Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /28 of 30

Algebra Difficulty 8.9 Shortlist Prove it Germany

Problem:

The set of all positive rational numbers is denoted by Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+}. Determine all functions f:Q+Q+f: \mathbb{Q}^{+} \rightarrow \mathbb{Q}^{+} with the property
f(x2f(y)2)=f(x2)f(y)(*) f\left(x^{2} f(y)^{2}\right) = f\left(x^{2}\right) f(y) \tag{*}
for all x,yQ+x, y \in \mathbb{Q}^{+}.

Solution

Solution:

We begin with some properties of the base set Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+} that are important for the solution set. As is well known, the product aba b of two numbers a,bQ+a, b \in \mathbb{Q}^{+} again lies in Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+}, as does the inverse 1a\frac{1}{a} for every number aQ+a \in \mathbb{Q}^{+} (which is not always satisfied for a\sqrt{a}). Since the neutral element 11 of the (commutative) multiplication also belongs to Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+}, Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+} forms a commutative (= abelian) group with respect to multiplication. Every non-empty subset UU for which a,bUa, b \in U always implies abU\frac{a}{b} \in U is an (abelian) subgroup of Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+}, i.e., it contains the number 11, every product of two of its elements, and the reciprocal of each of its numbers. An example is D={3ttZ}D=\left\{3^{t} \mid t \in \mathbb{Z}\right\}, the set of all powers of three with integer exponents; trivial examples are U={1}U=\{1\} and U=Q+U=\mathbb{Q}^{+}.

Furthermore, for a subgroup UU of Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+} and an arbitrary number aQ+a \in \mathbb{Q}^{+}, the set aU={auuU}a U=\{a u \mid u \in U\} is called the coset of Q+/U\mathbb{Q}^{+} / U with representative aa. The representative of a coset is generally not uniquely determined; likewise, the cosets themselves are generally not groups. An example with a=2a=2 is the set 2D={23ttZ}2 D=\left\{2 \cdot 3^{t} \mid t \in \mathbb{Z}\right\}, which, for instance, also has the representative 66.

After these preliminary remarks, we can now first describe the solution set:

Let UU be an arbitrary subgroup of Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+} and let a1,a2,Q+a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots \in \mathbb{Q}^{+} be fixed representatives of the cosets of Q+/U\mathbb{Q}^{+} / U. Furthermore, let u1,u2,u_{1}, u_{2}, \ldots be numbers from UU, such that exactly one uiu_{i} is assigned to each aia_{i}. This yields the following solutions f:Q+Q+f: \mathbb{Q}^{+} \rightarrow \mathbb{Q}^{+}:
f(x)={rui for x=ai2r2 with rUu arbitrary U if x is not the square of a number from Q+ f(x)=\left\{\begin{array}{cl} r \cdot u_{i} & \text{ for } x=a_{i}^{2} \cdot r^{2} \text{ with } r \in U \\ u \text{ arbitrary } \in U & \text{ if } x \text{ is not the square of a number from } \mathbb{Q}^{+} \end{array}\right.
Here all solutions arise through the possible subgroups UU and the choice of the uiu_{i}, as well as through arbitrary choice of uUu \in U (the aia_{i} being fixed for each UU).

For example, the following results for the trivial subgroups of Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+}:

a) U={1}U=\{1\}: Here only r=u=1r=u=1 as well as ui=1u_{i}=1 is possible, so that f(x)=1f(x)=1 for all xQ+x \in \mathbb{Q}^{+}.

b) U=Q+U=\mathbb{Q}^{+}: Here f(x)=axf(x)=a \sqrt{x} with fixed aa, when xx is a perfect square, and f(x)f(x) arbitrary from Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+}, when xx is not a perfect square.

The proof proceeds in two steps.

Step 1: We show that the given functions ff are well-defined and satisfy ()(*).

