Micron Document
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html class="client-nojs vector-feature-night-mode-disabled vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-sticky-header-enabled" lang="en" dir="ltr"><head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Integer-valued polynomial</title>
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integer-valued_polynomial"> <link href="./mw/ext.cite.styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link href="./mw/ext.math.styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link href="./mw/skins.vector.icons.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link href="./mw/skins.vector.search.codex.styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link href="./mw/skins.vector.styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<link href="./mw/user.styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content="">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="./mw/site.styles.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="./mw/noscript.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="./footer.css">
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="./vector-2022.css">
</head>
<body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject page-Integer-valued_polynomial rootpage-Integer-valued_polynomial skin-vector-2022 action-view">
<div class="mw-page-container">
<div class="mw-page-container-inner">
<div class="mw-content-container">
<main id="content" class="mw-body">
<header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar">
<h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading">
<span id="openzim-page-title" class="mw-page-title-main"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Integer-valued polynomial</span></span>
</h1>
</header>
<a id="top"></a>
<div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body ve-init-mw-desktopArticleTarget-targetContainer" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container="">
<div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content mw-content-ltr" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><p>In <a href="Mathematics" title="Mathematics">mathematics</a>, an <b>integer-valued polynomial</b> (also known as a <b>numerical polynomial</b>) <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle P(t)}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>P</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">(</mo>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">)</mo>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle P(t)}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./941c1fb8073a146dc9938ef2aa43c2a84f6b2c97.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:4.394ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle P(t)}" loading="lazy"></span> is a <a href="Polynomial" title="Polynomial">polynomial</a> whose value <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle P(n)}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>P</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">(</mo>
<mi>n</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">)</mo>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle P(n)}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./5e303d2c14cd399b6f52b468c9fd44a542bed422.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:4.949ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle P(n)}" loading="lazy"></span> is an <a href="Integer" title="Integer">integer</a> for every integer <i>n</i>. Every polynomial with integer <a href="Coefficient" title="Coefficient">coefficients</a> is integer-valued, but the converse is not true. For example, the polynomial
</p>
<dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle P(t)={\frac {1}{2}}t^{2}+{\frac {1}{2}}t={\frac {1}{2}}t(t+1)}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>P</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">(</mo>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">)</mo>
<mo>=</mo>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mfrac>
<mn>1</mn>
<mn>2</mn>
</mfrac>
</mrow>
<msup>
<mi>t</mi>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mn>2</mn>
</mrow>
</msup>
<mo>+</mo>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mfrac>
<mn>1</mn>
<mn>2</mn>
</mfrac>
</mrow>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo>=</mo>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mfrac>
<mn>1</mn>
<mn>2</mn>
</mfrac>
</mrow>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">(</mo>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>1</mn>
<mo stretchy="false">)</mo>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle P(t)={\frac {1}{2}}t^{2}+{\frac {1}{2}}t={\frac {1}{2}}t(t+1)}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./efc5a4241bb705f177031d3b6875edd5d54815d2.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -1.838ex; width:29.652ex; height:5.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle P(t)={\frac {1}{2}}t^{2}+{\frac {1}{2}}t={\frac {1}{2}}t(t+1)}" loading="lazy"></span></dd></dl>
<p>takes on integer values whenever <i>t</i> is an integer. That is because one of <i>t</i> and <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle t+1}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>t</mi>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>1</mn>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle t+1}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./ab2785d8415d6902b0c93efe1419c4bc3ce4643d.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.505ex; width:4.842ex; height:2.343ex;" alt="{\displaystyle t+1}" loading="lazy"></span> must be an <a href="Even_number" class="mw-redirect" title="Even number">even number</a>. (The values this polynomial takes are the <a href="Triangular_number" title="Triangular number">triangular numbers</a>.)
