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Algebra Difficulty 8.0 Shortlist Prove it China

Find all functions f:(0,+)(0,+)f: (0, +\infty) \to (0, +\infty) (ff is a function mapping positive real numbers to positive real numbers) such that
(f(w))2+(f(x))2f(y2)+f(z2)=w2+x2y2+z2 \frac{(f(w))^2 + (f(x))^2}{f(y^2) + f(z^2)} = \frac{w^2 + x^2}{y^2 + z^2}
for all positive real numbers w,x,y,zw, x, y, z satisfying
wx=yz.wx = yz.

Solution

Take
w=x=y=z=1, w = x = y = z = 1,
then we get (f(1))2=f(1)(f(1))^2 = f(1), so f(1)=1f(1) = 1.
For any real number t>0t > 0, let w=tw = t, x=1x = 1, y=z=ty = z = \sqrt{t},
we get
(f(t))2+12f(t)=t2+12t, \frac{(f(t))^2 + 1}{2f(t)} = \frac{t^2 + 1}{2t},
which implies (tf(t)1)(f(t)t)=0(tf(t) - 1)(f(t) - t) = 0.
So, for any t>0t > 0,
f(t)=torf(t)=1t.1 f(t) = t \quad \text{or} \quad f(t) = \frac{1}{t}. \qquad \textcircled{1}
Suppose there exist b,c(0,+)b, c \in (0, +\infty) such that f(b)bf(b) \neq b, f(c)1cf(c) \neq \frac{1}{c}. By ①, we get b,cb, c different from 1 and f(b)=1bf(b) = \frac{1}{b}, f(c)=cf(c) = c.
Take w=b,x=c,y=z=bcw = b, x = c, y = z = \sqrt{bc}, then
1b2+c22f(bc)=b2+c22bc, \frac{\frac{1}{b^2} + c^2}{2f(bc)} = \frac{b^2 + c^2}{2bc},
i.e. f(bc)=c+b2c3b(b2+c2)f(bc) = \frac{c + b^2c^3}{b(b^2 + c^2)}.
By ①, f(bc)=bcf(bc) = bc or f(bc)=1bcf(bc) = \frac{1}{bc}. If f(bc)=bcf(bc) = bc, then
bc=c+b2c3b(b2+c2), bc = \frac{c + b^2c^3}{b(b^2 + c^2)},
which yields b4c=c,b=1b^4c = c, b = 1. Contradiction!

If f(bc)=1bcf(bc) = \frac{1}{bc}, then
1bc=c+b2c3b(b2+c2), \frac{1}{bc} = \frac{c + b^2 c^3}{b(b^2 + c^2)},
that yields b2c4=b2b^2c^4 = b^2, c=1c = 1. Contradiction!
Therefore, only two functions: f(x)=x,x(0,+)f(x) = x, x \in (0, +\infty) or f(x)=1x,x(0,+)f(x) = \frac{1}{x}, x \in (0, +\infty). It is easy to verify that these two functions satisfy the given conditions.

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