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Alice and Bob playing with polynomials

Source: STEMS Mathematics 2023 Category B P2

January 8, 2023
algebrapolynomial

Problem Statement

Alice has n>1n > 1 one variable quadratic polynomials written on paper she keeps secret from Bob. On each move, Bob announces a real number and Alice tells him the value of one of her polynomials at this number. Prove that there exists a constant C>0C > 0 such that after Cn5Cn^5 questions, Bob can determine one of Alice’s polynomials.
Proposed by Rohan Goyal and Anant Mudgal