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Let f be a polynomial with integer coefficients whose degree is at least 2. We consider the problem of covering the orbit Formula: see text, where t is an integer, using arithmetic progressions each of which contains t. Fixing an integer Formula: see text, we prove that it is impossible to cover Formula: see text using k such arithmetic progressions unless Formula: see text is contained in one of these progressions. In fact, we show that the relative density of terms covered by k such arithmetic progressions in Formula: see text is uniformly bounded from above by a bound that depends solely on k. In addition, the latter relative density can be made as close as desired to 1 by an appropriate choice of k arithmetic progressions containing t if k is allowed to be large enough.
Sadek et al. (Fri,) studied this question.