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Algebra Difficulty 8.8 Shortlist Prove it IMO

Let SRS \subseteq \mathbb{R} be a set of real numbers. We say that a pair (f,g)(f, g) of functions from SS into SS is a Spanish Couple on SS, if they satisfy the following conditions:
(i) Both functions are strictly increasing, i.e. f(x)<f(y)f(x) < f(y) and g(x)<g(y)g(x) < g(y) for all x,ySx, y \in S with x<yx < y;
(ii) The inequality f(g(g(x)))<g(f(x))f(g(g(x))) < g(f(x)) holds for all xSx \in S.
Decide whether there exists a Spanish Couple

a. on the set S=NS = \mathbb{N} of positive integers;
b. on the set S={a1/b:a,bN}S = \{ a - 1 / b : a, b \in \mathbb{N} \}.

Solution

We show that the answer is NO for part (a), and YES for part (b).

a.
Throughout the solution, we will use the notation gk(x)=g(g(gk(x)))g_{k}(x) = \overbrace{g(g(\ldots g}^{k}(x) \ldots)), including g0(x)=xg_{0}(x) = x as well.
Suppose that there exists a Spanish Couple (f,g)(f, g) on the set N\mathbb{N}. From property (i) we have f(x)xf(x) \geq x and g(x)xg(x) \geq x for all xNx \in \mathbb{N}.

We claim that gk(x)f(x)g_{k}(x) \leq f(x) for all k0k \geq 0 and all positive integers xx. The proof is done by induction on kk. We already have the base case k=0k = 0 since xf(x)x \leq f(x). For the induction step from kk to k+1k+1, apply the induction hypothesis on g2(x)g_{2}(x) instead of xx, then apply (ii):
g(gk+1(x))=gk(g2(x))f(g2(x))<g(f(x)) g\left(g_{k+1}(x)\right) = g_{k}\left(g_{2}(x)\right) \leq f\left(g_{2}(x)\right) < g(f(x))
Since gg is increasing, it follows that gk+1(x)<f(x)g_{k+1}(x) < f(x). The claim is proven.

If g(x)=xg(x) = x for all xNx \in \mathbb{N} then f(g(g(x)))=f(x)=g(f(x))f(g(g(x))) = f(x) = g(f(x)), and we have a contradiction with (ii). Therefore one can choose an x0Sx_{0} \in S for which x0<g(x0)x_{0} < g\left(x_{0}\right). Now consider the sequence x0,x1,x_{0}, x_{1}, \ldots where xk=gk(x0)x_{k} = g_{k}\left(x_{0}\right). The sequence is increasing. Indeed, we have x0<g(x0)=x1x_{0} < g\left(x_{0}\right) = x_{1}, and xk<xk+1x_{k} < x_{k+1} implies xk+1=g(xk)<g(xk+1)=xk+2x_{k+1} = g\left(x_{k}\right) < g\left(x_{k+1}\right) = x_{k+2}.

Hence, we obtain a strictly increasing sequence x0<x1<x_{0} < x_{1} < \ldots of positive integers which on the other hand has an upper bound, namely f(x0)f\left(x_{0}\right). This cannot happen in the set N\mathbb{N} of positive integers, thus no Spanish Couple exists on N\mathbb{N}.

b.
We present a Spanish Couple on the set S={a1/b:a,bN}S = \{ a - 1 / b : a, b \in \mathbb{N} \}.
Let
f(a1/b)=a+11/bg(a1/b)=a1/(b+3a) \begin{aligned} & f(a - 1 / b) = a + 1 - 1 / b \\ & g(a - 1 / b) = a - 1 / (b + 3^{a}) \end{aligned}
These functions are clearly increasing. Condition (ii) holds, since
f(g(g(a1/b)))=(a+1)1/(b+23a)<(a+1)1/(b+3a+1)=g(f(a1/b)) f(g(g(a - 1 / b))) = (a + 1) - 1 / (b + 2 \cdot 3^{a}) < (a + 1) - 1 / (b + 3^{a+1}) = g(f(a - 1 / b))

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