</p><p>Integer-valued polynomials are objects of study in their own right in algebra, and frequently appear in <a href="Algebraic_topology" title="Algebraic topology">algebraic topology</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>
</p>
<meta property="mw:PageProp/toc">
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Classification">Classification</h2></div>
<p>The class of integer-valued polynomials was described fully by <a href="George_P%C3%B3lya" title="George Pólya">George Pólya</a>&nbsp;(<a href="#CITEREFPólya1915">1915</a>). Inside the <a href="Polynomial_ring" title="Polynomial ring">polynomial ring</a> <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle \mathbb {Q} [t]}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mi mathvariant="double-struck">Q</mi>
</mrow>
<mo stretchy="false">[</mo>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">]</mo>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle \mathbb {Q} [t]}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./209b3d34c2a122140b66a289f6bc4fd2340d5d19.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:3.941ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle \mathbb {Q} [t]}" loading="lazy"></span> of polynomials with <a href="Rational_number" title="Rational number">rational number</a> coefficients, the <a href="Subring" title="Subring">subring</a> of integer-valued polynomials is a <a href="Free_abelian_group" title="Free abelian group">free abelian group</a>. It has as <a href="Basis_(linear_algebra)" title="Basis (linear algebra)">basis</a> the polynomials
</p>
<dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle P_{k}(t)=t(t-1)\cdots (t-k+1)/k!}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<msub>
<mi>P</mi>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mi>k</mi>
</mrow>
</msub>
<mo stretchy="false">(</mo>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">)</mo>
<mo>=</mo>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">(</mo>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo>−<!-- − --></mo>
<mn>1</mn>
<mo stretchy="false">)</mo>
<mo>⋯<!-- ⋯ --></mo>
<mo stretchy="false">(</mo>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo>−<!-- − --></mo>
<mi>k</mi>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>1</mn>
<mo stretchy="false">)</mo>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mo>/</mo>
</mrow>
<mi>k</mi>
<mo>!</mo>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle P_{k}(t)=t(t-1)\cdots (t-k+1)/k!}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./445f62f323f79d6e525d0a07fab06b3505464e79.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:33.041ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle P_{k}(t)=t(t-1)\cdots (t-k+1)/k!}" loading="lazy"></span></dd></dl>
<p>for <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle k=0,1,2,\dots }">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>k</mi>
<mo>=</mo>
<mn>0</mn>
<mo>,</mo>
<mn>1</mn>
<mo>,</mo>
<mn>2</mn>
<mo>,</mo>
<mo>…<!-- … --></mo>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle k=0,1,2,\dots }</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./40e06b69a163e607d10bcd0874c092df7b3a5de2.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.671ex; width:13.622ex; height:2.509ex;" alt="{\displaystyle k=0,1,2,\dots }" loading="lazy"></span>, i.e., the <a href="Binomial_coefficient" title="Binomial coefficient">binomial coefficients</a>. In other words, every integer-valued polynomial can be written as an integer <a href="Linear_combination" title="Linear combination">linear combination</a> of binomial coefficients in exactly one way. The proof is by the method of <a href="Difference_operator" class="mw-redirect" title="Difference operator">discrete Taylor series</a>: binomial coefficients are integer-valued polynomials, and conversely, the discrete difference of an integer series is an integer series, so the discrete <a href="Taylor_series" title="Taylor series">Taylor series</a> of an integer series generated by a polynomial has integer coefficients (and is a finite series).
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Fixed_prime_divisors">Fixed prime divisors</h2></div>
<p>Integer-valued polynomials may be used effectively to solve questions about fixed divisors of polynomials. For example, the polynomials <i>P</i> with integer coefficients that always take on even number values are just those such that <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle P/2}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>P</mi>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mo>/</mo>
</mrow>
<mn>2</mn>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle P/2}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./9c310e8d598049ebbb4045c4701941b43bfdec49.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:4.07ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle P/2}" loading="lazy"></span> is integer valued. Those in turn are the polynomials that may be expressed as a linear combination with even integer coefficients of the binomial coefficients.
</p><p>In questions of prime number theory, such as <a href="Schinzel's_hypothesis_H" title="Schinzel's hypothesis H">Schinzel's hypothesis H</a> and the <a href="Bateman%E2%80%93Horn_conjecture" title="Bateman–Horn conjecture">Bateman–Horn conjecture</a>, it is a matter of basic importance to understand the case when <i>P</i> has no fixed prime divisor (this has been called <i>Bunyakovsky's property</i>, after <a href="Viktor_Bunyakovsky" title="Viktor Bunyakovsky">Viktor Bunyakovsky</a>). By writing <i>P</i> in terms of the binomial coefficients, we see the highest fixed prime divisor is also the highest prime <a href="Common_factor" class="mw-redirect" title="Common factor">common factor</a> of the coefficients in such a representation. So Bunyakovsky's property is equivalent to coprime coefficients.
