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Algebra Difficulty 6.2 National Olympiad Prove it Thailand

Let N0\mathbb{N}_0 be the set of nonnegative integers. Find all functions f:N0N0f : \mathbb{N}_0 \to \mathbb{N}_0 satisfying the equation
ff(m)(n)=n+2f(m) f^{f(m)}(n) = n + 2f(m)
for all m,nN0m, n \in \mathbb{N}_0 such that mnm \le n.

Solutions — 2

Solution 1

Observe that since f0(n)=nf^0(n) = n by definition, f(n)0f(n) \equiv 0 is a solution. Now suppose that for some cN0c \in \mathbb{N}_0, f(c)1f(c) \ge 1.
As f(ff(c)1(n2f(c)))=nf(f^{f(c)-1}(n - 2f(c))) = n for all n2f(c)n \ge 2f(c), ff is onto for all n2f(c)n \ge 2f(c). Therefore fm(n)=n+2mf^m(n) = n + 2m for all nm2f(c)n \ge m \ge 2f(c).
Since we have f2f(c)(n)=n+4f(c)f^{2f(c)}(n) = n + 4f(c) and f2f(c)+1(n)=n+4f(c)+2f^{2f(c)+1}(n) = n + 4f(c) + 2 for all n2f(c)n \ge 2f(c), it follows that f(n+4f(c))=n+4f(c)+2f(n + 4f(c)) = n + 4f(c) + 2 for all n2f(c)n \ge 2f(c), in other words, f(n)=n+2f(n) = n + 2 for all n6f(c)n \ge 6f(c).
Let tt be the least integer such that f(n)=n+2f(n) = n + 2 for all ntn \ge t. (We have t6f(c)t \le 6f(c)). We will show that f(n)=0f(n) = 0 for all n<tn < t.
Suppose, for the sake of contradiction, that f(b)=af(b) = a for some b<tb < t and a0a \ne 0. Now suppose that there exists u<tu < t such that f(u)tf(u) \ge t. For clarity, let f(u)=t+df(u) = t+d for some d0d \ge 0. Since ff(u)(u)=u+2t+2df^{f(u)}(u) = u + 2t + 2d, and ff(u)1(f(u))=ft+d1(t+d)=3t+3d2f^{f(u)-1}(f(u)) = f^{t+d-1}(t+d) = 3t + 3d - 2, we have f(u)=t+d=u+2f(u) = t+d = u+2. Since f(u)tf(u) \ge t, uu is either t2t-2 or t1t-1. However, if u=t1u = t-1, f(t1)f(t-1) will be equal to (t1)+2(t-1)+2, which contradicts the minimality of tt. Thus if such a uu exists, then u=t2u = t-2.
Back to a,ba, b, since t1bt-1 \ge b, we have fa(t1)=t1+2af^a(t-1) = t-1+2a, but since t1<tt-1 < t and t1+2att-1+2a \ge t, there must be some 0j<a0 \le j < a such that fj(t1)<tfj+1(t1)f^j(t-1) < t \le f^{j+1}(t-1). By the previous paragraph, where u=fj(t1)u = f^j(t-1), we have fj(t1)=t2f^j(t-1) = t-2, and fj+1(t1)=tf^{j+1}(t-1) = t. Therefore fa(t1)=t+2(aj1)f^a(t-1) = t+2(a-j-1). Therefore 2j=12j = -1, which is impossible, so we have a contradiction. Hence f(n)=0f(n) = 0 for all n<tn < t.

f(n)={0,n<t,n+2,nt, f(n) = \begin{cases} 0, & n < t, \\ n + 2, & n \ge t, \end{cases}
actually satisfies the given condition. If m<tm < t, the given condition reduces to f0(n)=nf^0(n) = n, which is true, while if mtm \ge t, we have ntn \ge t, thus ff(m)(n)=n+2f(m)f^{f(m)}(n) = n+2f(m). Hence this function satisfies the given condition, and our proof is complete.

