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David Roberts
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EDIT: I misread the question and proved something easier. Oh well.

Any monic polynomial $p(x)=p_0+p_1x+p_2x^2+...+x^n$ with coefficients in a ring $R$ is the characteristic polynomial of a matrix with coefficients in $R$. Consider a vector space with basis $e_0,\ldots,e_{n-1}$, and the linear transformation that sends $e_i\mapsto e_{i+1}$ and $e_{n-1} \mapsto p_0e_0+p_1e_1+\cdots$

This linear transformation obviously has minimal polynomial $p(x)$, and so that must be the characteristic polynomial.

Any of the usual bases of symmetric functions is integer if and only if any other is, so we are done.

Ben Webster
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