</p><p>As an example, the pair of polynomials <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle n}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>n</mi>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle n}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./a601995d55609f2d9f5e233e36fbe9ea26011b3b.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:1.395ex; height:1.676ex;" alt="{\displaystyle n}" loading="lazy"></span> and <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle n^{2}+2}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<msup>
<mi>n</mi>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mn>2</mn>
</mrow>
</msup>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>2</mn>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle n^{2}+2}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./b9c9a993589b2003937c9789a46c022f066ab024.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.505ex; width:6.452ex; height:2.843ex;" alt="{\displaystyle n^{2}+2}" loading="lazy"></span> violates this condition at <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle p=3}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>p</mi>
<mo>=</mo>
<mn>3</mn>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle p=3}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./b37be793795be56f61768c16dd72a1db0569fb14.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.671ex; margin-left: -0.089ex; width:5.52ex; height:2.509ex;" alt="{\displaystyle p=3}" loading="lazy"></span>: for every <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle n}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>n</mi>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle n}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./a601995d55609f2d9f5e233e36fbe9ea26011b3b.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.338ex; width:1.395ex; height:1.676ex;" alt="{\displaystyle n}" loading="lazy"></span> the product
</p>
<dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle n(n^{2}+2)}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>n</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">(</mo>
<msup>
<mi>n</mi>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mn>2</mn>
</mrow>
</msup>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>2</mn>
<mo stretchy="false">)</mo>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle n(n^{2}+2)}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./94fe0d7e3d0629cc2554840cac92021515bc8f13.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:9.656ex; height:3.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle n(n^{2}+2)}" loading="lazy"></span></dd></dl>
<p>is divisible by 3, which follows from the representation
</p>
<dl><dd><span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle n(n^{2}+2)=6{\binom {n}{3}}+6{\binom {n}{2}}+3{\binom {n}{1}}}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>n</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">(</mo>
<msup>
<mi>n</mi>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mn>2</mn>
</mrow>
</msup>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>2</mn>
<mo stretchy="false">)</mo>
<mo>=</mo>
<mn>6</mn>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mrow>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-OPEN">
<mo maxsize="2.047em" minsize="2.047em">(</mo>
</mrow>
<mfrac linethickness="0">
<mi>n</mi>
<mn>3</mn>
</mfrac>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-CLOSE">
<mo maxsize="2.047em" minsize="2.047em">)</mo>
</mrow>
</mrow>
</mrow>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>6</mn>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mrow>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-OPEN">
<mo maxsize="2.047em" minsize="2.047em">(</mo>
</mrow>
<mfrac linethickness="0">
<mi>n</mi>
<mn>2</mn>
</mfrac>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-CLOSE">
<mo maxsize="2.047em" minsize="2.047em">)</mo>
</mrow>
</mrow>
</mrow>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>3</mn>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mrow>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-OPEN">
<mo maxsize="2.047em" minsize="2.047em">(</mo>
</mrow>
<mfrac linethickness="0">
<mi>n</mi>
<mn>1</mn>
</mfrac>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-CLOSE">
<mo maxsize="2.047em" minsize="2.047em">)</mo>
</mrow>
</mrow>
</mrow>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle n(n^{2}+2)=6{\binom {n}{3}}+6{\binom {n}{2}}+3{\binom {n}{1}}}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./01500659ec82ef3272f267158a2c3d0cdde2dd55.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -2.505ex; width:36.37ex; height:6.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle n(n^{2}+2)=6{\binom {n}{3}}+6{\binom {n}{2}}+3{\binom {n}{1}}}" loading="lazy"></span></dd></dl>
<p>with respect to the binomial basis, where the highest common factor of the coefficients—hence the highest fixed divisor of <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle n(n^{2}+2)}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mi>n</mi>
<mo stretchy="false">(</mo>
<msup>
<mi>n</mi>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mn>2</mn>
</mrow>
</msup>
<mo>+</mo>
<mn>2</mn>
<mo stretchy="false">)</mo>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle n(n^{2}+2)}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./94fe0d7e3d0629cc2554840cac92021515bc8f13.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -0.838ex; width:9.656ex; height:3.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle n(n^{2}+2)}" loading="lazy"></span>—is 3.
