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Algebra Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Silk Road Mathematics Competition

Determine all functions f:RRf : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} such that both equations
f(x+1)=1+f(x) and f(x4x2)=f(x)4f(x)2 f(x+1) = 1 + f(x) \text{ and } f(x^4 - x^2) = f(x)^4 - f(x)^2
simultaneously hold for all real xx. (R\mathbb{R} is the set of real numbers.)

Solution

Answer: f(x)=xf(x) = x for all real xx.
From the first equation we have by induction that
f(x+n)=f(x)+n(1) f(x+n) = f(x) + n \quad (1)
for every real xx and integer nn. Since x4x2=(x212)214x^4 - x^2 = (x^2 - \frac{1}{2})^2 - \frac{1}{4}, for every y14y \ge -\frac{1}{4} there is xx such that y=x4x2y = x^4 - x^2, implying
f(y)=f(x4x2)=f(x)4f(x)2=(f(x)212)21414. f(y) = f(x^4 - x^2) = f(x)^4 - f(x)^2 = \left(f(x)^2 - \frac{1}{2}\right)^2 - \frac{1}{4} \ge -\frac{1}{4}.

For every xx we have x={x}+[x]x = \{x\} + [x] and 0{x}<10 \le \{x\} < 1 (in particular, {x}>14\{x\} > -\frac{1}{4} and [x]>x1[x] > x - 1),
implying
f(x)=f({x})+[x]>14+(x1)>x2.(2) f(x) = f(\{x\}) + [x] > -\frac{1}{4} + (x-1) > x - 2. \quad (2)
Suppose there is xx such that t=f(x)x0t = f(x) - x \ne 0. Then for every integer nn we have
f(x+n)4f(x+n)2=f((x+n)4(x+n)2), f(x+n)^4 - f(x+n)^2 = f((x+n)^4 - (x+n)^2),
giving
(x+n+t)4(x+n+t)2>(x+n)4(x+n)22, (x+n+t)^4 - (x+n+t)^2 > (x+n)^4 - (x+n)^2 - 2,
and thus
4t(x+n)3+6t2(x+n)2+2t(2t21)(x+n)+t4t2+2>0(3) 4t(x+n)^3 + 6t^2(x+n)^2 + 2t(2t^2-1)(x+n) + t^4 - t^2 + 2 > 0 \quad (3)
for every integer nn, which is impossible as if t>0t > 0, then for nn \to -\infty we get a contradiction. If t<0t < 0, then for nn \to \infty we again get a contradiction. Therefore, f(x)=xf(x) = x for all real xx which is easy to check works for both given equations.

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