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Algebra Difficulty 6.4 National olympiad Prove it Mongolia

Let R>0={xRx>0}\mathbb{R}_{>0} = \{x \in \mathbb{R} \mid x > 0\} denote the set of positive real numbers. Find all functions f:R>0R>0f: \mathbb{R}_{>0} \to \mathbb{R}_{>0} satisfying
f(x)f(y+f(x))=f(1+xy) f(x)f(y + f(x)) = f(1 + xy)
for all x,yR>0x, y \in \mathbb{R}_{>0}.
(Otgonbayar Uuye)

Solution

Answer: f=1f = 1 and f=1/xf = 1/x.
It is easy to check that these are solutions, so we prove there are no other solutions.

*f = 1 if f is not injective:* Suppose a>b>0a > b > 0 and f(a)=f(b)f(a) = f(b). Then we have
f(1+ax)=f(a)f(x+f(a))=f(b)f(x+f(b))=f(1+bx) f(1 + a x) = f(a) f(x + f(a)) = f(b) f(x + f(b)) = f(1 + b x)
for any xR>0x \in \mathbb{R}_{>0}. Let c=a/b>1c = a/b > 1 and x=y/bx = y/b, then we get f(1+cy)=f(1+y)f(1 + c y) = f(1 + y).
Taking a=1+cya = 1 + c y, b=1+yb = 1 + y, we get
f(1+(1+cy)z)=f(1+(1+y)z) f(1 + (1 + c y) z) = f(1 + (1 + y) z)
for all zR>0z \in \mathbb{R}_{>0}. Now, for 1<t<c1 < t < c, let y=t1ct>0y = \frac{t-1}{c-t} > 0 and z=ctc1>0z = \frac{c-t}{c-1} > 0.
Then (1+cy)z=t(1 + c y) z = t and (1+y)z=1(1 + y) z = 1, thus f(1+t)=f(2)f(1 + t) = f(2). Moreover, we have

f(1+cnx)=f(1+x)f(1 + c^n x) = f(1 + x) for any n1n \ge 1 by induction, thus increasing nn, we see
that f(x)=f(2)f(x) = f(2) is constant for all x>2x > 2.
Finally, for any xR>0x \in \mathbb{R}_{>0}, let y=2+1/xy = 2 + 1/x, then y+f(x)>2y + f(x) > 2 and 1+xy>21 + x y > 2, thus f(x)=f(1+xy)/f(y+f(x))=1f(x) = f(1 + x y)/f(y + f(x)) = 1.

f=1/xf = 1/x if ff is injective: Let x>1x > 1. For y=x1x>0y = \frac{x-1}{x} > 0, we have 1+xy=x1 + x y = x, thus
f(11/x+f(x))=1,f(1 - 1/x + f(x)) = 1,
since f(x)>0f(x) > 0. Let d=f(2)1/2d = f(2) - 1/2. Then ff injective implies that f(x)=d+1/xf(x) = d + 1/x.
For y=xy = x, we have x>1x > 1, y+f(x)>1y + f(x) > 1, 1+xy>11 + x y > 1, hence
(d+1x)(d+1x+d+1x)=d+11+x2. \left(d + \frac{1}{x}\right) \left(d + \frac{1}{x + d + \frac{1}{x}}\right) = d + \frac{1}{1 + x^2}.
Simplifying to a polynomial identity and considering the constant term, we see
that d=0d = 0. It follows that f(x)=1/xf(x) = 1/x for x>1x > 1. Now let y=f(x)y = f(x). Then
f(2f(x))=f(1+xf(x))/f(x)f(2 f(x)) = f(1 + x f(x))/f(x) and thus
f(2x)=x1+x1x=x2. f\left(\frac{2}{x}\right) = \frac{x}{1 + x \frac{1}{x}} = \frac{x}{2}.
Therefore f(x)=1/xf(x) = 1/x for 0<x<20 < x < 2.

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