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Other_rings">Other rings</h2></div>
<p>Numerical polynomials can be defined over other rings and fields, in which case the integer-valued polynomials above are referred to as <b>classical numerical polynomials</b>.
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Applications">Applications</h2></div>
<p>The <a href="Topological_K-theory" title="Topological K-theory">K-theory</a> of <a href="Classifying_space_for_U(n)" title="Classifying space for U(n)">BU(<i>n</i>)</a> is numerical (symmetric) polynomials.
</p><p>The <a href="Hilbert_polynomial" class="mw-redirect" title="Hilbert polynomial">Hilbert polynomial</a> of a polynomial ring in <i>k</i>&nbsp;+&nbsp;1 variables is the numerical polynomial <span class="mwe-math-element mwe-math-element-inline"><span class="mwe-math-mathml-inline mwe-math-mathml-a11y" style="display: none;"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="{\displaystyle {\binom {t+k}{k}}}">
<semantics>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mstyle displaystyle="true" scriptlevel="0">
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-ORD">
<mrow>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-OPEN">
<mo maxsize="2.047em" minsize="2.047em">(</mo>
</mrow>
<mfrac linethickness="0">
<mrow>
<mi>t</mi>
<mo>+</mo>
<mi>k</mi>
</mrow>
<mi>k</mi>
</mfrac>
<mrow class="MJX-TeXAtom-CLOSE">
<mo maxsize="2.047em" minsize="2.047em">)</mo>
</mrow>
</mrow>
</mrow>
</mstyle>
</mrow>
<annotation encoding="application/x-tex">{\displaystyle {\binom {t+k}{k}}}</annotation>
</semantics>
</math></span><img src="./fb7836bd0793fd7eb61624277c6d97087914f82e.svg" class="mwe-math-fallback-image-inline mw-invert skin-invert" aria-hidden="true" style="vertical-align: -2.505ex; width:8.312ex; height:6.176ex;" alt="{\displaystyle {\binom {t+k}{k}}}" loading="lazy"></span>.
</p>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>
<style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">
/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */


.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}


/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */
</style><div class="reflist">
<div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references">
<li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">
/* start https://en.wikipedia.org/ */


.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("./mw/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("./mw/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("./mw/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("./mw/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}


/* end https://en.wikipedia.org/ */
</style><cite id="CITEREFJohnson2014" class="citation cs2">Johnson, Keith (2014), "Stable homotopy theory, formal group laws, and integer-valued polynomials", in Fontana, Marco; Frisch, Sophie; <a href="Sarah_Glaz" title="Sarah Glaz">Glaz, Sarah</a> (eds.), <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ZZEpBAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA213"><i>Commutative Algebra: Recent Advances in Commutative Rings, Integer-Valued Polynomials, and Polynomial Functions</i></a>, Springer, pp.&nbsp;<span class="nowrap">213–</span>224, <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a>&nbsp;<bdi>9781493909254</bdi></cite>. See in particular pp.&nbsp;213–214.</span>
</li>
</ol></div></div>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Algebra">Algebra</h3></div>
<ul><li><cite id="CITEREFCahenChabert1997" class="citation cs2">Cahen, Paul-Jean; Chabert, Jean-Luc (1997), <i>Integer-valued polynomials</i>, Mathematical Surveys and Monographs, vol.&nbsp;48, Providence, RI: <a href="American_Mathematical_Society" title="American Mathematical Society">American Mathematical Society</a>, <a href="MR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="MR (identifier)">MR</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mathscinet.ams.org/mathscinet-getitem?mr=1421321">1421321</a></cite></li>
<li><cite id="CITEREFPólya1915" class="citation cs2 cs1-prop-foreign-lang-source"><a href="George_P%C3%B3lya" title="George Pólya">Pólya, George</a> (1915), "Über ganzwertige ganze Funktionen", <i>Palermo Rend.</i> (in German), <b>40</b>: <span class="nowrap">1–</span>16, <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF03014836">10.1007/BF03014836</a>, <a href="ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0009-725X">0009-725X</a>, <a href="JFM_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JFM (identifier)">JFM</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://zbmath.org/?format=complete&amp;q=an:45.0655.02">45.0655.02</a></cite></li></ul>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Algebraic_topology">Algebraic topology</h3></div>
