Olympiad Maths Prep

Library / /2 of 3

Algebra Difficulty 7.9 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it Balkan Mathematical Olympiad

Let R+=(0,)\mathbb{R}^+ = (0, \infty) be the set of all positive real numbers. Find all functions f:R+R+f : \mathbb{R}^+ \to \mathbb{R}^+ and polynomials g(x)g(x) with non-negative coefficients and g(0)=0g(0) = 0 that satisfy the equality:
f(f(x)+g(y))=f(xy)+2y f(f(x) + g(y)) = f(x - y) + 2y
for all positive real numbers x>yx > y.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Assume that f:R+R+f : \mathbb{R}^+ \to \mathbb{R}^+ and the polynomial gg with non-negative coefficients and g(0)=0g(0) = 0 satisfy the conditions of the problem. For positive reals with x>yx > y, we shall write P(x,y)P(x, y) for the relation:
f(f(x)+g(y))=f(xy)+2y. f(f(x) + g(y)) = f(x - y) + 2y.
1. Step 1. f(x)xf(x) \ge x. Assume that this is not true. Since g(0)=0g(0) = 0, g(x)+xg(x) + x is injective on positive reals. If f(x)<xf(x) < x for some positive real xx, then setting yy such that y+g(y)=xf(x)y + g(y) = x - f(x) (where obviously y<xy < x), we shall get f(x)+g(y)=xyf(x) + g(y) = x - y and by P(x,y)P(x, y), f(f(x)+g(y))=f(xy)+2yf(f(x) + g(y)) = f(x - y) + 2y, we get 2y=02y = 0, a contradiction.

2. Step 2. g(x)=cxg(x) = cx for some non-negative real cc. We will show degg1\deg g \le 1 and together with g(0)=0g(0) = 0 the result will follow. Assume the contrary. Hence there exists a positive ll such that g(x)2xg(x) \ge 2x for all xlx \ge l. By Step 1 we get
x>yl:f(xy)+2y=f(f(x)+g(y))f(x)+g(y)f(x)+2y \forall x > y \ge l : f(x - y) + 2y = f(f(x) + g(y)) \ge f(x) + g(y) \ge f(x) + 2y
and therefore f(xy)f(x)f(x - y) \ge f(x). We get f(y)f(2y)f(ny)nyf(y) \ge f(2y) \ge \dots \ge f(ny) \ge ny for all positive integers nn, which is a contradiction.

3. Step 3. If c0c \ne 0, then f(f(x)+y+c2+2)=f(x+1)+y+2cf(f(x) + y + c^2 + 2) = f(x + 1) + y + 2c. Indeed by P(f(x+y2+1)+cy2+c,c)P(f(x + \frac{y}{2} + 1) + \frac{cy}{2} + c, c), we get
f(f(f(x+y2+1)+cy2+c)+c2)=f(f(x+y2+1)+cy2)+2c=f(x+1)+y+2c. f(f(f(x + \frac{y}{2} + 1) + \frac{cy}{2} + c) + c^2) = f(f(x + \frac{y}{2} + 1) + \frac{cy}{2}) + 2c = f(x + 1) + y + 2c.
On the other hand by P(x+y2+1,y2+1)P(x + \frac{y}{2} + 1, \frac{y}{2} + 1), we have:
f(x)+y+2=f(f(x+y2+1)+g(y2+1))=f(f(x+y2+1)+cy2+c). f(x) + y + 2 = f\left(f\left(x + \frac{y}{2} + 1\right) + g\left(\frac{y}{2} + 1\right)\right) = f\left(f\left(x + \frac{y}{2} + 1\right) + \frac{cy}{2} + c\right).
Substituting in the LHS of P(f(x+y2+1)+cy2+c,c)P(f(x + \frac{y}{2} + 1) + \frac{cy}{2} + c, c), we get f(f(x)+y+2+c2)=f(x+1)+y+2cf(f(x) + y + 2 + c^2) = f(x + 1) + y + 2c.

