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Algebra Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Prove it Bulgaria

Problem:
Find all functions f:RRf: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R} such that
f(x2+y+f(y))=2y+(f(x))2 f\left(x^{2}+y+f(y)\right)=2 y+(f(x))^{2}
for any x,yRx, y \in \mathbb{R}.

Solution

Solution:
It follows by
f(x2+y+f(y))=2y+(f(x))2 f\left(x^{2}+y+f(y)\right)=2 y+(f(x))^{2}
that the function ff is surjective. Note also that (f(x))2=(f(x))2(f(x))^{2}=(f(-x))^{2}. In particular, we may choose aa such that f(a)=f(a)=0f(a)=f(-a)=0. Setting x=0,y=±ax=0, y= \pm a in (1) gives 0=f(±a)=(f(0))2±2a0=f( \pm a)=(f(0))^{2} \pm 2 a, i.e., a=0a=0. Plugging y=(f(x))22y=-\frac{(f(x))^{2}}{2} in (1), we get that f(x2+y+f(y))=0f\left(x^{2}+y+f(y)\right)=0 and therefore y+f(y)=x2y+f(y)=-x^{2}. Thus the function y+f(y)y+f(y) takes any non-positive value. Since f(0)=0f(0)=0, it follows from (1) that
f(x2)=((f(x))20 and f(y+f(y))=2y f\left(x^{2}\right)=\left((f(x))^{2} \geq 0 \text{ and } f(y+f(y))=2 y\right.
Setting z=x2,t=y+f(y)z=x^{2}, t=y+f(y), and using again (1) we deduce that f(z+t)=f(z)+f(t)f(z+t)=f(z)+f(t) for any z0tz \geq 0 \geq t. For z=tz=-t we get f(t)=f(t)f(-t)=-f(t) and then it is easy to check that f(z+t)=f(z)+f(t)f(z+t)=f(z)+f(t) for any zz and tt. Since f(t)0f(t) \geq 0 for t0t \geq 0, it follows that ff is an increasing function. Suppose that f(y)>yf(y)>y for some yy. Then f(f(y))f(y)f(f(y)) \geq f(y) and we get
2y=f(y+f(y))=f(y)+f(f(y))>2f(y) 2 y=f(y+f(y))=f(y)+f(f(y))>2 f(y)
a contradiction. Hence f(y)yf(y) \leq y. We see in the same way that f(y)yf(y) \geq y, so f(x)xf(x) \equiv x. This function obviously satisfies (1).

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