Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /7 of 18

Algebra Difficulty 6.6 National olympiad Prove it Argentina

Let Z\mathbb{Z} be the set of integer numbers. Determine all functions f:ZZf : \mathbb{Z} \to \mathbb{Z}
such that
f(x+f(y+1))+f(xy)=f(x+1)(f(y)+1) f(x + f(y + 1)) + f(xy) = f(x + 1)(f(y) + 1)
for any integers x,yx, y.

Solution

Let P(x,y)P(x, y) denote the assertion
f(x+f(y+1))+f(xy)=f(x+1)(f(y)+1). f(x + f(y + 1)) + f(xy) = f(x + 1)(f(y) + 1).
If ff is a constant cc, we have 2c=c(c+1)2c = c(c+1). This implies c=0c = 0 or c=1c = 1. Hence, there are two constant solutions, f0f \equiv 0 and f1f \equiv 1.

P(0,y):f(f(y+1))+f(0)=f(1)(f(y)+1),(1) P(0, y) : \quad f(f(y + 1)) + f(0) = f(1)(f(y) + 1), \qquad (1)
P(x1,0):f(x+f(1)1)=f(x)(f(0)+1)f(0).(2) P(x - 1, 0) : \quad f(x + f(1) - 1) = f(x)(f(0) + 1) - f(0). \qquad (2)
Assume f(1)=1f(1) = 1. Then (2) becomes f(x)=f(x)(f(0)+1)f(0)f(x) = f(x)(f(0) + 1) - f(0), or equivalently, (f(x)1)f(0)=0(f(x) - 1)f(0) = 0. Hence f(0)=0f(0) = 0. Therefore, (1) becomes
f(f(y+1))=f(y)+1.(3) f(f(y + 1)) = f(y) + 1. \qquad (3)
Setting y=1,2,3,y = -1, -2, -3, \dots in (3), we conclude inductively that f(x)=xf(x) = x for all x0x \le 0. In addition,
P(x,1):f(x)+f(x)=0, P(x, -1) : \quad f(x) + f(-x) = 0,
so f(x)=xf(x) = x for all xZx \in \mathbb{Z}, which is clearly a solution. Assume now that f(1)1f(1) \neq 1 and set c=f(1)10c = f(1) - 1 \neq 0. If f(0)+1=0f(0) + 1 = 0, then (2) would imply that ff is constant. Therefore, it must be h=f(0)+10h = f(0) + 1 \neq 0. Equation (2) can now be rewritten as
f(x+c)=hf(x)h+1.(4) f(x + c) = hf(x) - h + 1. \qquad (4)
Next we consider
P(x,1):f(x+f(2))+f(x)=f(x+1)(f(1)+1)(5) P(x, 1) : \quad f(x + f(2)) + f(x) = f(x + 1)(f(1) + 1) \qquad (5)
P(x+c,1):f(x+c+f(2))+f(x+c)=f(x+c+1)(f(1)+1)(6) P(x + c, 1) : \quad f(x + c + f(2)) + f(x + c) = f(x + c + 1)(f(1) + 1) \qquad (6)
Using (4), we find that (6) is equivalent to
h(f(x+f(2))h+1+hf(x)h+1=(hf(x+1)h+1)(f(1)+1). h(f(x + f(2)) - h + 1 + hf(x) - h + 1 = (hf(x + 1) - h + 1)(f(1) + 1).
Subtracting hh times (5) we get
2(1h)=(1h)(f(1)+1), 2(1 - h) = (1 - h)(f(1) + 1),
hence, either h=1h = 1 or f(1)+1=2f(1) + 1 = 2. The latter is impossible due to our initial assumption that f(1)1f(1) \neq 1. So h=1h = 1, i.e., f(0)=0f(0) = 0. Now equation (4) becomes f(x+c)=f(x)f(x + c) = f(x) and, as c0c \neq 0, ff is periodic. Let M=maxfM = \max f and m=minf-m = \min f. Note M,m0M, m \ge 0 because f(0)=0f(0) = 0.
Choose x,yZx, y \in \mathbb{Z} such that f(x+1)=f(y)=Mf(x + 1) = f(y) = M. Then, the right-hand side of P(x,y)P(x, y) is equal to M(M+1)M(M + 1), while the left-hand side is
f(x+f(y+1))+xyM+M=2M. f(x + f(y + 1)) + xy \le M + M = 2M.
So M(M+1)2MM(M + 1) \le 2M, and thus M=0M = 0 or M=1M = 1.

Similarly, if we now choose x,yZx, y \in \mathbb{Z} such that f(x+1)=f(y)=mf(x+1) = f(y) = -m, we find
m(m+1)=m2m=f(x+f(y+1))+xy2M2, -m(-m+1) = m^2 - m = f(x+f(y+1)) + xy \le 2M \le 2,
which implies m2m \le 2. So f(x){2,1,0,1}f(x) \in \{-2, -1, 0, 1\} for all integers xx. We analyze the possibilities for f(1)f(1):
* f(1)=2f(1) = -2: setting y=1y = 1 in (1) we get f(f(2))=2f(f(2)) = 2, absurd.
* f(1)=0f(1) = 0: in this case, c=1c = -1 and ff is constant. Absurd.
* f(1)=1f(1) = 1: previously excluded.
* f(1)=1f(1) = -1: in this case, c=2c = -2, so ff is 2-periodic, with f(x)=f(0)=0f(x) = f(0) = 0 for all even xx, and f(x)=f(1)=1f(x) = f(1) = -1 for all odd xx. However, P(1,1)P(1, 1) gives f(1+f(2))+f(1)=f(2)(f(1)+1)f(1+f(2)) + f(1) = f(2)(f(1)+1), so 2=0-2=0, a contradiction.
In conclusion, the only solutions are f0,f1f \equiv 0, f \equiv 1, and f(x)=xf(x) = x for all xx.

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.