Is Newton Sums Relevant?

A degree 5 5 monic polynomial P ( x ) P(x) has 5 5 (not necessarily distinct) integer roots. Given that P ( 0 ) = 2014 P(0)=2014 , how many ordered quintuplets of roots ( r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 ) (r_1,r_2,r_3,r_4,r_5) satisfy the property that r 1 + r 2 + r 3 + r 4 + r 5 r_1+r_2+r_3+r_4+r_5 has the same units digit as r 1 5 + r 2 5 + r 3 5 + r 4 5 + r 5 5 r_1^5+r_2^5+r_3^5+r_4^5+r_5^5


The answer is 2000.

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1 solution

Daniel Liu
May 2, 2014

Note that for all positive integers n n , we have that n 5 n ( m o d 10 ) n^5\equiv n\pmod{10} , a direct result from Fermat's Little Theorem. Since the exponents ( 1 1 and 5 5 ) are both odd, it follows that this holds for all integers. Therefore, r 1 + r 2 + r 3 + r 4 + r 5 r_1+r_2+r_3+r_4+r_5 and r 1 5 + r 2 5 + r 3 5 + r 4 5 + r 5 5 r_1^5+r_2^5+r_3^5+r_4^5+r_5^5 have the same units digit regardless of what roots they are; thus, we just need to calculate all possible ( r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 ) (r_1,r_2,r_3,r_4,r_5) such that P ( 0 ) = 2014 P(0)=2014 .

The statement P ( 0 ) = 2014 P(0)=2014 means that r 1 r 2 r 3 r 4 r 5 = 2014 r_1r_2r_3r_4r_5=-2014 by Vieta's formula. We can count the number of ordered quintuplets ( r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 ) (r_1,r_2,r_3,r_4,r_5) by allotting each of 2014 2014 's prime factors to a root, and then distributing positive and negative signs.

We see that 2014 = 2 19 53 2014=2\cdot 19\cdot 53 . Each of these prime factors can choose to be in any of the 5 5 roots; thus, we have 5 × 5 × 5 = 125 5\times 5\times 5=125 total ways so far.

Now, we can distribute the positive and negative signs in 3 different ways: ----- + + ---++ + + + + -++++ The first case has only ( 5 5 ) = 1 \binom{5}{5}=1 ordering, the second has ( 5 3 ) = 10 \binom{5}{3}=10 orderings, and the third has ( 5 1 ) = 5 \binom{5}{1}=5 orderings. Thus, there are a total of 1 + 10 + 5 = 16 1+10+5=16 ways to distribute the positive and negative signs to the roots.

Thus, there is a total of 125 × 16 = 2000 125\times 16=\boxed{2000} ordered pairs ( r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 ) (r_1,r_2,r_3,r_4,r_5) .

Can you please add to the problem that the roots are not necessarily distinct?

Nathan Ramesh - 6 years, 12 months ago

I think a faster way to get 16 is noting thay the first four signs (hence 2 4 2^{4} ways) determine a unique last sign.

Joel Tan - 6 years, 3 months ago

The condition that all roots are integers makes your counting incorrect, among the quintuplet each of 2, 53 and 19 must appear once and only once, moreover, the two remaining roots should be 1 o -1... Im not sure, but Ive counted 960 ordered quintuplets.

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I don't understand this comment. 2 , 19 , 53 2, 19, 53 are distributed once into the 5 5 roots r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 r_1, r_2, r_3, r_4, r_5 , 5 3 5^3 ways. The signs are then placed afterwards, the 5 t h 5^{th} sign is dependant on the other 4 4 , 2 4 2^4 ways.

You seem to be claiming that the roots are always + / 2 , + / 19 , + / 53 , + / 1 , + / 1 +/-2, +/-19, +/-53, +/-1, +/-1 which can be rearranged 5 ! / 2 = 60 2 4 = 960 5!/2 = 60 * 2^4 = 960 times, but this excludes roots such as 2014 , 1 , 1 , 1 , 1 2014, 1, 1, 1, -1 and 1007 , 2 , 1 , 1 , 1 1007, 2, 1, 1, -1 etc.

Alex Burgess - 2 years, 1 month ago

I am 137 th solver

Manoj Gupta - 2 years, 4 months ago

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