1993 IMO #1
Let $n > 1$ be an integer and let $f(x) = x^n + 5 \cdot x^{n-1} + 3.$ Prove that there do not exist polynomials $g(x),h(x),$ each having integer coefficients and degree at least one, such that $f(x) = g(x) \cdot h(x).$ Solution 1 (overkill): Since $5>1+3$, from Perron's Criterion this polynomial is irreducible over the integers as desired. Solution 2 (normal solution): Assume FTSOC that there do exist $g(x), h(x)$ such that $f(x)=g(x)\cdot h(x)$. Observe that there are no integer roots of $f(x)$ from the Rational Root Theorem. Thus, $g(x), h(x)$ cannot be linear, and their degree is greater than or equal to $2$. We have $g(0)h(0)=3$. WLOG $g(0)=1$. Let $r_1, r_2, \dots r_j \in\mathbb{C}$ be the roots of $g(x)$. We have $r_1r_2\dots r_n=\pm 1$. Multiplying the equalities $r_i^{n-1}(r_i+5)=-3$ for all $1\leq i\leq j$, we obtain\[\vert g(-5)\vert = \vert (r_1+5)(r_2+5)\dots (r_m+5)\vert = 3^m.\]But $g(-5)f(-5)=3$, contradiction.