4. Step 4. There is x0x_0, such that f(x)f(x) is linear on (x0,)(x_0, \infty). If c0c \neq 0, then by Step 3, fixing x=1x=1, we get f(y+f(1)+2+c2)=y+f(2)+2cf(y + f(1) + 2 + c^2) = y + f(2) + 2c which implies that ff is linear for y>f(1)+2+c2y > f(1) + 2 + c^2. As for the case c=0c = 0, consider y,z(0,)y, z \in (0, \infty). Pick x>max(y,z)x > \max(y, z), then by P(x,xy)P(x, x - y) and P(x,xz)P(x, x - z) we get:
f(y)+2(xy)=f(f(x))=f(z)+2(xz) f(y) + 2(x - y) = f(f(x)) = f(z) + 2(x - z)
which proves that f(y)2y=f(z)2zf(y) - 2y = f(z) - 2z and therefore ff is linear on (0,)(0, \infty).

5. Step 5. g(y)=yg(y) = y and f(x)=xf(x) = x on (x0,)(x_0, \infty). By Step 4, let f(x)=ax+bf(x) = ax + b on (x0,)(x_0, \infty). Since ff takes only positive values, a0a \ge 0. If a=0a = 0, then by P(x+y,y)P(x + y, y) for y>x0y > x_0 we get:
2y+f(x)=f(f(x+y)+g(y))=f(b+cy). 2y + f(x) = f(f(x + y) + g(y)) = f(b + cy).
Since the LHS is not constant, we conclude c0c \neq 0, but then for y>x0/cy > x_0/c, we get that the RHS equals bb which is a contradiction.
Hence a>0a > 0. Now for x>x0x > x_0 and x>(x0b)/ax > (x_0 - b)/a large enough by P(x+y,y)P(x + y, y) we get:
ax+b+2y=f(x)+2y=f(f(x+y)+g(y))=f(ax+ay+b+cy)=a(ax+ay+b+cy)+b. ax+b+2y = f(x)+2y = f(f(x+y)+g(y)) = f(ax+ay+b+cy) = a(ax+ay+b+cy)+b.
Comparing the coefficients before xx, we see a2=aa^2 = a and since a0a \neq 0, a=1a = 1. Now 2b=b2b = b and thus b=0b = 0. Finally, equalising the coefficients before yy, we conclude 2=1+c2 = 1 + c and therefore c=1c = 1.
Now we know that f(x)=xf(x) = x on (x0,)(x_0, \infty) and g(y)=yg(y) = y. Let y>x0y > x_0. Then by P(x+y,x)P(x + y, x) we conclude:
f(x)+2y=f(f(x+y)+g(y))=f(x+y+y)=x+2y. f(x) + 2y = f(f(x + y) + g(y)) = f(x + y + y) = x + 2y.
Therefore f(x)=xf(x) = x for every xx. Conversely, it is straightforward that f(x)=xf(x) = x and g(y)=yg(y) = y do indeed satisfy the conditions of the problem. □

Solution 2

Assume that the function f:R+R+f: \mathbb{R}^+ \to \mathbb{R}^+ and the polynomial with non-negative coefficients g(y)=yg1(y)g(y) = yg_1(y) satisfy the given equation. Fix x=x0>0x = x_0 > 0 and note that:
f(f(x0+y)+g(y))=f(x0+yy)+2y=f(x0)+2y. f(f(x_0 + y) + g(y)) = f(x_0 + y - y) + 2y = f(x_0) + 2y.
Assume that g=0g = 0. Then f(f(x+y))=f(x)+2yf(f(x + y)) = f(x) + 2y for x,y>0x, y > 0. Let x>0x > 0 and z>0z > 0. Pick y>0y > 0. Then:
2y+f(x+z)=f(f(x+y+z))=f(f(x+z+y))=f(x)+2(z+y). 2y + f(x + z) = f(f(x + y + z)) = f(f(x + z + y)) = f(x) + 2(z + y).
Therefore f(x+z)=f(x)+2zf(x+z) = f(x) + 2z for any x>0x > 0 and z>0z > 0. Setting c=f(1)c = f(1), we see that f(z+1)=c+2zf(z+1) = c + 2z for all positive zz. Therefore if x,y>1x, y > 1 we have that f(x+y)=c+2(x+y1)>1f(x+y) = c + 2(x+y-1) > 1. This shows that:
f(f(x+y))=c+2(f(x+y)1)=3c+4(x+y)4. f(f(x+y)) = c + 2(f(x+y) - 1) = 3c + 4(x+y) - 4.
On the other hand f(x)+2y=c+2x+2yf(x)+2y = c+2x+2y. Therefore the equality f(f(x+y))=f(x)+2yf(f(x+y)) = f(x)+2y is not universally satisfied.

