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Algebra Difficulty 8.0 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Romania

Find all the functions f:QQf : \mathbb{Q} \to \mathbb{Q}, so that f(1xy)=(1f(x))(1f(y))f(1 - xy) = (1 - f(x))(1 - f(y)), for every rational numbers xx and yy.

Solution

Let us find all functions f:QQf : \mathbb{Q} \to \mathbb{Q} such that for all x,yQx, y \in \mathbb{Q},
f(1xy)=(1f(x))(1f(y)). f(1 - xy) = (1 - f(x))(1 - f(y)).

Let us denote the given equation as ()(*).

Step 1. Plug x=0x = 0 into ()(*):
f(10y)=(1f(0))(1f(y))    f(1)=(1f(0))(1f(y)). f(1 - 0 \cdot y) = (1 - f(0))(1 - f(y)) \implies f(1) = (1 - f(0))(1 - f(y)).
But the left side is independent of yy, so the right side must also be independent of yy. Therefore, 1f(0)=01 - f(0) = 0 or 1f(y)1 - f(y) is constant.

Case 1: 1f(0)=0    f(0)=11 - f(0) = 0 \implies f(0) = 1

Then f(1)=0f(1) = 0 (since f(1)=(1f(0))(1f(y))=0f(1) = (1 - f(0))(1 - f(y)) = 0 for all yy).

Case 2: 1f(y)1 - f(y) is constant for all yy, so f(y)f(y) is constant. Let f(y)=cf(y) = c for all yy.
Plug into ()(*):
c=(1c)2. c = (1 - c)^2.
So c=12c+c2    c23c+1=0c = 1 - 2c + c^2 \implies c^2 - 3c + 1 = 0.
The solutions are c=3±52c = \frac{3 \pm \sqrt{5}}{2}, but these are not rational, so there is no constant rational solution.

So only Case 1 is possible: f(0)=1f(0) = 1, f(1)=0f(1) = 0.

Step 2. Plug y=1y = 1 into ()(*):
f(1x1)=(1f(x))(1f(1))    f(1x)=(1f(x))(10)=1f(x). f(1 - x \cdot 1) = (1 - f(x))(1 - f(1)) \implies f(1 - x) = (1 - f(x))(1 - 0) = 1 - f(x).
So f(1x)=1f(x)f(1 - x) = 1 - f(x) for all xQx \in \mathbb{Q}.

Step 3. Plug y=0y = 0 into ()(*):
f(1x0)=(1f(x))(1f(0))    f(1)=(1f(x))(11)=0. f(1 - x \cdot 0) = (1 - f(x))(1 - f(0)) \implies f(1) = (1 - f(x))(1 - 1) = 0.
Which is consistent with f(1)=0f(1) = 0.

Step 4. Plug x=ax = a, y=by = b into ()(*) and use f(1x)=1f(x)f(1 - x) = 1 - f(x):
Let us try to find the general form.
Let us try f(x)=xf(x) = x.
Then f(1xy)=1xyf(1 - xy) = 1 - xy, (1f(x))(1f(y))=(1x)(1y)=1xy+xy(1 - f(x))(1 - f(y)) = (1 - x)(1 - y) = 1 - x - y + xy.
But 1xy1xy+xy1 - xy \neq 1 - x - y + xy in general, so f(x)=xf(x) = x is not a solution.

Try f(x)=1xf(x) = 1 - x.
Then f(1xy)=1(1xy)=xyf(1 - xy) = 1 - (1 - xy) = xy, (1f(x))(1f(y))=xy(1 - f(x))(1 - f(y)) = x y.
So f(1xy)=(1f(x))(1f(y))f(1 - xy) = (1 - f(x))(1 - f(y)).

Therefore, f(x)=1xf(x) = 1 - x is a solution.

Let us check if there are other solutions.
Suppose f(x)=ax+bf(x) = a x + b for some a,bQa, b \in \mathbb{Q}.
From above, f(1x)=1f(x)f(1 - x) = 1 - f(x):
f(1x)=a(1x)+b=aax+b=1(ax+b)=1f(x). f(1 - x) = a(1 - x) + b = a - a x + b = 1 - (a x + b) = 1 - f(x).
So aax+b=1axb    a+b=1b    a+2b=1a - a x + b = 1 - a x - b \implies a + b = 1 - b \implies a + 2b = 1.

Also, f(0)=b=1f(0) = b = 1 (from above), so b=1b = 1, so a+21=1    a=1a + 2 \cdot 1 = 1 \implies a = -1.
So f(x)=x+1f(x) = -x + 1.

Therefore, the only solution is f(x)=1xf(x) = 1 - x.

Check:
f(1xy)=1(1xy)=xy, f(1 - xy) = 1 - (1 - xy) = xy,
(1f(x))(1f(y))=xy. (1 - f(x))(1 - f(y)) = x y.
So it works.

Conclusion:

The only function f:QQf : \mathbb{Q} \to \mathbb{Q} satisfying f(1xy)=(1f(x))(1f(y))f(1 - xy) = (1 - f(x))(1 - f(y)) for all x,yQx, y \in \mathbb{Q} is
f(x)=1x. f(x) = 1 - x.

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