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Algebra Difficulty 6.5 National Olympiad Prove it Bulgaria

Problem:
Let R\mathbb{R}^* be the set of non-zero real numbers. Find all functions f:RRf: \mathbb{R}^* \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^* such that
f(x2+y)=f2(x)+f(xy)f(x) f\left(x^{2}+y\right)=f^{2}(x)+\frac{f(x y)}{f(x)}
for all x,yR, yx2x, y \in \mathbb{R}^*,\ y \neq -x^{2}.

Solution

Solution:
Set α=f(1)\alpha=f(1). Then setting y=1y=1 and x=1x=1 in
f(x2+y)=f2(x)+f(xy)f(x) f\left(x^{2}+y\right)=f^{2}(x)+\frac{f(x y)}{f(x)}
gives
f(x2+1)=f2(x)+1 f\left(x^{2}+1\right)=f^{2}(x)+1
and
f(y+1)=α2+f(y)α f(y+1)=\alpha^{2}+\frac{f(y)}{\alpha}
respectively. Using (3), we consecutively get
f(2)=α2+1, f(3)=α3+α2+1αf(4)=α4+α3+α2+1α2, f(5)=α5+α4+α3+α2+1α3 \begin{gathered} f(2)=\alpha^{2}+1,\ f(3)=\frac{\alpha^{3}+\alpha^{2}+1}{\alpha} \\ f(4)=\frac{\alpha^{4}+\alpha^{3}+\alpha^{2}+1}{\alpha^{2}},\ f(5)=\frac{\alpha^{5}+\alpha^{4}+\alpha^{3}+\alpha^{2}+1}{\alpha^{3}} \end{gathered}
On the other hand, setting x=2x=2 in (2) gives f(5)=α4+2α2+2f(5)=\alpha^{4}+2 \alpha^{2}+2. Therefore α5+α4+α3+α2+1α3=α4+2α2+2α7+α5α4+α3α21=0\frac{\alpha^{5}+\alpha^{4}+\alpha^{3}+\alpha^{2}+1}{\alpha^{3}}=\alpha^{4}+2 \alpha^{2}+2 \Longleftrightarrow \alpha^{7}+\alpha^{5}-\alpha^{4}+\alpha^{3}-\alpha^{2}-1=0, whence
(α1)[α4(α2+α+1)+(α+1)2(α2α+1)+2α2]=0 (\alpha-1)\left[\alpha^{4}\left(\alpha^{2}+\alpha+1\right)+(\alpha+1)^{2}\left(\alpha^{2}-\alpha+1\right)+2 \alpha^{2}\right]=0
Since the expression in the square brackets is positive, we have α=1\alpha=1. Now (3) implies that
f(y+1)=f(y)+1 f(y+1)=f(y)+1
and therefore f(n)=nf(n)=n for every positive integer nn.

Now take an arbitrary positive rational number ab\frac{a}{b} ( a,ba, b are positive integers). Since (4) gives f(y)=yf(y+m)=y+m,mf(y)=y \Longleftrightarrow f(y+m)=y+m, m is a positive integer, the equality f(ab)=abf\left(\frac{a}{b}\right)=\frac{a}{b} is equivalent to
f(b2+ab)=b2+ab f\left(b^{2}+\frac{a}{b}\right)=b^{2}+\frac{a}{b}
Since the last equality follows from (1) for x=bx=b and y=aby=\frac{a}{b} we conclude that f(ab)=abf\left(\frac{a}{b}\right)=\frac{a}{b}.

Setting y=x2y=x^{2} in (4), we obtain f(x2+1)=f(x2)+1f\left(x^{2}+1\right)=f\left(x^{2}\right)+1. Hence using (2) we conclude that f(x2)=f2(x)>0f\left(x^{2}\right)=f^{2}(x)>0. Thus f(x)>0f(x)>0 for every x>0x>0. Now (1), the inequality f(x)>0f(x)>0 for x>0x>0 and the identity f(x2)=f2(x)f\left(x^{2}\right)=f^{2}(x) imply that f(x)>f(y)f(x)>f(y) for x>y>0x>y>0. Since f(x)=xf(x)=x for every rational number x>0x>0, it easily follows that f(x)=xf(x)=x for every real number x>0x>0.

Finally, given an x<0x<0 we choose y<0y<0 such that x2+y>0x^{2}+y>0. Then xy>0x y>0 and (1) gives
x2+y=f(x2+y)=f2(x)+f(xy)f(x)=f(x2)+xyf(x)=x2+xyf(x) \begin{aligned} x^{2}+y & =f\left(x^{2}+y\right)=f^{2}(x)+\frac{f(x y)}{f(x)} \\ & =f\left(x^{2}\right)+\frac{x y}{f(x)}=x^{2}+\frac{x y}{f(x)} \end{aligned}
i.e. f(x)=xf(x)=x. Therefore f(x)=xf(x)=x for every xRx \in \mathbb{R}^*. It is clear that this function satisfies (1).

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