Find all a∈R≥0 such that f(a)=0 for any function f:R≥0→R≥0 satisfying the equality f(f(x)+f(y))=yf(1+yf(x)) for all nonnegative real numbers x and y.
Solution
Answer : a∈{0}∪[1,∞). Let function f:R≥0→R≥0 satisfy the equality f(f(x)+f(y))=yf(1+yf(x))(1) for all nonnegative real numbers x and y. Set f(0)=c and f(1)=b. For y=0 from equality (1) we get f(f(x)+c)=0.(2) for all x∈[0,∞). For x=f(x)+c from equality (1) we get f(f(y))=by.(3) for all y∈[0,∞). Suppose b=0. From equality (3) it follows that function f is injective. Hence from equality (2) it follows that f(x)+c=f(0), a contradiction.
Therefore b=0 and equality (3) is equivalent to f(f(y))=0(4)
For y=0 from equality (4) we get f(c)=0 hence f(0)=f(f(c))=0. So c=f(0)=0. For y=1 from equality (1) we get f(1+f(x))=0(5) for all x∈[0,∞). Suppose that f(a)=d=0 for some a>1. Substituting x=a, y=da−1 to equality (1) we get f(f(da−1)+d)=a−1. which leads to a contradiction with equality (5) for x=f(da−1)+d. Hence for any a∈{0}∪[1,∞) the equality f(a)=0 is proved. The next example shows that there exists a function satisfying equality (1) such that f(x)=0 for any x∈(0,1): f(x)=⎩⎨⎧0,x1,0,x=0;x∈(0,1);x≥a.
Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track
puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.
Source: MathNet,
licensed CC-BY-4.0.
Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.