The Casas-Alvero conjecture for infinitely many degrees (Q2460813)

The univariate polynomial \((X-\alpha)^d\) over a field of characteristic zero has a nontrivial factor with its \(d-1\) first derivatives. The converse of this result has been conjectured by Casas-Alvero. The authors show that the conjecture is true for some cases of \(d\). More precisely, they show that, over a field of characteristic zero, for \(d=p^k\) or \(d=2p^k\), \(p\) a prime number, the only degree \(d\) univariate monic polynomial that has nontrivial factors with its first \(d-1\) first derivatives is \(P=(X-\alpha)^d\). For fields of positive characteristic \(p\), the authors present the counter-example \(P= X^{p+1} - X^p\) of degree \(d=p+1\) which is not a \(d\)th power and has nontrivial common factors with its \(d-1\) first Hasse derivatives, which is a stronger condition than regular derivatives.