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Algebra Difficulty 6.7 National olympiad Prove it Iran

Let aa, bb, cc be non-zero distinct real numbers so that there exist functions ff, g:R+Rg : \mathbb{R}^+ \to \mathbb{R} so that
af(xy)+bf(xy)=cf(x)+g(y) a f(xy) + b f\left(\frac{x}{y}\right) = c f(x) + g(y)
for all positive real xx and large enough yy.
Prove that there exists a function h:R+Rh : \mathbb{R}^+ \to \mathbb{R} so that
f(xy)+f(xy)=2f(x)+h(y) f(xy) + f\left(\frac{x}{y}\right) = 2f(x) + h(y)
for all positive real xx and large enough yy.

Solution

Putting xyxy, xy\frac{x}{y} instead of xx, we find that
af(xy2)+bf(y)=cf(xy)+g(y) a f(xy^2) + b f(y) = c f(xy) + g(y)
and,
af(x)+bf(xy2)=cf(xy)+g(y). a f(x) + b f\left(\frac{x}{y^2}\right) = c f\left(\frac{x}{y}\right) + g(y).
Multiplying the first equation by aa and the second one by bb, then, adding and using the original equation, we shall find that
a2f(xy2)+b2f(xy2)=(c22ab)f(x)+(a+b+c)g(y). a^2 f(xy^2) + b^2 f\left(\frac{x}{y^2}\right) = (c^2 - 2ab)f(x) + (a + b + c)g(y).

Further, putting y2y^2, instead of yy, in the original equation, one can find that
af(xy2)+bf(xy2)=cf(x)+g(y2) a f(xy^2) + b f\left(\frac{x}{y^2}\right) = c f(x) + g(y^2)
for all sufficiently large yy. Multiplying both sides by bb, then subtracting, yielding to
(a2ab)f(xy2)=(c22abac)f(x)+T(y) (a^2 - ab) f(xy^2) = (c^2 - 2ab - ac) f(x) + T(y)
For some function T(y)T(y). Putting y2y^2, instead of yy, we find that
(a2ab)f(xy4)=(c22abac)f(x)+T(y2). (a^2 - ab) f(xy^4) = (c^2 - 2ab - ac) f(x) + T(y^2).
Thus,
(a2ab)(f(xy4)f(xy2))=T(y2)T(y). (a^2 - ab) (f(xy^4) - f(xy^2)) = T(y^2) - T(y).
Hence, if aba \neq b, we find that
f(xy4)f(xy2)=T(y2)T(y)a2ab=S(y2) f(xy^4) - f(xy^2) = \frac{T(y^2) - T(y)}{a^2 - ab} = S(y^2)
for some function S(x)S(x). That is, f(xy4)f(xy2)=S(xy4xy2)=S(y2)f(xy^4) - f(xy^2) = S\left(\frac{xy^4}{xy^2}\right) = S(y^2).
Therefore,
f(xy2)f(x)A(y)(f(x)f(xy2)B(y))=R(y). \underbrace{f(xy^2) - f(x)}_{A(y)} - \left( \underbrace{f(x) - f\left(\frac{x}{y^2}\right)}_{B(y)} \right) = R(y).
That is,
f(xy2)+f(xy2)=2f(x)+R(y). f(xy^2) + f\left(\frac{x}{y^2}\right) = 2f(x) + R(y).
Putting y\sqrt{y} instead of yy we will eventually arrive at the desired conclusion. The remaining cases for c=2ac = 2a and c=ac = -a are the same. ■

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