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Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National olympiad Prove it Iran

Let R0\mathbb{R}^{\ge 0} be the set of non-negative real numbers. Find all functions f:R0R0f : \mathbb{R}^{\ge 0} \to \mathbb{R}^{\ge 0} such that for all x,yR0x, y \in \mathbb{R}^{\ge 0},
f(x3+xf(xy))=f(xy)+x2f(x+y). f(x^3 + x f(xy)) = f(xy) + x^2 f(x + y).

Solution

Let PP denote the assertion that:
f(x3+xf(xy))=f(xy)+x2f(x+y) f(x^3 + x f(xy)) = f(xy) + x^2 f(x + y)
By P(x,yx)P(x, \frac{y}{x}) we have
A(x,y):f(x3+xf(y))=f(y)+x2f(x+yx) A(x, y) : \quad f(x^3 + x f(y)) = f(y) + x^2 f\left(x + \frac{y}{x}\right)
If there exists a pair (x,y)(x, y) such that f(x3+xf(y))=0f(x^3 + x f(y)) = 0. Then
A(x,y)f(y)+x2f(x+yx)=0(1) A(x, y) \rightarrow f(y) + x^2 f\left(x + \frac{y}{x}\right) = 0 \quad (1)
From the definition of function we know that x0:f(x)0\forall x \ge 0 : f(x) \ge 0 so (1) infers that f(y)=0f(y) = 0. Thus it suffices to prove for each t0t \ge 0 there exists x0x \ge 0 such that f(x3+xf(t))=0f(x^3 + x f(t)) = 0.

Consider the polynomial P(x)=x3+xf(1)1P(x) = x^3 + x f(1) - 1. It has at least one positive real root, namely x0x_0 since P(0)<0P(0) < 0 and the leading coefficient of polynomial is positive. From A(x0,1)A(x_0, 1) we have
f(x03+x0f(1))=f(1)    f(x0+1x0)=0 f(x_0^3 + x_0 f(1)) = f(1) \implies f\left(x_0 + \frac{1}{x_0}\right) = 0
Thus there is a positive number cc such that f(c)=0f(c) = 0. For any non-negative number tt consider the polynomial Qt(x)=x3+xf(t)cQ_t(x) = x^3 + x f(t) - c. Again QtQ_t has at least one positive root like x1x_1 because Qt(0)<0Q_t(0) < 0 and the leading coefficient is positive. Then
f(x13+x1f(t))=f(c)=0 f(x_1^3 + x_1 f(t)) = f(c) = 0
And x1x_1 is what we supposed to find for each tt to conclude f(t)=0f(t) = 0. ■

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