A function f maps every positive real number to a positive real number. There is a constant c=1 such that f(cx)2=f(x)f(c2x) for all positive real numbers x. Must the same equality hold for any positive real numbers c and x?
Solution
Answer: No.
Solution 1: Let f(x)=esinlnx. Then (f(cx))2=(esinln(cx))2=e2sin(lncx+lnc),f(x)f(c2x)=esinlnx⋅esinln(c2x)=esinlnx+sin(lnx+2lnc). Taking c=e2π, we get 2sin(lnx+lnc)=2sin(lnx+2π)=2sinlnx=sinlnx+sinlnx=sinlnx+sin(lnx+4π)=sinlnx+sin(lnx+2lnc), so the desired condition is satisfied. However, taking c=eπ/2 and x=1, we obtain 2sin(ln1+lneπ/2)=2sin(π/2)=2, whereas sinln1+sin(ln1+2lneπ/2)=sin0+sinπ=0. Hence the equality does not hold for c=eπ/2 and x=1.
Solution 2: Let f(x)={2,1,if x is rational,if x is irrational. For all positive rational c we have f(cx)=f(x), as x and cx are either both rational or both irrational. So (f(cx))2=(f(x))2 and f(x)f(c2x)=f(x)f(cx)=(f(x))2. Hence the desired equality holds for all positive rational c. However, taking c=2 and x=1, we obtain f(cx)=f(2)=1, whereas f(x)f(c2x)=f(1)f(2)=2⋅2=4. So the equality does not hold.
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