Solution 2

(by Wijit Yangjit)
As in Solution 1, observe that f(n)0f(n) \equiv 0 is a solution, and if for some cN0c \in \mathbb{N}_0, we have f(n)=n+2f(n) = n + 2 for all big enough nn. Define tt as in Solution 1.
If for some n<tn < t, f(n)t+2f(n) \ge t + 2, then f(f(n)2)=f(n)f(f(n) - 2) = f(n), so f(n)2+2f(n)=ff(n)(f(n)2)=ff(n)(n)=n+2f(n)f(n) - 2 + 2f(n) = f^{f(n)}(f(n) - 2) = f^{f(n)}(n) = n + 2f(n), so f(n)=n+2<t+2f(n) = n + 2 < t + 2, which is a contradiction. Thus f(n)t+1f(n) \le t + 1 for all n<tn < t.
We will prove, by induction, that fm(t1)t2+2mf^m(t-1) \le t-2+2m for all m1m \ge 1. For m=1m=1, f(t1)=t+1f(t-1) = t+1 contradicts the minimality of tt, so f(t1)t=t2+(2×1)f(t-1) \le t = t-2+(2 \times 1).
Now suppose that fk(t1)t2+2kf^k(t-1) \le t-2+2k for some t1t \ge 1.
If fk(t1)tf^k(t-1) \ge t, then fk+1(t1)=fk(t1)+2t2+2(k+1)f^{k+1}(t-1) = f^k(t-1)+2 \le t-2+2(k+1). Else we have fk(t1)<tf^k(t-1) < t, which implies fk+1(t1)t+1t2+2(k+1)f^{k+1}(t-1) \le t+1 \le t-2+2(k+1) because k+12k+1 \ge 2.
Therefore by induction, fm(t1)t2+2mf^m(t-1) \le t-2+2m for all m1m \ge 1.
Now suppose that f(n)>0f(n) > 0 for some n<tn < t, we will have ff(n)(t1)=t1+2f(n)>t2+2f(n)f^{f(n)}(t-1) = t-1+2f(n) > t-2+2f(n), which contradicts with the previous paragraph, so f(n)=0f(n) = 0 for all n<tn < t. We can check our answer as in Solution 1.

As in Solution 1, observe that f(n)0f(n) \equiv 0 is a solution, and if for some cN0c \in \mathbb{N}_0, we have f(n)=n+2f(n) = n + 2 for all big enough nn.
Denote by P(m,n)P(m,n) the statement that ff(m)(n)=n+2f(m)f^{f(m)}(n) = n+2f(m). We will show that if f(x)=f(y)>0f(x) = f(y) > 0 then x=yx = y. (This will be called property 1.) This is easy: from P(x,x)P(x,x) and P(y,y)P(y,y), y+2f(y)=ff(y)(y)=ff(x)(x)=x+2f(x)y+2f(y) = f^{f(y)}(y) = f^{f(x)}(x) = x+2f(x) where the middle equality is true because f(x)=f(y)1f(x) = f(y) \ge 1.
We define tt as in Solution 1. We want to show that f(n)=0f(n) = 0 for all n<tn < t. Now suppose for the sake of contradiction that f(k)0f(k) \ne 0 for some kt1k \le t-1. From P(k,t1)P(k,t-1), ff(k)(t1)=t1+2f(k1)f^{f(k)}(t-1) = t-1+2f(k-1), but from f(n)=n+2f(n) = n+2 for all ntn \ge t, ff(k)1(t+1)=t+1+2f(k1)f^{f(k)-1}(t+1) = t+1+2f(k-1), so
ff(k)(t1)=ff(k)1(t+1). f^{f(k)}(t-1) = f^{f(k)-1}(t+1).
Since fn(t+1)>0f^n(t+1) > 0 for all n0n \ge 0, using property 1 repeatedly will yield f(t1)=t+1f(t-1) = t+1, which contradicts the minimality of tt. Therefore f(n)=0f(n) = 0 for all n<tn < t. We can check our answer as in Solution 1.

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