MathDB
Putnam 2008 A5

Source:

December 8, 2008
Putnamalgebrapolynomialrotationblogstrigonometryanalytic geometry

Problem Statement

Let n3 n\ge 3 be an integer. Let f(x) f(x) and g(x) g(x) be polynomials with real coefficients such that the points (f(1),g(1)),(f(2),g(2)),,(f(n),g(n)) (f(1),g(1)),(f(2),g(2)),\dots,(f(n),g(n)) in R2 \mathbb{R}^2 are the vertices of a regular n n-gon in counterclockwise order. Prove that at least one of f(x) f(x) and g(x) g(x) has degree greater than or equal to n\minus{}1.