From now on, we assume that g0g \neq 0. Therefore gg is strictly increasing with g(0)=0g(0) = 0, limyg(y)=\lim_{y \to \infty} g(y) = \infty, i.e. gg is bijective on [0,)[0, \infty) and g(0)=0g(0) = 0.
Let x>0,y>0x > 0, y > 0 and set u=f(x+y),v=g(y)u = f(x+y), v = g(y). From above, we have u>0u > 0 and v>0v > 0. Therefore:
f(f(u+v)+g(v))=f(u)+2v=f(f(x+y))+2g(y). f(f(u+v) + g(v)) = f(u) + 2v = f(f(x+y)) + 2g(y).
On the other hand f(u+v)=f(f(x+y)+g(y))=f(x)+2yf(u+v) = f(f(x+y) + g(y)) = f(x) + 2y. Therefore we obtain that:
f(f(x)+2y+g(g(y)))=f(f(x+y))+2g(y). f(f(x) + 2y + g(g(y))) = f(f(x+y)) + 2g(y).
Since gg is bijective from (0,)(0, \infty) to (0,)(0, \infty) for any z>0z > 0 there is tt such that g(t)=zg(t) = z. Applying this observation to z=g(g(y))+2yz = g(g(y)) + 2y and setting x=x+tx' = x + t, we obtain that:
f(f(x+t+y))+2g(y)=f(f(x+y))+2g(y)=f(f(x)+g(g(y))+2y)=f(f(x+t)+g(t))=f(x)+2t. f(f(x+t+y))+2g(y) = f(f(x'+y))+2g(y) = f(f(x')+g(g(y))+2y) = f(f(x+t)+g(t)) = f(x)+2t.
Thus if we denote h(y)=g(g(y))+2yh(y) = g(g(y)) + 2y, then t=g1(h(y))t = g^{-1}(h(y)) and the above equality can be rewritten as:
f(f(x+g1(h(y))+y))=f(x)+2g1(h(y))2g(y)=f(x)+2g1(h(y))+2y2y2g(y). f(f(x+g^{-1}(h(y))+y)) = f(x)+2g^{-1}(h(y))-2g(y) = f(x)+2g^{-1}(h(y))+2y-2y-2g(y).
Let s(y)=g1(h(y))+ys(y) = g^{-1}(h(y)) + y and note that since hh is continuous and monotone increasing, gg is continuous and monotone increasing, then so are g1g^{-1} and consequently g1hg^{-1} \circ h and ss. It is also clear, that limy0s(y)=0\lim_{y \to 0} s(y) = 0 and limys(y)=\lim_{y \to \infty} s(y) = \infty. Therefore ss is continuously bijective from [0,)[0, \infty) to [0,)[0, \infty) with s(0)=0s(0) = 0.
Thus we have:
f(f(x+s(y)))=f(x)+2s(y)2y2g(y) f(f(x + s(y))) = f(x) + 2s(y) - 2y - 2g(y)
and using that ss is invertible, we obtain:
f(f(x+y))=f(x)+2y2s1(y)2g(s1(y)). f(f(x + y)) = f(x) + 2y - 2s^{-1}(y) - 2g(s^{-1}(y)).
Setting y=x0y = x_0, we get:
f(x)+2x02s1(x0)2g(s1(x0))=f(x0)+2x2s1(x)2g(s1(x)). f(x) + 2x_0 - 2s^{-1}(x_0) - 2g(s^{-1}(x_0)) = f(x_0) + 2x - 2s^{-1}(x) - 2g(s^{-1}(x)).
Since this equality is valid for any x>x0x > x_0 we actually have that:
f(x)2x+2s1(x)+2g(s1(x))=c for some fixed constant cR and all xR+. f(x) - 2x + 2s^{-1}(x) + 2g(s^{-1}(x)) = c \text{ for some fixed constant } c \in \mathbb{R} \text{ and all } x \in \mathbb{R}^+.