Every t=x2t=x^{2} with xQ+x \in \mathbb{Q}^{+} can, by the definition of the cosets, be uniquely represented in the form t=ai2r2t=a_{i}^{2} \cdot r^{2} with rUr \in U, and every product ai2r2a_{i}^{2} \cdot r^{2} is a rational perfect square. Thus ff is well-defined. It further follows from the definition that the value set WfW_{f} of ff lies in UU. Therefore, for every yQ+y \in \mathbb{Q}^{+} there exists a uUu \in U with f(y)=uf(y)=u. Since, as noted above, for every xQ+x \in \mathbb{Q}^{+} a unique representation x2=ai2r2x^{2}=a_{i}^{2} \cdot r^{2} exists, it follows that
f(x2f(y)2)=f(ai2r2u2)=f(ai2(ru)2)=(ru)ui=(rui)u=f(ai2r2)f(y)=f(x2)f(y), f\left(x^{2} \cdot f(y)^{2}\right)=f\left(a_{i}^{2} r^{2} u^{2}\right)=f\left(a_{i}^{2}(r u)^{2}\right)=(r u) \cdot u_{i}=\left(r u_{i}\right) \cdot u=f\left(a_{i}^{2} r^{2}\right) f(y)=f\left(x^{2}\right) f(y),
which shows that ()(*) is satisfied.

Step 2: We show that no further solutions of ()(*) can exist besides the ones given.

To this end, let ff be a solution function of ()(*) with the solution set WfQ+W_{f} \subseteq \mathbb{Q}^{+}.

We substitute y=1y=1 and x=1f(1)x=\frac{1}{f(1)} into ()(*):
f(x2f(y)2)=f(f(1)2f(1)2)=f(1)=f(x2)f(1). f\left(x^{2} f(y)^{2}\right)=f\left(\frac{f(1)^{2}}{f(1)^{2}}\right)=f(1)=f\left(x^{2}\right) f(1).
Thus 1Wf1 \in W_{f}.

Now let z=1f(1)z=\frac{1}{f(1)} be fixed (by the above, this means f(z2)=1f\left(z^{2}\right)=1). Further let wWfw \in W_{f} (this means there exists a uQ+u \in \mathbb{Q}^{+} with f(u)=wf(u)=w). We substitute y=uy=u and x=zf(y)x=\frac{z}{f(y)} into ()(*):
f(x2f(y)2)=f(z2)=1=f(x2)w, f\left(x^{2} f(y)^{2}\right)=f\left(z^{2}\right)=1=f\left(x^{2}\right) \cdot w,
hence f(x2)=1wf\left(x^{2}\right)=\frac{1}{w}. Thus for every wWfw \in W_{f}, 1w\frac{1}{w} also lies in WfW_{f}.

Now let v,wWfv, w \in W_{f} (this means there exist t,uQ+t, u \in \mathbb{Q}^{+} with f(t)=vf(t)=v and f(u)=wf(u)=w).
We substitute x=z=1f(1)x=z=\frac{1}{f(1)} and y=uy=u into ()(*), denote k=xf(y)k=x \cdot f(y), and obtain f(k2)=1f(u)=wf\left(k^{2}\right)=1 \cdot f(u)=w.
Then we substitute x=kx=k and y=ty=t anew into ()(*):
f(x2f(y)2)=f(k2)f(t)=wv. f\left(x^{2} f(y)^{2}\right)=f\left(k^{2}\right) f(t)=w \cdot v.
Thus for v,wWfv, w \in W_{f}, the product vwv w always lies in WfW_{f} as well.

This proves that WfW_{f} is a subgroup of Q+\mathbb{Q}^{+}.

Now let a1,a2,a_{1}, a_{2}, \ldots be fixed chosen representatives of the cosets of Q+/Wf\mathbb{Q}^{+} / W_{f} (as in the description of the solution set) and let rWfr \in W_{f} be arbitrary with f(u)=rf(u)=r. We substitute x=aix=a_{i} (for arbitrary ii) and y=uy=u into ()(*):
f(x2f(y)2)=f(ai2r2)=f(ai2)f(u)=uir f\left(x^{2} f(y)^{2}\right)=f\left(a_{i}^{2} \cdot r^{2}\right)=f\left(a_{i}^{2}\right) f(u)=u_{i} \cdot r
(where f(ai2):=uif\left(a_{i}^{2}\right):=u_{i} is set). From this it is evident that every solution function ff must indeed have the form described above. \square

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from de; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.