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Algebra Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Prove it Taiwan

Let RR denote the set of all real numbers. Find all functions f:RRf: R \to R such that for all real numbers x,yx, y,
f(xf(y)f(x)y)=yf(x)f(y)x holds. f(xf(y) - f(x) - y) = yf(x) - f(y) - x \text{ holds.}

Solution

Let P(x,y)P(x, y) denote the given functional equation.

P(x,0)f(xf(0)f(x))=xf(0). P(x, 0) \rightarrow f(xf(0) - f(x)) = -x - f(0).

From this we know that ff is surjective, and f(f(x))=xf(f(x)) = x. Note that
P(1,1)f(1)=1 and P(0,1)f(1f(0))=1f(0). P(1, 1) \rightarrow f(-1) = -1 \text{ and } P(0, -1) \rightarrow f(1 - f(0)) = 1 - f(0).

Consider x=0,y=1f(0)x = 0, y = 1 - f(0):
1=f(1)=(1f(0))f(0)f(1f(0))=(1f(0))2f(0)=0 or 2. -1 = f(-1) = (1-f(0))f(0) - f(1-f(0)) = -(1-f(0))^2 \Leftrightarrow f(0) = 0 \text{ or } 2.

If f(0)=2f(0) = 2, then P(x,0)P(x, 0) becomes
f(2xf(x))=x2=f(f(x2)) f(2x - f(x)) = -x - 2 = f(f(-x - 2))
By injectivity we obtain the following system of equations
{2xf(x)=f(x2)2(x2)f(x2)=f(x) \begin{cases} 2x - f(x) = f(-x - 2) \\ 2(-x - 2) - f(-x - 2) = f(x) \end{cases}
which is clearly a contradiction. Therefore f(0)=0f(0) = 0 and f(x)=f(x)f(-x) = -f(x). In particular, f(1)=1f(1) = 1. Since ff is an odd function,

P(x,f(x))f(x2)=f(x)2f(x)2=f(x2). P(x, f(-x)) \rightarrow f(-x^2) = -f(x)^2 \Leftrightarrow f(x)^2 = f(x^2).

Finally, according to the following identity,
P(x,1)f(xf(x)1)=f(x)x1. P(x, 1) \rightarrow f(x - f(x) - 1) = f(x) - x - 1.
Suppose xf(x)=αx - f(x) = \alpha, and recursing on the above identity, by induction we obtain
f(α2n1)=α2n1 holds for all n{0}{positive integers}. f(\alpha 2^n - 1) = -\alpha 2^n - 1 \text{ holds for all } n \in \{0\} \cup \{\text{positive integers}\}.

Clearly α0\alpha \neq 0 would contradict f(x2)=f(x)20f(x^2) = f(x)^2 \geq 0, therefore
f(x)=x,xR. f(x) = x, \forall x \in \mathbb{R}.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement translated into English from zh; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.