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Algebra Difficulty 5.1 AIME, harder Prove it Romania

Let f:RRf: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} be a function such that its 2-fold composition is equal to the floor function, i.e. f(f(x))=xf(f(x)) = \lfloor x \rfloor, for any real number xx. Prove that there exist distinct real numbers aa and bb such that f(a)f(b)ab|f(a) - f(b)| \ge |a - b|.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

We claim that f(n)Zf(n) \in \mathbb{Z}, for any integer nn. Indeed, write f(f(f(x)))=f([x])=[f(x)]f(f(f(x))) = f([x]) = [f(x)] to derive that f(n)=[f(n)]f(n) = [f(n)] for any integer nn, implying f(n)Zf(n) \in \mathbb{Z}.

Suppose that for all a,bZa, b \in \mathbb{Z} we have f(a)f(b)<ab|f(a) - f(b)| < |a - b|. Then f(n+1)f(n)<1|f(n + 1) - f(n)| < 1, for any integer nn. Since both f(n)f(n) and f(n+1)f(n + 1) are integers we derive that f(n)=f(n+1)f(n) = f(n + 1), hence f(n)=f(0)f(n) = f(0), for any integer nn. It follows that n=f(f(n))=f(f(0))=0n = f(f(n)) = f(f(0)) = 0, a contradiction.

Solution 2

Notice that f(0)f(1)f(0) \ne f(1), otherwise 0=f(f(0))=f(f(1))=10 = f(f(0)) = f(f(1)) = 1, false. If f(0)f(1)01|f(0) - f(1)| \ge |0 - 1|, we are done; if else, from 01=f(f(0))f(f(1))|0 - 1| = |f(f(0)) - f(f(1))| we obtain f(f(0))f(f(1))>f(0)f(1)|f(f(0)) - f(f(1))| > |f(0) - f(1)|. The distinct numbers f(0)f(0) and f(1)f(1) fulfill the claim.

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