A polynomial in rationals is a rational times a polynomial in integers

Dependencies:

  1. Polynomial
  2. gcd(a1/d, a2/d, ..., an/d) = gcd(a1, a_2, ..., an)/d

Let $p(x) \in \mathbb{Q}[x]$. Then $p = \frac{r}{s}q$, where

Proof

Let \[ p(x) = \sum_{i=0}^n \frac{b_i}{c_i}x^i \]

Then $p(x)$ can be re-written as

\[ p(x) = \frac{1}{\prod_{i=0}^n c_i} \sum_{i=0}^n d_ix^i \]

where $d_i \in \mathbb{Z}$.

Let $d = \gcd(d_0, d_1, \ldots, d_n)$. Since $d | d_i$, let $a_i = \frac{d_i}{d} \in \mathbb{Z}$.

\[ p(x) = \frac{d}{\prod_{i=0}^n c_i} \sum_{i=0}^n a_ix^i \]

$\frac{d}{\prod_{i=0}^n c_i}$ can be reduced to lowest terms $\frac{r}{s}$ by dividing both the numerator and denominator by their GCD.

\[ \gcd(a_0, a_1, \ldots, a_n) = \gcd\left(\frac{d_0}{d}, \frac{d_1}{d}, \ldots, \frac{d_n}{d}\right) = \frac{\gcd(d_0, d_1, \ldots, d_n)}{d} = \frac{d}{d} = 1 \]

Therefore, $p(x) = \frac{r}{s} \sum_{i=0}^n a_ix^i$, which is the required form if $a_n > 0$. If $a_n < 0$, negate all $a_i$ and negate $r$.

Dependency for:

  1. Gauss' Lemma

Info:

Transitive dependencies:

  1. Group
  2. Ring
  3. Polynomial
  4. Integer Division Theorem
  5. GCD is the smallest Linear Combination
  6. Common divisor divides GCD
  7. gcd(a1/d, a2/d, ..., an/d) = gcd(a1, a_2, ..., an)/d