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Algebra Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Prove it Slovenia

Find all functions g:RRg: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}, for which there exists a strictly increasing function f:RRf: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}, such that
f(x+y)=f(x)g(y)+f(y) f(x + y) = f(x)g(y) + f(y)
for all real xx and yy.

Solution

Inserting y=0y = 0 into the equation, we get f(x)=f(x)g(0)+f(0)f(x) = f(x)g(0) + f(0) or
f(x)(1g(0))=f(0). f(x)(1 - g(0)) = f(0).
If g(0)1g(0) \neq 1 then f(x)=f(0)1g(0)f(x) = \frac{f(0)}{1-g(0)} and ff is constant. This is not possible since ff is strictly increasing. We conclude that g(0)=1g(0) = 1 and f(0)=0f(0) = 0. From
f(x)g(y)+f(y)=f(x+y)=f(y)g(x)+f(x) f(x)g(y) + f(y) = f(x + y) = f(y)g(x) + f(x)
we see that f(x)(g(y)1)=f(y)(g(x)1)f(x)(g(y) - 1) = f(y)(g(x) - 1). Since ff is strictly increasing we have f(x)0f(x) \neq 0 for x0x \neq 0. So, for x,y0x, y \neq 0 we get
g(y)1f(y)=g(x)1f(x) \frac{g(y) - 1}{f(y)} = \frac{g(x) - 1}{f(x)}
The left-hand side of the equation only depends on yy and the right-hand side only depends on xx. We conclude that both sides are constant, so g(x)1=Cf(x)g(x) - 1 = Cf(x) for all xx other than 00. But we have shown that g(0)=1g(0) = 1 and f(0)=0f(0) = 0, so this equality also holds for x=0x = 0. Hence,
g(x+y)=1+Cf(x+y)=1+Cf(x)g(y)+Cf(y)=g(y)+Cf(x)g(y)=g(y)(1+Cf(x))=g(y)g(x) \begin{aligned} g(x + y) &= 1 + Cf(x + y) = 1 + Cf(x)g(y) + Cf(y) \\ &= g(y) + Cf(x)g(y) = g(y)(1 + Cf(x)) \\ &= g(y)g(x) \end{aligned}
for all real xx and yy. This implies g(nx)=g(x)ng(nx) = g(x)^n. From g(x)=1Cf(x)g(x) = 1 - Cf(x) we see that gg is also strictly monotone (strictly increasing or strictly decreasing). Finally, g(1x)=1g(x)g\left(\frac{1}{x}\right) = \frac{1}{g(x)} and g(0)=1g(0) = 1 imply that g(x)>0g(x) > 0 for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}.
Let g(1)=ag(1) = a, where a>0a > 0. Then g(n)=ang(n) = a^n for all nZn \in \mathbb{Z}. Since g(x)=(g(nx))1ng(x) = (g(nx))^{\frac{1}{n}}, we see that g(mn)=(g(m))1n=amng\left(\frac{m}{n}\right) = (g(m))^{\frac{1}{n}} = a^{\frac{m}{n}} or g(x)=axg(x) = a^x for all xQx \in \mathbb{Q}. Since gg is strictly monotone we have g(x)=axg(x) = a^x for all real xx.
It is not difficult to show that the functions g(x)=axg(x) = a^x for all a>0a > 0 satisfy the conditions of the problem. If a<1a < 1 let f(x)=1axf(x) = 1 - a^x. If a=1a = 1 let f(x)=xf(x) = x. Otherwise, let f(x)=ax1f(x) = a^x - 1. In all three cases ff is strictly increasing.

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