(x) \equal{} f(f(\cdots f(x))),$ and $ n$ is a positive integer.

2019 IberoAmerican, 6

Let $a_1, a_2, \dots, a_{2019}$ be positive integers and $P$ a polynomial with integer coefficients such that, for every positive integer $n$, $$P(n) \text{ divides } a_1^n+a_2^n+\dots+a_{2019}^n.$$ Prove that $P$ is a constant polynomial.

1985 Traian Lălescu, 1.2

Find the first degree polynomial function $ f:\mathbb{R}\longrightarrow\mathbb{R} $ that satisfy the equation $$ f(x-1)=-3x-5-f(2), $$ for all real numbers $ x. $

2016 ELMO Problems, 4

Big Bird has a polynomial $P$ with integer coefficients such that $n$ divides $P(2^n)$ for every positive integer $n$. Prove that Big Bird's polynomial must be the zero polynomial. [i]Ashwin Sah[/i]

2004 IMC, 4

For $n\geq 1$ let $M$ be an $n\times n$ complex array with distinct eigenvalues $\lambda_1,\lambda_2,\ldots,\lambda_k$, with multiplicities $m_1,m_2,\ldots,m_k$ respectively. Consider the linear operator $L_M$ defined by $L_MX=MX+XM^T$, for any complex $n\times n$ array $X$. Find its eigenvalues and their multiplicities. ($M^T$ denotes the transpose matrix of $M$).

2007 Today's Calculation Of Integral, 246

An eighth degree polynomial funtion $ y \equal{} ax^8 \plus{} bx^7 \plus{} cx^6 \plus{} dx^5 \plus{} ex^4 \plus{} fx^3 \plus{} gx^2\plus{}hx\plus{}i\ (a\neq 0)$ touches the line $ y \equal{} px \plus{} q$ at $ x \equal{} \alpha ,\ \beta ,\ \gamma ,\ \delta \ (\alpha < \beta < \gamma <\delta).$ Find the area of the region bounded by these graphs in terms of $ a,\ \alpha ,\ \beta ,\gamma ,\ \delta .$

2008 IMC, 2

Denote by $\mathbb{V}$ the real vector space of all real polynomials in one variable, and let $\gamma :\mathbb{V}\to \mathbb{R}$ be a linear map. Suppose that for all $f,g\in \mathbb{V}$ with $\gamma(fg)=0$ we have $\gamma(f)=0$ or $\gamma(g)=0$. Prove that there exist $c,x_0\in \mathbb{R}$ such that \[ \gamma(f)=cf(x_0)\quad \forall f\in \mathbb{V}\]

1946 Putnam, A2

If $a(x), b(x), c(x)$ and $d(x)$ are polynomials in $ x$, show that $$ \int_{1}^{x} a(x) c(x)\; dx\; \cdot \int_{1}^{x} b(x) d(x) \; dx - \int_{1}^{x} a(x) d(x)\; dx\; \cdot \int_{1}^{x} b(x) c(x)\; dx$$ is divisible by $(x-1)^4.$

2018 Tuymaada Olympiad, 1

Real numbers $a \neq 0, b, c$ are given. Prove that there is a polynomial $P(x)$ with real coefficients such that the polynomial $x^2+1$ divides the polynomial $aP(x)^2+bP(x)+c$. [i]Proposed by A. Golovanov[/i]

2012 ELMO Shortlist, 5

Prove that if $m,n$ are relatively prime positive integers, $x^m-y^n$ is irreducible in the complex numbers. (A polynomial $P(x,y)$ is irreducible if there do not exist nonconstant polynomials $f(x,y)$ and $g(x,y)$ such that $P(x,y) = f(x,y)g(x,y)$ for all $x,y$.) [i]David Yang.[/i]

2014 All-Russian Olympiad, 3

If the polynomials $f(x)$ and $g(x)$ are written on a blackboard then we can also write down the polynomials $f(x)\pm g(x)$, $f(x)g(x)$, $f(g(x))$ and $cf(x)$, where $c$ is an arbitrary real constant. The polynomials $x^3-3x^2+5$ and $x^2-4x$ are written on the blackboard. Can we write a nonzero polynomial of form $x^n-1$ after a finite number of steps?

2009 Indonesia TST, 2

Let $ f(x)\equal{}a_{2n}x^{2n}\plus{}a_{2n\minus{}1}x^{2n\minus{}1}\plus{}\cdots\plus{}a_1x\plus{}a_0$, with $ a_i\equal{}a_{2n\minus{}1}$ for all $ i\equal{}1,2,\ldots,n$ and $ a_{2n}\ne0$. Prove that there exists a polynomial $ g(x)$ of degree $ n$ such that $ g\left(x\plus{}\frac1x\right)x^n\equal{}f(x)$.

IMSC 2023, 6

Find all polynomials $P(x)$ with integer coefficients, such that for all positive integers $m, n$, $$m+n \mid P^{(m)}(n)-P^{(n)}(m).$$ [i]Proposed by Navid Safaei, Iran[/i]

1953 Putnam, B5

Tags: root , polynomial
Show that the roots of $x^4 +ax^3 +bx^2 +cx +d$, if suitably numbered, satisfy the relation $\frac{r_1 }{r_2 } = \frac{ r_3 }{r _4},$ provided $a^2 d=c^2 \ne 0.$

2013 Hanoi Open Mathematics Competitions, 11

The positive numbers $a, b, c,d,e$ are such that the following identity hold for all real number $x$: $(x + a)(x + b)(x + c) = x^3 + 3dx^2 + 3x + e^3$. Find the smallest value of $d$.

2004 Iran MO (3rd Round), 30

Find all polynomials $ p\in\mathbb Z[x]$ such that $ (m,n)\equal{}1\Rightarrow (p(m),p(n))\equal{}1$

2011 Uzbekistan National Olympiad, 4

Does existes a function $f:N->N$ and for all positeve integer n $f(f(n)+2011)=f(n)+f(f(n))$

2012 District Olympiad, 2

Let $ A,B\in\mathcal{M} \left( \mathbb{R} \right) $ that satisfy $ AB=O_3. $ Prove that: [b]a)[/b] The function $ f:\mathbb{C}\longrightarrow\mathbb{C} $ defined as $ f(x)=\det \left( A^2+B^2+xBA \right) $ is a polynomial one, of degree at most $ 2. $ [b]b)[/b] $ \det\left( A^2+B^2 \right)\ge 0. $