Maths Olympiad Prep

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Algebra Difficulty 6.8 National olympiad Prove it Vietnam

Let ff be a function defined on the set of real numbers R\mathbb{R}, taking values in R\mathbb{R} and satisfying the condition
f(cotx)=sin2x+cos2x f(\cot x) = \sin 2x + \cos 2x
for every xx belonging to the open interval (0;π)(0; \pi).
Find the least and the greatest values of the function g(x)=f(x)f(1x)g(x) = f(x) \cdot f(1-x) on the closed interval [1;1][-1; 1].

Solution

We have:
f(cotx)=sin2x+cos2xx(0;π) f(\cot x) = \sin 2x + \cos 2x \quad \forall x \in (0; \pi)
f(cotx)=2cotxcot2x+1+cot2x1cot2x+1=cot2x+2cotx1cot2x+1x(0;π). \Leftrightarrow f(\cot x) = \frac{2 \cot x}{\cot^2 x + 1} + \frac{\cot^2 x - 1}{\cot^2 x + 1} = \frac{\cot^2 x + 2 \cot x - 1}{\cot^2 x + 1} \quad \forall x \in (0; \pi).
Therefore, remarking that for every tRt \in \mathbb{R} there exists x(0;π)x \in (0; \pi) such that cotx=t\cot x = t, we get:
f(t)=t2+2t1t2+1tR. f(t) = \frac{t^2 + 2t - 1}{t^2 + 1} \quad \forall t \in \mathbb{R}.
It implies
g(x)=f(x)f(1x)=x2(1x)2+8x(1x)2x2(1x)22x(1x)+2xR.() g(x) = f(x) \cdot f(1-x) = \frac{x^2(1-x)^2 + 8x(1-x) - 2}{x^2(1-x)^2 - 2x(1-x) + 2} \quad \forall x \in \mathbb{R}. \quad (*)
Put u=x(1x)u = x(1-x). It is easy to see that when xx runs through [1;1][-1; 1], uu runs through [2;1/4][-2; 1/4]. So, from (*) we have:
ming(x)=minh(u)andmaxg(x)=maxh(u),1x12u1/41x12u1/4 \begin{array}{l} \min g(x) = \min h(u) \quad \text{and} \quad \max g(x) = \max h(u), \\ -1 \le x \le 1 \qquad -2 \le u \le 1/4 \qquad -1 \le x \le 1 \qquad -2 \le u \le 1/4 \end{array}
where h(u)=u2+8u2u22u+2h(u) = \frac{u^2 + 8u - 2}{u^2 - 2u + 2}.
By studying the sign of h(u)=2(5u2+4u+6)(u22u+2)2h'(u) = \frac{2(-5u^2 + 4u + 6)}{(u^2 - 2u + 2)^2} on [2;1/4][-2; 1/4], we get:
min2u1/4h(u)=h((234)/5)=434, and \min_{-2 \le u \le 1/4} h(u) = h((2 - \sqrt{34})/5) = 4 - \sqrt{34}, \text{ and}
max2u1/4h(u)=max{h(2),h(1/4)}=max{7/5,1/25}=1/25. \max_{-2 \le u \le 1/4} h(u) = \max\{h(-2), h(1/4)\} = \max\{-7/5, 1/25\} = 1/25.
So, on [1;1][-1; 1], ming(x)=434\min g(x) = 4 - \sqrt{34}, maxg(x)=1/25\max g(x) = 1/25.

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