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Algebra Difficulty 6.4 National olympiad Prove it Thailand

Let α=1+52\alpha = \frac{1 + \sqrt{5}}{2}. Find all continuous functions f:RRf: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} such that, for all x,y,zRx, y, z \in \mathbb{R},
f(αx+y)+f(αy+z)+f(αz+x)=αf(x+y+z)+2f(x)+2f(y)+2f(z). \begin{aligned} & f(\alpha x + y) + f(\alpha y + z) + f(\alpha z + x) \\ &= \alpha f(x + y + z) + 2f(x) + 2f(y) + 2f(z). \end{aligned}

Solution

Let (*) be the given functional equation.
Setting x=y=z=0x = y = z = 0 in (*), we have f(0)=0f(0) = 0.
Setting y=z=0y = z = 0 in (*) and simplifying, we have
f(αx)=α2f(x) for all xR. f(\alpha x) = \alpha^2 f(x) \text{ for all } x \in \mathbb{R}.
Letting z=0z = 0 in the functional equation, we get
f(αx+y)+f(αy)+f(x)=αf(x+y)+2f(x)+2f(y). f(\alpha x + y) + f(\alpha y) + f(x) = \alpha f(x + y) + 2f(x) + 2f(y).
Using f(αy)=α2f(y)=(α+1)f(y)f(\alpha y) = \alpha^2 f(y) = (\alpha + 1)f(y), it follows that
f(αx+y)=αf(x+y)+f(x)+(1α)f(y). f(\alpha x + y) = \alpha f(x + y) + f(x) + (1 - \alpha)f(y).
Then (*) simplifies to
f(x+y)+f(y+z)+f(z+x)=f(x+y+z)+f(x)+f(y)+f(z). f(x + y) + f(y + z) + f(z + x) = f(x + y + z) + f(x) + f(y) + f(z).
Putting z=yz = -y in the above equation, we have
f(x+y)+f(xy)=2f(x)+f(y)+f(y). f(x + y) + f(x - y) = 2f(x) + f(y) + f(-y).
Let fc(x)=(f(x)+f(x))/2f_c(x) = (f(x) + f(-x))/2 and fo(x)=(f(x)f(x))/2f_o(x) = (f(x) - f(-x))/2. Then
fc(x+y)+fc(xy)=2fc(x)+2fc(y)fo(x+y)+fo(xy)=2fo(x) \begin{aligned} f_c(x + y) + f_c(x - y) &= 2f_c(x) + 2f_c(y) \\ f_o(x + y) + f_o(x - y) &= 2f_o(x) \end{aligned}
which respectively are the quadratic and the Jensen functional equations with the continuous solutions fc(x)=ax2f_c(x) = ax^2 and fo(x)=bxf_o(x) = bx (note that fo(0)=0f_o(0) = 0). Thus, f(x)=ax2+bxf(x) = ax^2 + bx.
Substituting f(x)=ax2+bxf(x) = ax^2 + bx into (*), we can see that b=0b = 0.
Thus f(x)=ax2f(x) = ax^2 is the only continuous solution.

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