Determine all functions f from the reals to the reals for which (1) f(x) is strictly increasing, (2) f(x)+g(x)=2x for all real x, where g(x) is the composition inverse function to f(x). (Note: f and g are said to be composition inverses if f(g(x))=x and g(f(x))=x for all real x.)
Solution
Denote by fn the nth iterate of f, that is, fn(x)=n times f(f(…f(x))). Plug x→fn+1(x) in (2): since g(fn+1(x))=g(f(fn(x)))=fn(x), fn+2(x)+fn(x)=2fn+1(x), that is, fn+2(x)−fn+1(x)=fn+1(x)−fn(x). Therefore fn(x)−fn−1(x) does not depend on n, and is equal to f(x)−x. Summing the corresponding results for smaller values of n we find fn(x)−x=n(f(x)−x). Since g has the same properties as f, gn(x)−x=n(g(x)−x)=−n(f(x)−x). Finally, g is also increasing, because since f is increasing g(x)>g(y)⟹f(g(x))>f(g(y))⟹x>y. An induction proves that fn and gn are also increasing functions. Let x>y be real numbers. Since fn and gn are increasing, x+n(f(x)−x)>y+n(f(y)−y)⟺n[(f(x)−x)−(f(y)−y)]>y−x and x−n(f(x)−x)>y−n(f(y)−y)⟺n[(f(x)−x)−(f(y)−y)]<x−y. Summing it up, ∣n[(f(x)−x)−(f(y)−y)]∣<x−y for all n∈Z>0. Suppose that a=f(x)−x and b=f(y)−y are distinct. Then, for all positive integers n, ∣n(a−b)∣<x−y, which is false for a sufficiently large n. Hence a=b, and f(x)−x is a constant c for all x∈R, that is, f(x)=x+c. It is immediate that f(x)=x+c satisfies the problem, as g(x)=x−c.
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