Skip to main content
OlympiadHQ

Browse · MATH

Print

jmc

algebra senior

Problem

Let be a polynomial such that for all real numbers Find the sum of all possible values of
Solution
Let be the degree of Then the degree of is Hence, the degree of is and the degree of is 1, so we must have

Accordingly, let Then Expanding, we get Comparing coefficients, we get From the first equation, which factors as so or

From the second equation, Since cannot be

Hence, or and the sum of all possible values of is
Final answer
-10