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Algebra Difficulty 6.2 National Olympiad Prove it Singapore

Find all functions f:Z+Z+f: \mathbb{Z}^+ \to \mathbb{Z}^+, where Z+\mathbb{Z}^+ is the set of all positive integers, such that for any positive integers m,nm, n, ff(m)(n)+n=fm(n)+f(n)f^{f(m)}(n) + n = f^m(n) + f(n).

Solution

We claim that the only solutions are:
1. f(n)n+1f(n) \equiv n + 1. This works because
ff(m)(n)+n=fm+1(n)+n=m+1+2n f^{f(m)}(n) + n = f^{m+1}(n) + n = m + 1 + 2n
and
fm(n)+f(n)=m+n+n+1=m+1+2n. f^m(n) + f(n) = m + n + n + 1 = m + 1 + 2n.
2. f(n)nf(n) \equiv n. This works because
ff(m)(n)+n=2n=fm(n)+f(n). f^{f(m)}(n) + n = 2n = f^m(n) + f(n).
We now show these are the only solutions. Note that
ffk(m)(n)ffk1(m)(n)=f(n)n. f^{f^k(m)}(n) - f^{f^{k-1}(m)}(n) = f(n) - n.
Hence, by induction,
ffk(m)(n)=k(f(n)n)+fm(n). f^{f^k(m)}(n) = k(f(n) - n) + f^m(n).
This means that f(n)nf(n) \ge n for all positive integers nn, else by choosing a sufficiently large kk, ffk(m)(n)f^{f^k(m)}(n) will be negative. If there exists some positive integer cc such that f(c)=cf(c) = c, then
ff(c)(n)=fc(n)f(n)=n for all positive integers n. f^{f(c)}(n) = f^c(n) \Rightarrow f(n) = n \text{ for all positive integers } n.
Else, assume f(n)nf(n) \ne n, so that f(n)>nf(n) > n for all positive integers nn. Pick AA such that f(A)A=tf(A) - A = t is minimal. For any positive integer mm, consider the numbers fm(A),fm+1(A),,ff(m)(A)f^m(A), f^{m+1}(A), \dots, f^{f(m)}(A). This sequence of numbers is strictly increasing, with consecutive differences at least tt. Hence,
tt(f(m)m)ff(m)(A)fm(A)=f(A)A=t. t \le t(f(m) - m) \le f^{f(m)}(A) - f^m(A) = f(A) - A = t.
Thus, equality must hold everywhere, and in particular f(m)=m+1f(m) = m + 1 for all positive integers mm, as desired.

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