Solution:
Let us analyze the properties of f.
From property 4, f(mn)=f(m)f(n) for all positive integers m,n. This means f is a multiplicative function.
Let us compute f(1):
Take m=n=1:
f(1)=f(1⋅1)=f(1)f(1)⟹f(1)2=f(1)
So f(1)=0 or f(1)=1.
Suppose f(1)=0. Then for any n,
f(n)=f(n⋅1)=f(n)f(1)=f(n)⋅0=0
So f(n)=0 for all n, but this contradicts f(2)=2. Therefore, f(1)=1.
Now, f(2)=2 is given.
Let us try to find f(2k) for k≥1.
By induction:
- f(21)=f(2)=2
- f(22)=f(2⋅2)=f(2)f(2)=2⋅2=4
- f(23)=f(2⋅22)=f(2)f(22)=2⋅4=8
So f(2k)=2k for all k≥1.
Now, let us consider f(3).
Since f is strictly increasing (property 5), f(3)>f(2)=2 and f(3) is an integer.
Let us compute f(3k):
- f(31)=f(3)
- f(32)=f(3)f(3)
- f(33)=f(3)f(3)f(3)=f(3)3
Similarly, f(6)=f(2⋅3)=f(2)f(3)=2f(3).
But f(6) must also equal f(6)=f(3⋅2)=f(3)f(2)=f(3)⋅2=2f(3), which is consistent.
Now, consider f(4)=4 and f(3)>2.
But f(4)=4 and f(3) is an integer >2 and f is strictly increasing, so f(3)=3 (since f(3)<f(4)=4 and f(3) is an integer >2).
Now, f(5) must be an integer >f(4)=4, so f(5)≥5.
Let us check f(10)=f(2⋅5)=f(2)f(5)=2f(5).
But f(10)=f(5⋅2)=f(5)f(2)=f(5)⋅2=2f(5), which is consistent.
Let us try to prove by induction that f(n)=n for all n.
Base case: f(1)=1, f(2)=2, f(3)=3.
Suppose f(k)=k for all k<n.
If n is composite, say n=ab with a,b<n, then
f(n)=f(ab)=f(a)f(b)=ab=n
If n is prime, then f(n) is an integer >f(n−1)=n−1, so f(n)≥n.
But if f(n)>n, then f(n)≥n+1.
Consider f(2n)=f(2)f(n)=2f(n). But 2n is less than 2f(n) if f(n)>n, which would contradict the strictly increasing property, since f(2n)>f(2n−1), but f(2n)=2f(n)≥2(n+1)=2n+2, while f(2n−1)=2n−1 (by induction), so 2n+2>2n−1, which is always true, but let's check for n large.
But more precisely, suppose f(n)≥n+1, then f(2n)=2f(n)≥2(n+1)=2n+2, but 2n is the argument, so f(2n)≥2n+2, but f(2n−1)=2n−1, so the difference is at least 3.
But f must be strictly increasing by 1 at each step, since f(n) is an integer and f(n)>f(n−1), so f(n)≥f(n−1)+1.
But if f(n)>n, then f(n)≥n+1, so f(n)−f(n−1)≥2 for some n, which is not possible if f is strictly increasing by 1 at each step.
Therefore, f(n)=n for all n.
Thus, the only function satisfying all the properties is f(n)=n.