Find all functions f:R→R satisfying the conditions: 1. f(x+1)≥f(x)+1 for all x∈R; 2. f(xy)≥f(x)f(y) for all x,y∈R.
Solution
Let x=y in (2), we have f(x2)≥f2(x)≥0. This implies that f(x)≥0 for all x≥0.
Let x=0 in (1), we have f(1)≥f(0)+1≥1.
Let x=y=1 in (1), we have f(1)≥f2(1), i.e., 0≤f(1)≤1. These inequalities imply that f(1)=1, and hence f(0)=0.
From (1) and (2), by induction, we have f(x+n)≥f(x)+n(*) for all x∈R, n∈N, and f(xn)≥fn(x)(**) for all x≥0 and n∈N∗.
Using (∗), for each x>0, we have f(x)=f({x}+⌊x⌋)≥f({x})+⌊x⌋≥⌊x⌋>x−1. From (∗∗) and (2), for each x>1 and n∈N∗, we have (xn−1)fn(x1)≤f(xn)f(xn1)≤f(1)=1. Hence, f(x1)≤nxn−11 for all x>1, n∈N∗. Fix x>1 and let n→+∞, we obtain f(x1)≤x1, or (note that f(0)=0 and f(1)=1), f(x)≤x for x∈[0,1].
On the other hand, we can prove by induction from (1) that f(x−n)≤f(x)−n for n∈N. For each x<0, we have ⌊x⌋<0 so f(x)=f({x}+⌊x⌋)≤f({x})+⌊x⌋≤{x}+⌊x⌋=x. In (2), set x=y=t with t∈[−1,0] then f2(t)≤f(t2)≤t2 This implies that t≤f(t)≤−t. Hence, f(t)=t for all t∈[−1,0].
Now, for each x<−1, we have x21f2(x)=f2(x)f2(x1)≤f(x2)f(x21)≤f(1)=1 so f2(x)≤x2, implying that x≤f(x)≤−x. So f(x)=x for all x≤0.
Let y=−1 in (2) and consider x>0, we have −x=f(−x)≥f(x)f(−1)=−f(x) implying f(x)≥x for all x>0. Hence, we have f(x)=x for all x∈(0,1).
Finally, suppose that x>1, we have x1f(x)=f(x)f(x1)≤f(1)=1 so f(x)≤x. Since f(x)≥x, we have f(x)=x for all x>1.
Inclusion, f(x)=x for every x is the only function satisfying given conditions.
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