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Algebra Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Prove it Czech-Polish-Slovak Mathematical Match

Let R+\mathbb{R}^+ be the set of all positive real numbers. Find all functions f:R+R+f: \mathbb{R}^+ \to \mathbb{R}^+ satisfying
(1+yf(x))(1yf(x+y))=1 (1 + y f(x))(1 - y f(x + y)) = 1
for any x,yR+x, y \in \mathbb{R}^+.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Simple manipulation with the given equation leads to
1+yf(x)yf(x+y)y2f(x)f(x+y)=1,yf(x)yf(x+y)=y2f(x)f(x+y). \begin{aligned} 1 + y f(x) - y f(x + y) - y^2 f(x) f(x + y) &= 1, \\ y f(x) - y f(x + y) &= y^2 f(x) f(x + y). \end{aligned}
After cancelling y0y \neq 0 another manipulation gives
f(x)f(x+y)=yf(x)f(x+y),f(x)f(x+y)f(x+y)=yf(x),f(x)f(x+y)1=yf(x),f(x)f(x+y)=1+yf(x),f(x+y)=f(x)1+yf(x),1f(x+y)=(1+yf(x))1f(x)=1f(x)+y. \begin{aligned} f(x) - f(x + y) &= y f(x) f(x + y), \\ \frac{f(x) - f(x + y)}{f(x + y)} &= y f(x), \\ \frac{f(x)}{f(x + y)} - 1 &= y f(x), \\ \frac{f(x)}{f(x + y)} &= 1 + y f(x), \\ f(x + y) &= \frac{f(x)}{1 + y f(x)}, \\ \frac{1}{f(x + y)} &= (1 + y f(x)) \cdot \frac{1}{f(x)} = \frac{1}{f(x)} + y. \end{aligned}
(evidently, all the cancelled expressions are nonzero) and so
1f(x+y)=y+1f(x) \frac{1}{f(x + y)} = y + \frac{1}{f(x)}
for any x,yR+x, y \in \mathbb{R}^+. Hence
y+1f(x)=x+1f(y). y + \frac{1}{f(x)} = x + \frac{1}{f(y)}.
Setting y=1y = 1 we get
1f(x)=x+1f(1)1=x+c,sof(x)=1x+c \frac{1}{f(x)} = x + \frac{1}{f(1)} - 1 = x + c, \quad \text{so} \quad f(x) = \frac{1}{x + c}
with a constant cc. As f(x)>0f(x) > 0 for any x>0x > 0, we have x+c>0x + c > 0 for any x>0x > 0 and therefore c0c \ge 0.
We can easily check that the function f(x)=1/(x+c)f(x) = 1/(x + c) satisfies the given conditions for any c0c \ge 0:
(1+yx+c)(1yx+y+c)=x+c+yx+cx+y+cyx+y+c=x+c+yx+cx+cx+y+c=x+c+yx+y+c. \left(1 + \frac{y}{x + c}\right) \left(1 - \frac{y}{x + y + c}\right) = \frac{x + c + y}{x + c} \cdot \frac{x + y + c - y}{x + y + c} = \frac{x + c + y}{x + c} \cdot \frac{x + c}{x + y + c} = \frac{x + c + y}{x + y + c}.
But x+c+yx+y+c=1\frac{x + c + y}{x + y + c} = 1, so the condition is satisfied for all x,y>0x, y > 0 and c0c \ge 0.

Solution 2

Put x=1x = 1 and f(1)=a>0f(1) = a > 0. Then we have
(1+ay)(1yf(y+1))=1, (1 + a y)(1 - y f(y + 1)) = 1,
ayyf(y+1)(1+ay)=0, a y - y f(y + 1)(1 + a y) = 0,
f(y+1)=a1+ay f(y + 1) = \frac{a}{1 + a y}
Now put y=1y = 1 and f(x+1)=a/(1+ax)f(x + 1) = a/(1 + a x) to get
(1+f(x))(1a1+ax)=1, (1 + f(x)) \left( 1 - \frac{a}{1 + a x} \right) = 1,
f(x)1+axa1+ax=a1+ax, f(x) \cdot \frac{1 + a x - a}{1 + a x} = \frac{a}{1 + a x},
f(x)=a1+axa=1x+1a1=1x+c. f(x) = \frac{a}{1 + a x - a} = \frac{1}{x + \frac{1}{a} - 1} = \frac{1}{x + c}.
As in the first solution, we have c0c \ge 0 and it is easy to check that such a function satisfies the required conditions.

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