Let ϕ(x)=x+2s1(x)+2g(s1(x))\phi(x) = -x + 2s^{-1}(x) + 2g(s^{-1}(x)). Then:
f(f(x+y)+g(y))=f(x+y+ϕ(x+y)+c+g(y))=x+y+g(y)+ϕ(x+y)+2c+ϕ(x+y+ϕ(x+y)+c+g(y)). f(f(x+y)+g(y)) = f(x+y+\phi(x+y)+c+g(y)) = x+y+g(y)+\phi(x+y)+2c+\phi(x+y+\phi(x+y)+c+g(y)).
On the other hand:
f(f(x+y)+g(y))=f(x)+2y=x+ϕ(x)+2y+c. f(f(x + y) + g(y)) = f(x) + 2y = x + \phi(x) + 2y + c.
Therefore:
g(y)+ϕ(x+y)+c+ϕ(x+y+ϕ(x+y)+c+g(y))=ϕ(x)+y+c. g(y) + \phi(x + y) + c + \phi(x + y + \phi(x + y) + c + g(y)) = \phi(x) + y + c.
Noting that ϕ\phi is continuous on [0,)[0, \infty), since it is sum of continuous functions, and letting yy tend to 0, we obtain that:
ϕ(x)+c+ϕ(x+ϕ(x)+c)=ϕ(x). \phi(x) + c + \phi(x + \phi(x) + c) = \phi(x).
Therefore ϕ(x+ϕ(x)+c)+c=0\phi(x + \phi(x) + c) + c = 0 and substituting in the definition of ϕ(x)=x+2s1(x)+2g(s1(x))\phi(x) = -x + 2s^{-1}(x) + 2g(s^{-1}(x)) we obtain:
xϕ(x)c+c+2s1(x+ϕ(x)+c)+2g(s1(x+ϕ(x)+c))=0. -x - \phi(x) - c + c + 2s^{-1}(x + \phi(x) + c) + 2g(s^{-1}(x + \phi(x) + c)) = 0.
Consequently:
c+2s1(x+ϕ(x)+c)+2g(s1(x+ϕ(x)+c))=x+ϕ(x)+c. c + 2s^{-1}(x + \phi(x) + c) + 2g(s^{-1}(x + \phi(x) + c)) = x + \phi(x) + c.
Thus:
ϕ(c+2s1(x+ϕ(x)+c)+2g(s1(x+ϕ(x)+c)))=ϕ(x+ϕ(x)+c)=c. \phi(c + 2s^{-1}(x + \phi(x) + c) + 2g(s^{-1}(x + \phi(x) + c))) = \phi(x + \phi(x) + c) = -c.
Finally note that x+ϕ(x)+c=2s1(x)+2g(s1(x))+c=:u(x)x + \phi(x) + c = 2s^{-1}(x) + 2g(s^{-1}(x)) + c =: u(x) and since gg and s1s^{-1} are monotone and bijective on [0,)[0, \infty), u(x)u(x) exhausts [c,)[c, \infty) when xx ranges on [0,)[0, \infty). It follows that ϕ(x)=c\phi(x) = -c for x[c,)x \in [c, \infty). It follows that for x>max(c,0)x > \max(c, 0):
f(x)=x+cϕ(x)=x2c. f(x) = x + c - \phi(x) = x - 2c.
In particular, since f(x)>0f(x) > 0, c0c \le 0. Now for x>max(c,0)x > \max(c, 0) and y>0y > 0 we have:
x+2y2c=f(x)+2y=f(f(x+y)+g(y))=f(x+y2c+g(y))=x+y+g(y)4c. x + 2y - 2c = f(x) + 2y = f(f(x + y) + g(y)) = f(x + y - 2c + g(y)) = x + y + g(y) - 4c.
Since this is valid for any yy, we conclude g(y)=yg(y) = y and c=0c = 0. Now it follows that f(x)=xf(x) = x for x(0,)x \in (0, \infty).
It is also straightforward to check that f(x)=xf(x) = x and g(y)=yg(y) = y satisfy the equality:
f(f(x+y)+g(y))=f(x+2y)=x+2y=f(x)+2y. f(f(x + y) + g(y)) = f(x + 2y) = x + 2y = f(x) + 2y.

Looking for a route rather than an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.