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Let $$f(x)=(x-1)^4(x-2)^4(x-3)^4\cdots(x-2013)^4+2014\tag{1}$$

Prove or disprove: $f(x)$ is reducible on the field of rational numbers $Q$.

this problem is background from this : How to prove that $f(x)=(x-1)^2(x-2)^2(x-3)^2\cdots(x-2013)^2+2014$ is reducible?

and Dear Michael Zieve use nice methods to solve it.

then I find this similar problem is from :(George Polya,《Problems and Theorems in Analysis II》)

show that: $$(x-1)^4(x-2)^4\cdots(x-2013)^2+1$$ is also irreducible.

He post this solution on $page 327$.

let $$p_{0}(x)=(x-1)(x-2)\cdots(x-2013)$$ then $$p^4_{0}(x)+1=[1-p_{0}P_{-1}(x)][1-p_{0}(x)P_{1}(x)]$$ where $p_{-1}(x)$ and $p_{1}(x)$ are polynomial with integral coefficients and with leading cofficient $-1$.and so on,you can download this book see full solution,

But my problem I can't,Thank you.

my try: $$p^4_{0}(x)+2014=[A+p_{0}(x)P_{-1}(x)][B+p_{0}(x)P_{1}(x)]$$

math110
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  • Udo Wegner proved that polynomials of the form $P(x)^4+d, \deg P >5, d>0, d \not\equiv 3 (mod 4)$ are irreducible but I can not find a normal reference for proof. (Original paper in german is U. Wegner Jahresber. Deutschen Math. Ver. 40 (1931), 239–241) – user68061 Jan 09 '14 at 09:27
  • @user68061: the result you attribute to Wegner is false, for example $P(x)^4+4=(P(x)^2-2P(x)+2)(P(x)^2+2P(x)+2)$ is reducible. – Michael Zieve Jan 09 '14 at 10:44
  • This is interesting. My german is awful but this result is quoted in Chebotarev Galois theory and in the paper of Gyory-Hajdu-Tijdeman. – user68061 Jan 09 '14 at 15:55
  • @user68061: as I said at the end of my answer, the result you attribute to Wegner is true if in addition $d$ is squarefree. So you can look for the word "quadratfrei" (=squarefree) in Chebotarev or Wegner. – Michael Zieve Jan 09 '14 at 16:02

1 Answers1

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This polynomial is irreducible. This follows from the argument in my answer to this MO question. Namely, write $$p(x):=(x-1)(x-2)\dots (x-2013).$$ Exactly as in my MO answer, if $p(x)^4+2014$ is reducible over $\mathbf{Q}$ then $p(x)^2-\sqrt{-2014}$ is reducible over $\mathbf{Q}(\sqrt{-2014})$. Say the factorization is $p(x)^2-\sqrt{-2014}=g(x)h(x)$ where we may assume that $g(x)$ and $h(x)$ are monic. Then, as in my MO answer, the roots and hence the coefficients of $g$ and $h$ must be algebraic integers, so $g,h\in\mathbf{Z}[\sqrt{-2014}][x]$. Thus, for $1\le i\le 2013$, we have $$ -\sqrt{-2014} = p(i)^2-\sqrt{-2014} = g(i)h(i), $$ so that $g(i)$ divides $\sqrt{-2014}$ and hence (again as in the MO answer) $g(i)\in\{\pm 1,\pm\sqrt{-2014}\}$.

If $g(i)=g(1)$ for every $i=1,2,\dots,2013$, then $g(x)-g(1)=p(x)G(x)$ for some $G\in\mathbf{Z}[\sqrt{-2014}][x]$. Since $g(i)h(i)=\sqrt{-2014}$, it follows that $h(i)=h(1)$ for every $i=1,2,\dots,2013$, so that $h(i)-h(1)=p(x)H(x)$ for some $H\in\mathbf{Z}[\sqrt{-2014}][x]$. Now $$p(x)^2-\sqrt{-2014}=g(x)h(x)=(g(1)+p(x)G(x))\cdot (h(1)+p(x)H(x)).$$ Equating leading terms on both sides (and recalling that $g$ and $h$ are nonconstant) implies that $G=H=\pm 1$. Subtracting $p(x)^2$ from both sides gives $$ -\sqrt{-2014} = g(1)h(1) + p(x)\cdot G\cdot (g(1)+h(1)), $$ so we must have $g(1)=-h(1)$ and $g(1)^2=\sqrt{-2014}$, which is impossible.

Hence we have $g(i)\ne g(j)$ for some $i,j$ with $1\le i<j\le 2013$. This gives a contradiction in exactly the same way as in my MO answer: first, it follows that $g(r)\ne g(s)$ for some $r,s$ with $1\le r < s\le 2013$ and $s>r+2$. But $s-r$ divides $g(s)-g(r)$ in $\mathbf{Z}[\sqrt{-2014}]$, where $s-r$ is an integer $\ge 3$ and $g(s)-g(r)$ is the difference between two distinct elements in $\{\pm 1,\pm\sqrt{-2014}\}$, which is impossible.

Note: the same argument yields irreducibility of $\prod_{i=1}^n (x-a_i)^4 + d$ whenever the $a_i$ are distinct integers, $n\ge 6$, and $d$ is a squarefree integer such that $d>1$ and $d\not\equiv 3\pmod{4}$. Presumably this is the result that Wegner proved (as in user68061's comment to the present question).

  • oh,It's nice!I can't thought this $A=g(1),B=h(1)$,+1 – math110 Jan 09 '14 at 14:54
  • Now,give this postive integer $n$,then$$\prod_{i=1}^{2013}(x-i)^{2^n}+2014$$ is irreducibility? – math110 Jan 09 '14 at 14:56
  • @math110: I don't immediately see how to handle $n>2$. Anyway that is a different question. Is there something more you want in terms of an answer to your original question, before you will accept it? – Michael Zieve Jan 09 '14 at 16:06