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Algebra Difficulty 7.9 National Olympiad, round 2 Prove it Iran

Find all functions f:R+R+f : \mathbb{R}^+ \to \mathbb{R}^+ such that for all positive real numbers xx and yy, we have
f(f(f(xy))+x2)=f(y)(f(x)f(x+y)) f(f(f(xy)) + x^2) = f(y)(f(x) - f(x + y))

*Note. By R+\mathbb{R}^+, we mean the set of positive real numbers.*

Solution

First, note that the function is clearly strictly decreasing. Assume the supremum of the function is finite. In this case, for any ϵ>0\epsilon > 0, there exists δ\delta such that for any x<δx < \delta, we have lf(x)<ϵ2l - f(x) < \frac{\epsilon}{2}. Now, in the given inequality, let x,yx, y tend to zero. We get f(f(f(l)))0f(f(f(l))) \le 0, which is a contradiction. Next, set y=1y = 1 and let xx tend to zero. The right side tends to infinity, so the expression inside the left side must tend to zero, which implies that the infimum of the function is zero.

We have so far obtained that the limit of the function as x0x \to 0 is infinity, and as xx \to \infty is zero. Now, fix xx and let yy tends to zero. We obtain that f(x)f(x+y)f(x) - f(x + y) must tend to zero, because otherwise the left side would be bounded while the right side would be unbounded. Therefore, the function is continuous. Now, set y=kxy = \frac{k}{x} and let xx tend to zero. We obtain
f3(k)=limx0f(x)f(kx) f^3(k) = \lim_{x \to 0} f(x) f\left(\frac{k}{x}\right)
This implies that f3f^3 is multiplicative, that is
f3(k)f3(k)=limx0f(kx)f(kx)=g(kk) \frac{f^3(k)}{f^3(k')} = \lim_{x \to 0} \frac{f\left(\frac{k}{x}\right)}{f\left(\frac{k'}{x}\right)} = g\left(\frac{k}{k'}\right)
which implies
f3(kk)f3(1)=f3(k)f3(k) f^3(kk')f^3(1) = f^3(k)f^3(k')
Combined with the monotonicity and the limits of the function at zero and infinity, this implies f3(x)=cxrf^3(x) = \frac{c}{x^r}, for some real rr.

Now, choose cc such that f(c)<1f(c) < 1 and set x=cx = c. We will have
f(f(f(cy))+c2)<f(y)    f(f(cy))+c2>f(y) f(f(f(cy)) + c^2) < f(y) \implies f(f(cy)) + c^2 > f(y)
which implies f(f(y))<Ay+Bf(f(y)) < Ay + B. On the other hand, if f(c)>1f(c) > 1 and choose yy sufficiently large, we will have
f(y)<f(f(cy))+c2    y<f(cy)+c2 f(y) < f(f(cy)) + c^2 \implies y < f(cy) + c^2
which implies f(f(y))>Ay+Bf(f(y)) > A'y + B'. Therefore, f6(y)=xr2f^6(y) = x^{r^2} falls between two linear functions, which implies f3(y)=cxf^3(y) = \frac{c}{x}. Now, let g(x)=f2(x)g(x) = f^2(x) be a strictly increasing function such that g3(x)=xg^3(x) = x. Thus, we have f2(x)=xf^2(x) = x, which combined with f3(x)=cxf^3(x) = \frac{c}{x} implies f(x)=cxf(x) = \frac{c}{x}. It is easy to verify that f(x)=1/xf(x) = 1/x is the only function that satisfies the statement of the problem. ■

Solution 2:
As in the first solution, we need the fact that ff is strictly decreasing as well as limx0+f(x)=+\lim_{x \to 0^+} f(x) = +\infty and limx+f(x)=0\lim_{x \to +\infty} f(x) = 0. Taking into account the monotonicity, the function would be differentiable almost everywhere, thus there exists a point z>0z > 0 such that f(z)f'(z) exists. Letting x=zx = z and y0+y \to 0^+ yielding we get
0<f(z2/2)<limxz+f(x2)=limy0+yf(y)f(z)f(z+y)y=f(z)limy0+yf(y), 0 < f(z^2/2) < \lim_{x \to z^+} f(x^2) = \lim_{y \to 0^+} yf(y) \cdot \frac{f(z) - f(z+y)}{y} = -f'(z) \lim_{y \to 0^+} yf(y),
which implies that limy0+yf(y)=1\lim_{y \to 0^+} yf(y) = \ell_1 exists and is positive. Let's rewrite the hypothesis as
(f(f(xy))+x2)f(f(f(xy))+x2)=(f(f(xy))xy+xy)yf(y)(xf(x)xf(x+y)). (f(f(xy)) + x^2)f(f(f(xy)) + x^2) = \left(\frac{f(f(xy))}{xy} + \frac{x}{y}\right) yf(y)(xf(x) - xf(x+y)).
Since limx0+f(f(xy))+x2=0\lim_{x \to 0^+} f(f(xy)) + x^2 = 0, letting x0+x \to 0^+ yielding
1=(limx0+f(f(xy))xy)yf(y)1. \ell_1 = \left( \lim_{x \to 0^+} \frac{f(f(xy))}{xy} \right) yf(y)\ell_1.
Since the inside limit is independent of yy, we obtain at yf(y)=12yf(y) = \frac{1}{\ell_2}, where 2=limx0+f(f(x))x\ell_2 = \lim_{x \to 0^+} \frac{f(f(x))}{x} (which obviously must exist, precisely because of the above equation). Plugging f(y)=1y2f(y) = \frac{1}{y\ell_2} yields f(y)=1yf(y) = \frac{1}{y}.

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