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IMO Team Selection Test 3, June, 2020

Algebra Difficulty 8.1 Shortlist Prove it Netherlands

Find all functions f:Z→Zf: \mathbb{Z} \to \mathbb{Z} satisfying
f(−f(x)−f(y))=1−x−y f(-f(x) - f(y)) = 1 - x - y
for all x,y∈Zx, y \in \mathbb{Z}.

Solution

Substituting x=y=1x = y = 1 yields f(−2f(1))=−1f(-2f(1)) = -1.

Substituting x=nx = n and y=1y = 1 yields f(−f(n)−f(1))=−nf(-f(n) - f(1)) = -n.

Substituting x=−f(n)−f(1)x = -f(n) - f(1) and y=−2f(1)y = -2f(1) then yields
f(−f(−f(n)−f(1))−f(−2f(1)))=1−(−f(n)−f(1))−(−2f(1)) f(-f(-f(n) - f(1)) - f(-2f(1))) = 1 - (-f(n) - f(1)) - (-2f(1))
in which the left hand side expands as f(−(−n)−(−1))=f(n+1)f(-(-n) - (-1)) = f(n + 1) and the right hand as 1+f(n)+f(1)+2f(1)=f(n)+3f(1)+11 + f(n) + f(1) + 2f(1) = f(n) + 3f(1) + 1.

Writing c=3f(1)+1c = 3f(1) + 1, we then get f(n+1)=f(n)+cf(n + 1) = f(n) + c.

Applying induction in both directions, we see that f(n+k)=f(n)+ckf(n + k) = f(n) + ck for all k∈Zk \in \mathbb{Z}.

Substituting n=0n = 0 then yields f(k)=f(0)+ckf(k) = f(0) + ck for all k∈Zk \in \mathbb{Z}, so ff is a linear function.

Now let a,b∈Za, b \in \mathbb{Z} be such that f(x)=ax+bf(x) = ax + b for all x∈Zx \in \mathbb{Z}. Then the left hand side of the functional equation evaluates as
f(−f(x)−f(y))=a(−ax−b−ay−b)+b=−a2x−a2y−2ab+b. f(-f(x) - f(y)) = a(-ax - b - ay - b) + b = -a^2x - a^2y - 2ab + b.
For all xx and yy this must be equal to 1−x−y1 - x - y. Therefore the coefficient for xx on both sides must be equal (for fixed yy both sides must give the same function in xx), so −a2=−1-a^2 = -1, and therefore a=1a = 1 or a=−1a = -1.

If a=−1a = -1, substituting x=y=0x = y = 0 yields 2b+b=12b + b = 1, which contradicts bb being an integer.

If a=1a = 1, substituting x=y=0x = y = 0 yields −2b+b=1-2b + b = 1, so b=−1b = -1.

Indeed, if a=1a = 1 and b=−1b = -1, then the left hand side also expands to 1−x−y1 - x - y.

Therefore the only solution to the functional equation is the function f(x)=x−1f(x) = x - 1.

f(x)=x−1\boxed{f(x) = x - 1}

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement reproduced verbatim; metadata (topic, difficulty) added by this project.