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Mongolian Mathematical Olympiad

Algebra Difficulty 6.4 National Olympiad Prove it Mongolia

Find all functions f:N→Nf : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{N} such that f(m3+f(n))=f(m)3+nf(m^3 + f(n)) = f(m)^3 + n, ∀n,m∈N\forall n, m \in \mathbb{N}.

Solution

Let's see the given condition as a substitution P(m,n)P(m, n). Adding to both sides k3k^3 and taking ff we get:

f(k3+f(m3+f(n)))=f(k3+f(m)3+n)P(k,m3+f(n))⇒f(k3+f(m3+f(n)))=f(k)3+m3+f(n)⇒f(k3+f(m)3+n)=f(k)3+m3+f(n) (∗).} \left. \begin{array}{l} f(k^3 + f(m^3 + f(n))) = f(k^3 + f(m)^3 + n) \\ P(k, m^3 + f(n)) \Rightarrow f(k^3 + f(m^3 + f(n))) = f(k)^3 + m^3 + f(n) \\ \qquad \Rightarrow f(k^3 + f(m)^3 + n) = f(k)^3 + m^3 + f(n) \ (\ast). \end{array} \right\}

Setting in (∗)(\ast) n=l3n = l^3 we get:
f(k3+f(m)3+l3)=f(k)3+m3+f(l3), f(k^3 + f(m)^3 + l^3) = f(k)^3 + m^3 + f(l^3),
in (∗)(\ast) k=lk = l, n=k3n = k^3 we get:
f(l3+f(m)3+k3)=f(l)3+m3+f(k3) f(l^3 + f(m)^3 + k^3) = f(l)^3 + m^3 + f(k^3)
Therefore,
f(k)3−f(k3)=f(l)3−f(l3)=const=c, c∈Z f(k)^3 - f(k^3) = f(l)^3 - f(l^3) = \text{const} = c,\ c \in \mathbb{Z}
(1)

Setting in (∗)(\ast) k=f(s)k = f(s) we get:
f(f(s)3+f(m)3+n)=f(f(s))3+m3+f(n) f(f(s)^3 + f(m)^3 + n) = f(f(s))^3 + m^3 + f(n)
in (∗)(\ast) k=lk = l, n=k3n = k^3 we get:
f(f(m)3+f(s)3+n)=f(f(m))3+s3+f(n) f(f(m)^3 + f(s)^3 + n) = f(f(m))^3 + s^3 + f(n)
Therefore,
f(f(s))3−s3=f(f(m))3−m3=const=t, t∈Z f(f(s))^3 - s^3 = f(f(m))^3 - m^3 = \text{const} = t,\ t \in \mathbb{Z}
In other words, f(f(m))3=m3+tf(f(m))^3 = m^3 + t and for mm which is sufficiently large there is no perfect cube of the form m3+tm^3 + t, so t=0t = 0. I.e. f(f(m))3=m3f(f(m))^3 = m^3 and more accurately f(f(m))=mf(f(m)) = m. (⋆)(\star)

From (2) f(f(m))3=m3f(f(m))^3 = m^3
Set in (1) l=f(m)l = f(m):
f(f(m))3=f(f(m)3)+c f(f(m))^3 = f(f(m)^3) + c
If we put m=1m = 1 then 0<f(f(1)3)=1−c⇒c<10 < f(f(1)^3) = 1 - c \Rightarrow c < 1.
Therefore,
f(f(m)3)=m3−c f(f(m)^3) = m^3 - c
Let's prove that c=0c = 0. In the case c<0c < 0:
f(l)3−c=f(l3) f(l)^3 - c = f(l^3)
P(l,−c)⇒f(l)3−c=f(l3+f(−c))P(l, -c) \Rightarrow f(l)^3 - c = f(l^3 + f(-c))
Therefore,
f(l3)=f(l3+f(−c)) f(l^3) = f(l^3 + f(-c))
On the other hand, supposing that f(a)=f(b)f(a) = f(b):
P(m,a)⇒f(m3+f(a))=f(m)3+aP(m,b)⇒f(m3+f(b))=f(m)3+b P(m, a) \Rightarrow f(m^3 + f(a)) = f(m)^3 + a \\ P(m, b) \Rightarrow f(m^3 + f(b)) = f(m)^3 + b
Therefore, a=ba = b which means ff is injective.
Moreover, f(l3)=f(l3+f(−c))⇒f(−c)=0f(l^3) = f(l^3 + f(-c)) \Rightarrow f(-c) = 0 leads to contradiction. From this follows c=0c = 0.
Therefore,
f(13)=f(1)3⇒f(1)(f(1)2−1)=0⇒f(1)=1 f(1^3) = f(1)^3 \Rightarrow f(1)(f(1)^2 - 1) = 0 \Rightarrow f(1) = 1
And
P(1,n)⇒f(1+f(n))=1+n. P(1, n) \Rightarrow f(1 + f(n)) = 1 + n.
Let's prove that f(n)=nf(n) = n by induction. Case f(1)=1f(1) = 1 is trivial. Supposing that f(n)=nf(n) = n is true, we get f(1+f(n))=f(n+1)=n+1f(1 + f(n)) = f(n + 1) = n + 1 and this completes the proof. Obviously, the function f(n)=nf(n) = n satisfies the given condition.

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