Number theoryDifficulty 8.0National Olympiad, round 2Prove itHong Kong
Find, with reasons, all functions f:N→N such that (i) f(n)=1 if and only if n=1, (ii) if d=gcd(n,m), then f(nm)=f(d)f(n)f(m), and (iii) f2004(n)=n for every n∈N, where f2004(n)=2004f(f(⋯f(n))), or show that they do not exist.
Solution
There is no such function. Putting n=m=2 in (ii), we obtain f(4)=f(2)f(2)f(2)=f(2). Then by condition (iii), we have 2=f2004(2)=f2003(f(2))=f2003(f(4))=f2004(4)=4. This is a contradiction. So there is no such function.
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