Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /26 of 101

Algebra Difficulty 5.6 AIME, harder Prove it Estonia

Does there exist a function f:RRf : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} that satisfies for all real numbers x,yx, y the equation
f(x)+f(f(y))+f(f(f(x)))=x+y? f(x) + f(f(y)) + f(f(f(x))) = x + y?

Solution

Taking y=f(x)y = f(x) in the given equation, we get
f(x)+f(f(f(x)))+f(f(f(x)))=x+f(x), f(x) + f(f(f(x))) + f(f(f(x))) = x + f(x),
from which, by expressing f(f(f(x)))f(f(f(x))), we find
f(f(f(x)))=x2.(7) f(f(f(x))) = \frac{x}{2}. \qquad (7)
Taking y=0y = 0 in the given equation, we get f(x)+f(f(0))+f(f(f(x)))=x+0f(x) + f(f(0)) + f(f(f(x))) = x + 0; using the equality (7) here, we get after simplification
f(x)=x2f(f(0)).(8) f(x) = \frac{x}{2} - f(f(0)). \qquad (8)
Substituting x=f(f(0))x = f(f(0)) into equation (8) and applying equation (7) on the left hand side, we get
02=f(f(0))2f(f(0)),(9) \frac{0}{2} = \frac{f(f(0))}{2} - f(f(0)), \qquad (9)
which after simplification gives f(f(0))=0f(f(0)) = 0. Consequently, equation (8) takes the form f(x)=x2f(x) = \frac{x}{2}. But in this case, f(f(f(x)))=x8f(f(f(x))) = \frac{x}{8}, whereas from equation (7) f(f(f(x)))=x2f(f(f(x))) = \frac{x}{2}. Since in general x2x8\frac{x}{2} \ne \frac{x}{8}, there are no functions that satisfy the given functional equation.

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.