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Algebra Difficulty 7.9 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it North Macedonia

Find all functions f:R2Rf: \mathbb{R}^2 \rightarrow \mathbb{R}, for which:
f(xf(x,z),yf(y,z))=f(x,z)f(y,z) f(xf(x,z), yf(y,z)) = f(x,z)f(y,z)
for every real numbers xx, yy and zz and f(0,0)0f(0,0) \neq 0.

Solution

For x=y=z=0x = y = z = 0, we get f(0,0)=(f(0,0))2f(0,0) = (f(0,0))^2 and because of f(0,0)0f(0,0) \neq 0, we get that f(0,0)=1f(0,0) = 1. For x=y=0x = y = 0 we get f(0,0)=(f(0,z))2f(0,0) = (f(0,z))^2, from where f(0,z)=±1f(0,z) = \pm 1, for every real number zz. For x=0x = 0, we get ±1=±f(y,z)\pm 1 = \pm f(y,z), so f(y,z)=±1f(y,z) = \pm 1, for every real numbers yy and zz.

Let f(t,t)=1f(t,t) = -1, for some real number tt, then for x=y=z=tx=y=z=t we get that
f(t,t)=(1)2=1f(-t,-t) = (-1)^2 = 1, and this implies that for every real number tt either
f(t,t)=1f(t,t) = 1 or f(t,t)=1f(-t,-t) = 1. Let tt an arbitrary real number and let ss be a real
number such that f(s,s)=1f(s,s) = 1 and s=t|s| = t (such a number exists, because if
f(t,t)=1f(t,t) = -1, then for s=ts = -t, f(s,s)=1f(s,s) = 1). For x=z=tx=z=t and y=ty=-t we get
f(s,sf(s,s))=f(s,s)f(s,-sf(-s,s)) = f(-s,s). If f(s,s)=1f(-s,s) = -1, then we get f(s,s)=1f(s,s) = -1, which is a
contradiction, so from here f(s,s)=1f(-s,s) = 1 and f(s,s)=f(s,s)=1f(s,-s) = f(-s,s) = 1. If
f(s,s)=1f(-s,-s) = -1, for x=sx=s and y=z=sy=z=-s we get
f(s,s)=f(s,s)f(s,s)=1, f(s,s) = f(s,-s)f(-s,-s) = -1,
which is not possible (f(s,s)=1f(s,s) = 1). This implies that for every real number tt it
holds f(t,±t)=1f(t, \pm t) = 1.
If for some real numbers uu and vv, it holds f(u,v)=1f(u,v) = -1. For x=ux=u and y=z=vy=z=v, we get f(u,v)=1f(-u,v) = -1. For x=z=vx=z=v и y=uy=u we get f(v,u)=1f(v,-u) = -1. For x=z=ux=z=-u and y=vy=v, we get f(u,v)=1f(-u,-v) = -1. For x=ux=-u and y=z=vy=z=-v, we get f(u,v)=1f(u,-v) = -1. For x=vx=v and y=z=uy=z=-u we get f(v,u)=1f(-v,-u) = -1. For x=z=vx=z=-v and y=uy=-u we get f(v,u)=1f(-v,u) = -1 and for x=z=vx=z=v and y=uy=-u, we get f(v,u)=1f(v,u) = -1. This implies that for every real numbers uu and vv for which f(u,v)=1f(u,v) = -1, the following relationships hold
f(u,±v)=f(±u,v)=f(v,±u)=f(±v,u)=1, f(u, \pm v) = f(\pm u, v) = f(v, \pm u) = f(\pm v, u) = -1,
and if f(u,v)=1f(u,v) = 1, the following relationships hold
f(u,±v)=f(±u,v)=f(v,±u)=f(±v,u)=1 f(u, \pm v) = f(\pm u, v) = f(v, \pm u) = f(\pm v, u) = 1
(if one is 1-1, than from the first case it follows that all are 1-1). From here we have
