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Algebra Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Prove it Taiwan

Let Q>0Q_{>0} denote the set of all positive rational numbers. Find all functions f:Q>0Q>0f: Q_{>0} \to Q_{>0} satisfying
f(x2f(y)2)=f(x)2f(y), for all x,yQ>0. f(x^2 f(y)^2) = f(x)^2 f(y), \text{ for all } x, y \in Q_{>0}.

Solution

f(x)=1f(x) = 1 for all xQ>0x \in Q_{>0}.
Take any a,bQ>0a, b \in Q_{>0}. By substituting x=f(a)x = f(a), y=by = b and x=f(b)x = f(b), y=ay = a into the assumption of the problem we get
(f(f(a)))2f(b)=f(f(a)2f(b)2)=f(f(b))2f(a), (f(f(a)))^2 f(b) = f(f(a)^2 f(b)^2) = f(f(b))^2 f(a),
which yields
f(f(a))2f(a)=f(f(b))2f(b) for all a,bQ>0. \frac{f(f(a))^2}{f(a)} = \frac{f(f(b))^2}{f(b)} \text{ for all } a, b \in Q_{>0}.
In other words, this shows that there exists a constant CQ>0C \in Q_{>0} such that
f(f(a))2=Cf(a),f(f(a))^2 = C f(a),
(f(f(a))C)2=f(a)Cfor all aQ>0.(1) \left(\frac{f(f(a))}{C}\right)^2 = \frac{f(a)}{C} \quad \text{for all } a \in \mathbb{Q}_{>0}. \qquad (1)
Denote by fn(x)=f(f((f(x))))nf^n(x) = \underbrace{f(f(\dots(f(x))\dots))}_{n} the nnth iteration of ff. Equality (1) yields
f(a)C=(f2(a)C)2=(f3(a)C)4==(fn+1(a)C)2n \frac{f(a)}{C} = \left(\frac{f^2(a)}{C}\right)^2 = \left(\frac{f^3(a)}{C}\right)^4 = \dots = \left(\frac{f^{n+1}(a)}{C}\right)^{2^n}
for all positive integer nn. So, f(a)/Cf(a)/C is the 2n2^n-th power of a rational number for all positive integer nn. This is impossible unless f(a)/C=1f(a)/C = 1,

since otherwise the exponent of some prime in the prime decomposition of f(a)/Cf(a)/C is not divisible by sufficiently large powers of 2. Therefore, f(a)=Cf(a) = C for all aQ>0a \in \mathbb{Q}_{>0}.
Finally, after substituting fCf \equiv C into the assumption of the problem we get C=C3C = C^3, whence C=1C = 1. So f(x)1f(x) \equiv 1 is the unique function satisfying the assumption of the problem.

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