Polynomial equation

Algebra Level 5

Find the number of polynomials P ( x ) P(x) with integer coefficients such that deg P ( x ) 2014 \deg P(x)\leq 2014 and

P ( x ) 2 2 = P ( x 2 2 ) P(x)^2-2=P(x^2-2)

This problem is not original


The answer is 2016.

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1 solution

Patrick Corn
Feb 13, 2015

This is only a partial solution, but: there is exactly one polynomial P P for each positive degree, and two constant polynomials P ( x ) = 1 , 2 P(x) = -1,2 that satisfy the equation. So a total of 2016 \fbox{2016} in all.

If we let T n ( x ) T_n(x) be the Chebyshev polynomial of degree n n such that T n ( cos θ ) = cos ( n θ ) T_n(\cos \theta) = \cos(n\theta) , then P n ( x ) = 2 T n ( x / 2 ) P_n(x) = 2 T_n(x/2) satisfies the equation (exercise). So that gives the construction for the polynomials that satisfy the equation, but I am not sure how to show that these are the only ones.

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