<ul><li><cite id="CITEREFBakerClarkeRaySchwartz1989" class="citation cs2">Baker, Andrew; Clarke, Francis; Ray, Nigel; Schwartz, Lionel (1989), "On the Kummer congruences and the stable homotopy of <i>BU</i>", <i><a href="Transactions_of_the_American_Mathematical_Society" title="Transactions of the American Mathematical Society">Transactions of the American Mathematical Society</a></i>, <b>316</b> (2): <span class="nowrap">385–</span>432, <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F2001355">10.2307/2001355</a>, <a href="JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2001355">2001355</a>, <a href="MR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="MR (identifier)">MR</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mathscinet.ams.org/mathscinet-getitem?mr=0942424">0942424</a></cite></li></ul>
<ul><li><cite id="CITEREFEkedahl2002" class="citation cs2">Ekedahl, Torsten (2002), <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://projecteuclid.org/euclid.hha/1139852462">"On minimal models in integral homotopy theory"</a>, <i><a href="Homology%2C_Homotopy_and_Applications" title="Homology, Homotopy and Applications">Homology, Homotopy and Applications</a></i>, <b>4</b> (2): <span class="nowrap">191–</span>218, <a href="ArXiv_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ArXiv (identifier)">arXiv</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0107004">math/0107004</a></span>, <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.4310%2Fhha.2002.v4.n2.a9">10.4310/hha.2002.v4.n2.a9</a></span>, <a href="MR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="MR (identifier)">MR</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mathscinet.ams.org/mathscinet-getitem?mr=1918189">1918189</a>, <a href="Zbl_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Zbl (identifier)">Zbl</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://zbmath.org/?format=complete&amp;q=an:1065.55003">1065.55003</a></cite></li></ul>
<ul><li><cite id="CITEREFElliott2006" class="citation journal cs1">Elliott, Jesse (2006). "Binomial rings, integer-valued polynomials, and λ-rings". <i><a href="Journal_of_Pure_and_Applied_Algebra" title="Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra">Journal of Pure and Applied Algebra</a></i>. <b>207</b> (1): <span class="nowrap">165–</span>185. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jpaa.2005.09.003">10.1016/j.jpaa.2005.09.003</a>. <a href="MR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="MR (identifier)">MR</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mathscinet.ams.org/mathscinet-getitem?mr=2244389">2244389</a>.</cite></li></ul>
<ul><li><cite id="CITEREFHubbuck1997" class="citation cs2">Hubbuck, John R. (1997), "Numerical forms", <i><a href="London_Mathematical_Society#Publications" title="London Mathematical Society">Journal of the London Mathematical Society</a></i>, Series 2, <b>55</b> (1): <span class="nowrap">65–</span>75, <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1112%2FS0024610796004395">10.1112/S0024610796004395</a>, <a href="MR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="MR (identifier)">MR</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://mathscinet.ams.org/mathscinet-getitem?mr=1423286">1423286</a></cite></li></ul>
<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Further_reading">Further reading</h2></div>
<ul><li><cite id="CITEREFNarkiewicz1995" class="citation book cs1">Narkiewicz, Władysław (1995). "Fully invariant sets for polynomial mappings". <i>Polynomial mappings</i>. Lecture Notes in Mathematics. Vol.&nbsp;1600. Berlin: <a href="Springer-Verlag" class="mw-redirect" title="Springer-Verlag">Springer-Verlag</a>. pp.&nbsp;<span class="nowrap">67–</span>109. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBFb0076896">10.1007/BFb0076896</a>. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a>&nbsp;<bdi>3-540-59435-3</bdi>. <a href="ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0075-8434">0075-8434</a>. <a href="Zbl_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Zbl (identifier)">Zbl</a>&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://zbmath.org/?format=complete&amp;q=an:0829.11002">0829.11002</a>.</cite></li></ul></div><!--htdig_noindex--><div><div class="zim-footer">
This article is issued from <a class="external text" title="Last edited on 2025-04-05" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/?title=Integer-valued_polynomial&amp;oldid=1284054614">Wikipedia</a>. The text is available under <a class="external text" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0</a> unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.
</div>
</div><!--/htdig_noindex--></div>
</div>
</main>
</div>
</div>
</div>

</body></html>