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Algebra Difficulty 8.2 Shortlist Prove it Hong Kong

Find all functions f:RRf: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} satisfying the following condition: for any real numbers xx and yy, the number f(x+f(y))f(x + f(y)) is equal to x+f(y)x + f(y) or f(f(x))+yf(f(x)) + y.

Solution

f(x)=x+cf(x) = x + c for some constant cc.

We first check that all such functions are solutions. Indeed, if f(x)=x+cf(x) = x + c, then
f(x+f(y))=f(x+y+c)=x+y+2c=f(f(x))+y f(x + f(y)) = f(x + y + c) = x + y + 2c = f(f(x)) + y
for any x,yRx, y \in \mathbb{R}.

Next, we prove that these are the only solutions. Replacing xx by xf(y)x - f(y), the given condition means
f(x)=xorf(x)=f(f(xf(y)))+y f(x) = x \quad \text{or} \quad f(x) = f(f(x - f(y))) + y
for any x,yRx, y \in \mathbb{R}. We are done if f(x)=xf(x) = x for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}. Assume f(a)af(a) \neq a for some aRa \in \mathbb{R}. Then we have
f(a)=f(f(af(y)))+y(1) f(a) = f(f(a - f(y))) + y \quad (1)
for any yRy \in \mathbb{R}. Note that ff is injective, since if f(α)=f(β)f(\alpha) = f(\beta), then
α=f(α)f(f(αf(α)))=f(α)f(f(αf(β)))=β \alpha = f(\alpha) - f(f(\alpha - f(\alpha))) = f(\alpha) - f(f(\alpha - f(\beta))) = \beta
by (1). Setting y=0y = 0 in (1), we have f(a)=f(f(af(0)))f(a) = f(f(a - f(0))), and hence
a=f(af(0))(2) a = f(a - f(0)) \quad (2)
as ff is injective. In particular, this implies f(0)0f(0) \neq 0 (as f(a)af(a) \neq a).

* If f(x)xf(x) \neq x for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}, then (2) holds for all aRa \in \mathbb{R}. Replacing aa by x+f(0)x + f(0), this gives f(x)=x+cf(x) = x + c for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}, where c=f(0)c = f(0) is a constant as desired.

* Suppose f(b)=bf(b) = b for some bb. Note that f(f(a))f(a)f(f(a)) \neq f(a) since f(a)af(a) \neq a and ff is injective. It follows that (1) holds if we replace aa by f(a)f(a). Thus, we obtain
f(f(a))=f(f(f(a)f(y)))+y. f(f(a)) = f(f(f(a) - f(y))) + y.
Putting y=ay = a, this yields
f(f(a))=f(f(0))+a.(3) f(f(a)) = f(f(0)) + a. \quad (3)
Next, putting y=by = b in (1), we have f(a)=f(f(ab))+bf(a) = f(f(a - b)) + b. Recall that f(a)af(a) \neq a, so we cannot have f(ab)=abf(a - b) = a - b. Therefore, using (3) with aa replaced by aba - b, we deduce
f(a)=f(f(ab))+b=f(f(0))+(ab)+b=a+f(f(0)).(4) f(a) = f(f(a - b)) + b = f(f(0)) + (a - b) + b = a + f(f(0)). \quad (4)
Recall that f(0)0f(0) \neq 0. Thus, we may take a=0a = 0 in (4). This implies f(0)=f(f(0))f(0) = f(f(0)). But then this yields 0=f(0)0 = f(0) by the injectivity, which is a contradiction.

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