Olympiad problems

1999 Bosnia and Herzegovina Team Selection Test, 6

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 $x_1^n=1$

1989 IMO Longlists, 8

Tags: algebra , polynomial , root , equation , diophantine equation

Find the roots $ r_i \in \mathbb{R}$ of the polynomial \[ p(x) \equal{} x^n \plus{} n \cdot x^{n\minus{}1} \plus{} a_2 \cdot x^{n\minus{}2} \plus{} \ldots \plus{} a_n\] satisfying \[ \sum^{16}_{k\equal{}1} r^{16}_k \equal{} n.\]

1981 Putnam, A5

Tags: polynomial , root

Let $P(x)$ be a polynomial with real coefficients and form the polynomial $$Q(x) = ( x^2 +1) P(x)P'(x) + x(P(x)^2 + P'(x)^2 ).$$ Given that the equation $P(x) = 0$ has $n$ distinct real roots exceeding $1$, prove or disprove that the equation $Q(x)=0$ has at least $2n - 1$ distinct real roots.

Russian TST 2018, P1

Tags: polynomial , root , algebra

Let $f(x) = x^2 + 2018x + 1$. Let $f_1(x)=f(x)$ and $f_k(x)=f(f_{k-1}(x))$ for all $k\geqslant 2$. Prove that for any positive integer $n{}$, the equation $f_n(x)=0$ has at least two distinct real roots.

1967 IMO Longlists, 43

Tags: algebra , polynomial , diophantine equation , parametric equation , root

The equation \[x^5 + 5 \lambda x^4 - x^3 + (\lambda \alpha - 4)x^2 - (8 \lambda + 3)x + \lambda \alpha - 2 = 0\] is given. Determine $\alpha$ so that the given equation has exactly (i) one root or (ii) two roots, respectively, independent from $\lambda.$

2000 Estonia National Olympiad, 3

Tags: polynomial , root , integer , algebra

Find all values of $a$ for which the equation $x^3 - x + a = 0$ has three different integer solutions.

1970 Czech and Slovak Olympiad III A, 3

Tags: parameterization , algebra , root , inequalities

Let $p>0$ be a given parameter. Determine all real $x$ such that \[\frac{1}{\,x+\sqrt{p-x^2\,}\,}+\frac{1}{\,x-\sqrt{p-x^2\,}\,}\ge\frac{1}{\,p\,}.\]

1996 German National Olympiad, 6a

Tags: polynomial , root , algebra

Prove the following statement: If a polynomial $p(x) = x^3 + Ax^2 + Bx +C$ has three real positve roots at least two of which are distinct, then $A^2 +B^2 +18C > 0$.

2015 Germany Team Selection Test, 1

Tags: root , algebra , polynomial , real number , integer

Find the least positive integer $n$, such that there is a polynomial \[ P(x) = a_{2n}x^{2n}+a_{2n-1}x^{2n-1}+\dots+a_1x+a_0 \] with real coefficients that satisfies both of the following properties: - For $i=0,1,\dots,2n$ it is $2014 \leq a_i \leq 2015$. - There is a real number $\xi$ with $P(\xi)=0$.

2017 India PRMO, 19

Tags: root , polynomial , algebra

Suppose $1, 2, 3$ are the roots of the equation $x^4 + ax^2 + bx = c$. Find the value of $c$.

1941 Putnam, A4

Tags: polynomial , root

Let the roots $a,b,c$ of $$f(x)=x^3 +p x^2 + qx+r$$ be real, and let $a\leq b\leq c$. Prove that $f'(x)$ has a root in the interval $\left[\frac{b+c}{2}, \frac{b+2c}{3}\right]$. What will be the form of $f(x)$ if the root in question falls at either end of the interval?

1963 Czech and Slovak Olympiad III A, 4

Tags: real root , quadratic polynomial , root , quadratic , algebra

Consider two quadratic equations \begin{align*}x^2+ax+b&=0, \\ x^2+cx+d&=0,\end{align*} with real coefficients. Find necessary and sufficient conditions such that the first equation has (real) roots $x,x_1,$ the second $x,x_2$ and $x>0,x_1>x_2$.

2017 Hanoi Open Mathematics Competitions, 10

Tags: trinomial , integer , root , algebra

Find all non-negative integers $a, b, c$ such that the roots of equations: $\begin{cases}x^2 - 2ax + b = 0 \\ x^2- 2bx + c = 0 \\ x^2 - 2cx + a = 0 \end{cases}$ are non-negative integers.

1999 Bosnia and Herzegovina Team Selection Test, 1

Tags: algebra , root , equation , real root

Let $a$, $b$ and $c$ be lengths of sides of triangle $ABC$. Prove that at least one of the equations $$x^2-2bx+2ac=0$$ $$x^2-2cx+2ab=0$$ $$x^2-2ax+2bc=0$$ does not have real solutions

1973 IMO Shortlist, 11

Tags: algebra , polynomial , root , minimum value , coefficient

Determine the minimum value of $a^{2} + b^{2}$ when $(a,b)$ traverses all the pairs of real numbers for which the equation \[ x^{4} + ax^{3} + bx^{2} + ax + 1 = 0 \] has at least one real root.

