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Algebra Difficulty 6.4 National Olympiad Prove it South Africa

Find all functions f:NRf : \mathbb{N} \to \mathbb{R} (N\mathbb{N} denotes the set of all positive integers, R\mathbb{R} the set of all real numbers) such that
f(km)+f(kn)f(k)f(nm)1 f(km) + f(kn) - f(k)f(nm) \geq 1
for all k,m,nNk, m, n \in \mathbb{N}.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Plugging in k=n=m=1k = n = m = 1 yields
f(1)22f(1)+1=(f(1)1)20, f(1)^2 - 2f(1) + 1 = (f(1) - 1)^2 \leq 0,
which implies f(1)=1f(1) = 1. Plugging in k=1,n=mk = 1, n = m and k=n,m=1k = n, m = 1, respectively, we obtain the two inequalities
2f(n)f(n2)1,(1) 2f(n) - f(n^2) \geq 1, \qquad (1)
f(n2)+f(n)f(n)21.(2) f(n^2) + f(n) - f(n)^2 \geq 1. \qquad (2)

We add the two to get
f(n)2+3f(n)2 -f(n)^2 + 3f(n) \geq 2
or
(f(n)1)(f(n)2)0. (f(n) - 1)(f(n) - 2) \leq 0.
This means that 1f(n)21 \leq f(n) \leq 2 for all nn. Now assume that there is a positive integer nn such that f(n)=a>1f(n) = a > 1. The function g(x)=x2+1x=x+1xg(x) = \frac{x^2+1}{x} = x + \frac{1}{x} is increasing on (1,)(1, \infty): for x>y>1x > y > 1,
we have
g(x)g(y)=xy+1x1y=(xy)(11xy)>0. g(x) - g(y) = x - y + \frac{1}{x} - \frac{1}{y} = (x - y) \left(1 - \frac{1}{xy}\right) > 0.
Hence, for any xax \geq a, we have
x2+1a2+1ax x^2 + 1 \geq \frac{a^2 + 1}{a}x
and thus
x2x+1a2a+1ax. x^2 - x + 1 \geq \frac{a^2 - a + 1}{a} \cdot x.
Returning to (2), we now find, by our assumption that f(n)=af(n) = a,
f(n2)f(n)2f(n)+1a2a+1af(n), f(n^2) \geq f(n)^2 - f(n) + 1 \geq \frac{a^2 - a + 1}{a} \cdot f(n),
and since
b=a2a+1a=1+(a1)2a>1, b = \frac{a^2 - a + 1}{a} = 1 + \frac{(a - 1)^2}{a} > 1,
we get
f(n2)bf(n)a. f(n^2) \geq b f(n) \geq a.
Iterating this inequality yields f(n4)b2f(n)=b2af(n^4) \geq b^2 f(n) = b^2 a, f(n8)b3f(n)=b3af(n^8) \geq b^3 f(n) = b^3 a, etc., and generally (by induction) f(n2k)bkaf(n^{2^k}) \geq b^k a. Since a>1a > 1 and b>1b > 1, this implies f(n2k)>2f(n^{2^k}) > 2 for sufficiently large kk, which contradicts the inequality 1f(n2k)21 \leq f(n^{2^k}) \leq 2 that was obtained earlier.
It follows that there is no nn such that f(n)>1f(n) > 1, which means that the constant function f(n)1f(n) \equiv 1 is the only solution (and it is easy to see that this function satisfies the condition, since the left hand side of the inequality is always equal to 1 in this case).

Solution 2

It is given that
f(km)+f(kn)f(k)f(mn)1(3) f(km) + f(kn) - f(k)f(mn) \geq 1 \quad (3)
for all k,m,nNk, m, n \in \mathbb{N}.
Put m=n=k=1m = n = k = 1 into (3) to get (f(1)1)20(f(1) - 1)^2 \leq 0, giving
f(1)=1.(4) f(1) = 1. \quad (4)
Put m=n=1m = n = 1 into (3) to get 2f(k)f(k)12f(k) - f(k) \geq 1, giving
f(k)1(5) f(k) \geq 1 \quad (5)
for all kNk \in \mathbb{N}. Put k=m=nk = m = n into (3) to get 2f(k2)f(k)f(k2)12f(k^2) - f(k)f(k^2) \ge 1, giving
f(k2)(2f(k))1,(6) f(k^2)(2 - f(k)) \ge 1, \qquad (6)
again for all kNk \in \mathbb{N}. From (5) and (6) it follows that
1f(k)<2(7) 1 \le f(k) < 2 \qquad (7)
for all kNk \in \mathbb{N}. We now prove the statement
S(M):1f(k)<1+1M for all kN S(M) : 1 \le f(k) < 1 + \frac{1}{M} \text{ for all } k \in \mathbb{N}
to be true for all M1M \ge 1, using induction on MM. The case M=1M = 1 is just (7).
Assume S(M)S(M) to be true. Suppose there is a k0Nk_0 \in \mathbb{N} such that f(k0)1+1M+1f(k_0) \ge 1 + \frac{1}{M+1}. Then, using (6), we obtain
1f(k02)(2f(k0))f(k02)(211M+1)=f(k02)(MM+1), 1 \le f(k_0^2)(2 - f(k_0)) \le f(k_0^2) \left(2 - 1 - \frac{1}{M+1}\right) = f(k_0^2) \left(\frac{M}{M+1}\right),
giving f(k02)1+1Mf(k_0^2) \ge 1 + \frac{1}{M}, which violates S(M)S(M). So S(M+1)S(M+1) follows.
It is now clear that the constant function f(n)1f(n) \equiv 1 is the only solution.

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