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Algebra Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Prove it Saudi Arabia

Find all functions f:RRf: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R} such that
2f(x)=f(x+y)+f(x+2y) 2 f(x) = f(x + y) + f(x + 2y)
for all xRx \in \mathbb{R} and for all y0y \geq 0.

Solutions — 3

Solution 1

Without loss of generality, we may assume that f(0)=0f(0) = 0. Let y>0y > 0 and nn a positive integer. For x=nyx = n y we get
2f(ny)=f((n+1)y)+f((n+2)y). 2 f(n y) = f((n + 1) y) + f((n + 2) y).
The sequence an=f(ny),n=0,1,2,a_n = f(n y), n = 0, 1, 2, \ldots, satisfies the second order linear recursive relation
an+2=an+1+2an a_{n+2} = -a_{n+1} + 2 a_n
with a0=f(0)=0,a1=f(y)a_0 = f(0) = 0, a_1 = f(y). The characteristic equation is t2+t2=0t^2 + t - 2 = 0, having the roots t1=1,t2=2t_1 = 1, t_2 = -2. It follows that an=α+β(2)na_n = \alpha + \beta (-2)^n, where α+β=0\alpha + \beta = 0 and α2β=f(y)\alpha - 2 \beta = f(y). We get
f(ny)=an=1(2)n3f(y) f(n y) = a_n = \frac{1 - (-2)^n}{3} \cdot f(y)
In particular, we have f(4y)=5f(y)f(4 y) = -5 f(y). On the other hand, from (3), we obtain f(2y)=f(y)f(2 y) = -f(y), hence f(4y)=f(2y)=f(y)f(4 y) = -f(2 y) = f(y), for any y0y \geq 0. That is f(y)=0f(y) = 0 for any y0y \geq 0.
Let xRx \in \mathbb{R}. Then
2f(x)=f(x+x)+f(x+2x)=0 2 f(x) = f(x + |x|) + f(x + 2|x|) = 0
hence f(x)=0f(x) = 0. The desired functions are all constant functions.

A simple checking shows that any constant function is solution to the functional equation.

Solution 2

If x1,x2R,x1>x2x_1, x_2 \in \mathbb{R}, x_1 > x_2, we can find xRx \in \mathbb{R} and y0y \geq 0 such that x1=x+4yx_1 = x + 4y and x2=x+yx_2 = x + y. Indeed, solving the system in xx and yy, we get
x=13(4x2x1),y=13(x1x2) x = \frac{1}{3}(4 x_2 - x_1), \quad y = \frac{1}{3}(x_1 - x_2)
Replacing yy by 2y2y in the functional equation we obtain
2f(x)=f(x+2y)+f(x+4y), 2 f(x) = f(x + 2y) + f(x + 4y),
hence we get
f(x+y)+f(x+2y)=f(x+2y)+f(x+4y) f(x + y) + f(x + 2y) = f(x + 2y) + f(x + 4y)
that is
f(x+y)=f(x+4y),xR,y0 f(x + y) = f(x + 4y), \quad x \in \mathbb{R}, y \geq 0
From (1) it follows f(x1)=f(x2)f(x_1) = f(x_2), for any x1,x2Rx_1, x_2 \in \mathbb{R}, hence ff is constant function.

A simple checking shows that any constant function is solution to the functional equation.

Solution 3

As in the previous solution, we have
2f(x)=f(x+y)+f(x+2y)=f(x+2y)+f(x+4y), 2 f(x) = f(x + y) + f(x + 2y) = f(x + 2y) + f(x + 4y),
hence, we get relation (1). Taking x=y,y0x = -y, y \geq 0, from (1) we obtain f(0)=f(3y),y0f(0) = f(3y), y \geq 0, that is ff is constant on [0,)[0, \infty). Taking x=3yx = -3y, it follows
f(3y)=f(y)=0,y0 f(-3y) = f(y) = 0, \quad y \geq 0
hence ff is constant on (,0](-\infty, 0]. Therefore, all solutions are given by the constant functions.

A simple checking shows that any constant function is solution to the functional equation.

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