1985 IMO Longlists, 92

Tags: algebra , polynomial , root , algorithm

Find a method by which one can compute the coefficients of $P(x) = x^6 + a_1x^5 + \cdots+ a_6$ from the roots of $P(x) = 0$ by performing not more than $15$ additions and $15$ multiplications.

2018 Middle European Mathematical Olympiad, 2

Tags: algebra , polynomial , root

Let $P(x)$ be a polynomial of degree $n\geq 2$ with rational coefficients such that $P(x) $ has $ n$ pairwise different reel roots forming an arithmetic progression .Prove that among the roots of $P(x) $ there are two that are also the roots of some polynomial of degree $2$ with rational coefficients .

2013 German National Olympiad, 6

Tags: sequence , number theory , root , real number

Define a sequence $(a_n)$ by $a_1 =1, a_2 =2,$ and $a_{k+2}=2a_{k+1}+a_k$ for all positive integers $k$. Determine all real numbers $\beta >0$ which satisfy the following conditions: (A) There are infinitely pairs of positive integers $(p,q)$ such that $\left| \frac{p}{q}- \sqrt{2} \, \right| < \frac{\beta}{q^2 }.$ (B) There are only finitely many pairs of positive integers $(p,q)$ with $\left| \frac{p}{q}- \sqrt{2} \,\right| < \frac{\beta}{q^2 }$ for which there is no index $k$ with $q=a_k.$

2013 India Regional Mathematical Olympiad, 6

Tags: number theory , polynomial , root , factorial , greatest common divisor

Let $P(x)=x^3+ax^2+b$ and $Q(x)=x^3+bx+a$, where $a$ and $b$ are nonzero real numbers. Suppose that the roots of the equation $P(x)=0$ are the reciprocals of the roots of the equation $Q(x)=0$. Prove that $a$ and $b$ are integers. Find the greatest common divisor of $P(2013!+1)$ and $Q(2013!+1)$.

1970 Putnam, A2

Tags: algebra , polynomial , root

Consider the locus given by the real polynomial equation $$ Ax^2 +Bxy+Cy^2 +Dx^3 +E x^2 y +F xy^2 +G y^3=0,$$ where $B^2 -4AC <0.$ Prove that there is a positive number $\delta$ such that there are no points of the locus in the punctured disk $$0 <x^2 +y^2 < \delta^2.$$

2025 VJIMC, 4

Tags: complex analysis , holomorphic , taylor series , root , function

Let $D = \{z\in \mathbb{C}: |z| < 1\}$ be the open unit disk in the complex plane and let $f : D \to D$ be a holomorphic function such that $\lim_{|z|\to 1}|f(z)| = 1$. Let the Taylor series of $f$ be $f(z) = \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} a_nz^n$. Prove that the number of zeroes of $f$ (counted with multiplicities) equals $\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} n|a_n|^2$.

1969 IMO Longlists, 14

Tags: quadratic , algebra , inequality , root , polynomial

$(CZS 3)$ Let $a$ and $b$ be two positive real numbers. If $x$ is a real solution of the equation $x^2 + px + q = 0$ with real coefficients $p$ and $q$ such that $|p| \le a, |q| \le b,$ prove that $|x| \le \frac{1}{2}(a +\sqrt{a^2 + 4b})$ Conversely, if $x$ satisfies the above inequality, prove that there exist real numbers $p$ and $q$ with $|p|\le a, |q|\le b$ such that $x$ is one of the roots of the equation $x^2+px+ q = 0.$

1971 IMO Shortlist, 8

Tags: equation , root , polynomial , algebra

Determine whether there exist distinct real numbers $a, b, c, t$ for which: [i](i)[/i] the equation $ax^2 + btx + c = 0$ has two distinct real roots $x_1, x_2,$ [i](ii)[/i] the equation $bx^2 + ctx + a = 0$ has two distinct real roots $x_2, x_3,$ [i](iii)[/i] the equation $cx^2 + atx + b = 0$ has two distinct real roots $x_3, x_1.$

2016 India PRMO, 9

Tags: algebra , trinomial , root

Let $a$ and $b$ be the roots of the equation $x^2 + x - 3 = 0$. Find the value of the expression $4b^2 -a^3$.

1976 IMO, 2

Tags: algebra , polynomial , recurrence relation , root , chebyshev polynomial

Let $P_{1}(x)=x^{2}-2$ and $P_{j}(x)=P_{1}(P_{j-1}(x))$ for j$=2,\ldots$ Prove that for any positive integer n the roots of the equation $P_{n}(x)=x$ are all real and distinct.