On the functional equation \(f(\alpha x+\beta )=f(x)\) (Q2123714)

The authors study all polynomials satisfying the relation \(f(\alpha x+ \beta) = f(x)\) for fixed \(\alpha, \beta\) and prove that if \(\alpha = 0, 1\), then each such degree \(n\) polynomial has the form \(h(\psi \alpha,\beta,d(x))\), where \(d | n, d > 1\) and \(h(x)\) is a polynomial of degree \(n/d\). A short proof of the above result is obtained and applied to obtain certain information about the factorization of polynomials of the form \(f(x) -f(y)\). The above result and its proof improve similar results obtained by \textit{K. Ozeki} [Aequationes Math. 25, 247--252 (1982; Zbl 0541.12011)].