f(xf(x,z),yf(y,z))=f(x,y)f(xf(x,z), yf(y,z)) = f(x, y), for every real numbers x,yx, y and zz, so
f(x,y)=f(x,z)f(y,z). f(x,y) = f(x,z)f(y,z).
If f(a,b)=1f(a,b) = -1, then for an arbitrary real number zz and x=a,y=bx=a, y=b, we get
1=f(a,z)f(b,z)-1 = f(a,z)f(b,z), so either f(a,z)=1f(a,z) = 1 and f(b,z)=1f(b,z) = -1 or f(a,z)=1f(a,z) = -1 and
f(b,z)=1f(b,z) = 1. If for some real numbers cc and dd, the equalities f(a,c)=1f(a,c) = -1 and
f(a,d)=1f(a,d) = 1 hold for x=c,y=dx=c, y=d and z=az=a we get
f(c,d)=f(c,a)f(d,a)=1. f(c,d) = f(c,a)f(d,a) = -1.
If f(a,c)=f(a,d)=1f(a,c) = f(a,d) = 1, for x=c,y=dx=c, y=d and z=az=a we get
f(c,d)=f(c,a)f(d,a)=1 and if f(a,c)=f(a,d)=1, then for x=c,y=d f(c,d) = f(c,a)f(d,a) = 1 \text{ and if } f(a,c) = f(a,d) = -1, \text{ then for } x=c, y=d
and z=az=a we get f(c,d)=f(c,a)f(d,a)=1f(c,d) = f(c,a)f(d,a) = 1, i.e if f(a,c)f(a,c) and f(a,d)f(a,d) have the same sign, then f(c,d)=1f(c,d)=1, and if they have the opposite sign, then f(c,d)=1f(c,d)=-1.
Let for MR+{0}M \subseteq \mathbb{R}^+ \cup \{0\} hold M={xf(a,x)=1}M = \{x \mid f(a,x) = 1\} and for NR+{0}N \subseteq \mathbb{R}^+ \cup \{0\}, hold N={xf(a,x)=1}N = \{x \mid f(a,x) = -1\}, then MN=R+{0}M \cup N = \mathbb{R}^+ \cup \{0\} and f(x,y)=1f(x,y) = 1 if and only if x|x| and y|y| belong to the same set, and f(x,y)=1f(x,y) = -1 if and only if x|x| and y|y| belong to different sets (if real numbers aa and bb such that f(a,b)=1f(a,b) = -1 don't exist, then the set NN is empty and f(x,y)=1f(x,y) = 1, for all real numbers).
Let MM be an arbitrary subset of R+{0}\mathbb{R}^+ \cup \{0\} and N=R+{0}MN = \mathbb{R}^+ \cup \{0\} \setminus M. We define a function f:R2Rf: \mathbb{R}^2 \to \mathbb{R}, for which f(x,y)=1f(x,y) = 1 if and only if x|x| and y|y| belong to the same set, and f(x,y)=1f(x,y) = -1 if and only if x|x| and y|y| belong to different sets. For the function ff, holds f(xf(x,z),yf(y,z))=f(x,y)f(xf(x,z), yf(y,z)) = f(x,y) (the function does not depend on the sign before xx and before yy). If x|x| and y|y| are in the same set, then f(x,y)=1f(x,y) = 1 and f(x,z)=f(y,z)f(x,z) = f(y,z) (or z|z| is in the same set with x|x| and y|y|, or in the other), so the product f(x,z)f(y,z)=1=f(x,y)f(x,z)f(y,z) = 1 = f(x,y). If x|x| and y|y| belong to different sets, then f(x,y)=1f(x,y) = -1, and z|z| is either in the same set with x|x| or with y|y|, so f(x,z)=f(y,z)f(x,z) = -f(y,z), i.e. f(x,z)f(y,z)=1=f(x,y)f(x,z)f(y,z) = -1 = f(x,y). This implies that, the functions defined in this way satisfy the given functional equation and from the discussion above, they are unique.

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