Polynomials with a root close to an integer (Q1589833)

Let \(P\) be a polynomial with integer coefficients and define \(\delta(P)=\min |\alpha - r|\), where the minimum is taken over the roots \(\alpha \) of \(P\) and \(r\) running over the rational integers. The aim of this paper is to give good lower bounds for \(\delta(P)\) and to describe the polynomials which minimize this function among the set of polynomials of given degree \(n\) and height bounded by \(H\). As noticed in the paper, it is very easy to show that if \(\delta(P)>0\) then \(\delta(P)>(2H+2)^{-n}\). The author proves: Theorem. Let \(H\) be a positive integer. There exists an effective constant \(n(H)\) such that if \(n\geq n(H)\) then for any polynomial with integer coefficients of degree \(n\) and height at most \(H\), either \(\delta(P)=0\) or \(\delta(P)\geq \tau\), where \(\tau\) is the smallest positive root of the equation \(x(H+1-x)^n=H\). Moreover, the equality holds if and only if \(P(X)=\pm Q(\pm X)\), where \(Q=X^n-H(X^{n-1}+\cdots+X+1)\). Moreover, the author remarks: ``We believe that the theorem holds for all \(n\geq 2\). However, our proof involves a result on uniform distribution of roots in angles and, for this reason, we need \(n\) to be sufficiently large.'' He also notices that \(H(H+1)^{-n}<\tau<2H(H+1)^{-n}\). The proof of the theorem involves a detailed study and uses tools from several origins.