# Polynomials problem help

## Homework Statement

[PLAIN]http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3096/questiond.jpg [Broken]

## The Attempt at a Solution

If $P(z)Q(z)=0$ then

$\displaystyle a_0b_0 + (a_0b_1 + a_1 b_0)z + ... + \left( \sum_{i=0}^k a_i b_{k-i} \right) z^k + ... + a_n b_m z^{n+m} =0$

Now what? Equate coefficients?

$a_0 b_0 =0 \Rightarrow a_0 = 0 \; \text{or}\; b_0 = 0$

$a_0 = 0 \Rightarrow a_1 b_0 =0 \Rightarrow a_1 = 0 \; \text{or}\; b_0 =0$

$b_0 =0 \Rightarrow a_0 b_1 = 0 \Rightarrow b_1 = 0 \; \text{or}\; a_0 = 0$

...

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tiny-tim
Homework Helper
Hi Ted123!

Hint: start at zn+m.

Hi Ted123!

Hint: start at zn+m.

Doing this gives

$a_n = 0\;\text{or}\; b_n = 0$ but what next?

Would it be better to use the fact that:

If P isn't identically zero, it has at most n roots.
If Q isn't identically zero, it has at most m roots.

So, if neither P and Q are identically zero, PQ has at most m+n roots. How could I use this?

tiny-tim
Homework Helper
… but what next?

think!

(how are an and bm defined?)

think!

(how are an and bm defined?)

Well in the question before this it states that $a_n \neq 0$ and $b_m \neq 0$ and it says in this question let P and Q be complex polynomials as in the previous question (I missed these conditions out when I copied the polynomials from the previous question).

So if $a_n b_m =0$ but $a_n , b_m \neq 0$ what do we have?

tiny-tim
Homework Helper

soooo … ?

soooo … ?

$P(z)Q(z) \neq 0$

tiny-tim
Homework Helper
Yes … you've proved that if P and Q are not zero, then PQ is not zero.

Yes … you've proved that if P and Q are not zero, then PQ is not zero.

So does this prove the converse (which I need to prove) that if PQ=0 then P or Q are 0? Oh yes - I see it does now

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