On certain affect-free equations (Q690130)

Let \(n>1\), \(a_ 0,\dots,a_{n-1}\) be integers such that \(f(x)= x^ n+ a_{n-1} x^{n-1}+ \cdots+ a_ 0\) is irreducible in \(\mathbb{Q}[x]\), and let \(\alpha\) be a root of \(f(x)=0\). Put \(K=\mathbb{Q}(\alpha)\), \(\delta= f'(\alpha)\), \(D= \text{Norm}_{K/\mathbb{Q}} \delta\), and \(D/\delta= x_ 0+ x_ 1\alpha+ \cdots+ x_{n-1} \alpha^{n-1}\), where \(x_ i\in\mathbb{Z}\). Suppose that the following three conditions are satisfied: (1) \((D,x_ 0,\dots, x_{n-1})\) is a power of 2. (2) The prime 2 is completely ramified in \(K\). (3) \(D\not\equiv 0\bmod 2^{n+1}\). Then it is proved that the equation \(f(x)=0\) is affect-free. As an application, the author shows that certain trinomial equations of the type \(x^ n+ 2ax+ 2b=0\) are affect-free.