Resultant of two polynomials in $K[X,Y]$ is a polynomial in $K[X]$ with degree less than the product of the original ones

abstract-algebrapolynomials

I'm trying to prove the following:

Let $f, g$ be two polynomials in $K[X,Y]$ with $K$ a field and consider them as polynomials in one indeterminate with coefficientes in$ K[X]$, ie, as elements of $K[X][Y]$, then the resultant of these two polynomials would be another polynomial $d \in K[X]$ and I want to show that $\operatorname{deg}(d) \leq \operatorname{deg}(f)\operatorname{deg}(g)$.

I found it in a textbook on algebraic geometry as part of some proof but there is no hint or reference on how to prove it and I have no idea on how to get the result.

Could someone give a proof about this result?

Thanks a lot.

Best Answer

Expand $f$ and $g$ as polynomials in $y$ as follows:

$$f= a_0y^d+a_1y^{d-1}+\cdots+a_d$$ $$g= b_0y^e+b_1y^{e-1}+\cdots+b_e.$$

Then the resultant of these two polynomials is given by the determinant of the Sylvester matrix. Here's an example when $f$ has degree three in $y$ and $g$ has degree two in $y$:

$$S= \begin{pmatrix} a_0 & & b_0 & & \\ a_1 & a_0 & b_1 & b_0 & \\ a_2 & a_1 & b_2 & b_1 & b_0 \\ a_3 & a_2 & & b_2 & b_1 \\ & a_3 & & & b_2 \end{pmatrix}$$

Now recall that $\renewcommand{\s}{\sigma}\det S = \sum_{\s\in S_{d+e}} |\s|\prod s_{i\s(i)}$. I claim that when $s_{ij}\neq 0$, $\deg_x s_{ij} \leq \deg(f)-d+i-j$ or $\deg_x s_{ij} \leq \deg(g)-e+i-j+e=\deg(g)+i-j$ depending on whether $j\leq e$ or not. Therefore $$\deg_x \prod s_{i\s(i)} \leq e(\deg(f)-d)+d(\deg(g)) + \sum i-\s(i).$$ As $\sum i-\s(i) =0$ and $e(\deg(f)-d) + d(\deg(g)) \leq \deg(f)\deg(g)$, we have the result.