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Algebra Difficulty 5.4 AIME, harder Find the answer

Find all functions f:RRf: \mathbf{R} \rightarrow \mathbf{R} such that for all x,yRx, y \in \mathbf{R}, the following holds:
f(x+y)+f(x)f(y)=f(xy)+2xy+1. f(x+y)+f(x) f(y)=f(x y)+2 x y+1 .
(46th IMO Shortlist)

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

Let x=y=0x=y=0, we get f2(0)=1f^{2}(0)=1.
If f(0)=1f(0)=1, let y=0y=0, we get f(x)=1f(x)=1.
Substituting into equation (1) yields
1+1×1=1+2xy+1xy=0 1+1 \times 1=1+2 x y+1 \Rightarrow x y=0 \text {. }

This does not meet the problem's requirements.
Therefore, f(0)=1f(0)=-1.
Let x=1,y=1x=1, y=-1, we get
f(1)f(1)=f(1) f(1) f(-1)=f(-1) \text {. }
(1) If f(1)=1f(1)=1, let y=1y=1, we get
f(x+1)=2x+1f(x)=2x1 f(x+1)=2 x+1 \Rightarrow f(x)=2 x-1 \text {. }
(2) If f(1)=0f(-1)=0, let x=2,y=1x=-2, y=1, we get
f(2)f(1)=f(2)3 f(-2) f(1)=f(-2)-3 \text {; }

Let x=y=1x=y=-1, we get f(2)=f(1)+3f(-2)=f(1)+3. Substituting into the right side of equation (2) yields f(2)f(1)=f(1)f(-2) f(1)=f(1).
(i) f(1)=0f(1)=0.

Substitute x1x-1 for xx, let y=1y=1, we get
f(x)=f(x1)+2(x1)+1 f(x)=f(x-1)+2(x-1)+1 \text {; }

Substitute x+1-x+1 for xx, let y=1y=-1, we get
f(x)=f(x1)+2(x1)+1 f(-x)=f(x-1)+2(x-1)+1 \text {. }

Thus, f(x)=f(x)f(x)=f(-x).
Let y=xy=-x, we get
f2(x)=f(x2)2x2+2 f^{2}(x)=f\left(x^{2}\right)-2 x^{2}+2 \text {; }

Let y=xy=x, we get
f(2x)+f2(x)=f(x2)+2x2+1. f(2 x)+f^{2}(x)=f\left(x^{2}\right)+2 x^{2}+1 .

Thus, f(2x)=4x21f(x)=x21f(2 x)=4 x^{2}-1 \Rightarrow f(x)=x^{2}-1.
(ii) f(2)=1f(-2)=1, i.e., f(1)=2f(1)=-2.

Let y=1y=1, we get
f(x+1)=3f(x)+2x+1 f(x+1)=3 f(x)+2 x+1 \text {. }

Substitute x-x for xx, let y=1y=-1, we get
f(x1)=f(x)+2x+1. Hence f(x+1)f(x1)=2f(x)f(x)f(x)=2f(x1)f(x)f(x)=2f(x1)f(x1)=f(x1). \begin{array}{l} f(-x-1)=f(x)+2 x+1 . \\ \text { Hence } f(x+1)-f(-x-1)=2 f(x) \\ \Rightarrow f(x)-f(-x)=2 f(x-1) \\ \Rightarrow f(-x)-f(x)=2 f(-x-1) \\ \Rightarrow f(x-1)=-f(-x-1) . \end{array}

Thus, f(x1)=f(x)+2x+1-f(x-1)=f(x)+2 x+1.
 Also f(x)=3f(x1)+2(x1)+1f(x)=3(f(x)+2x+1)+2x1f(x)=x1. \begin{array}{l} \text { Also } f(x)=3 f(x-1)+2(x-1)+1 \\ \Rightarrow f(x)=-3(f(x)+2 x+1)+2 x-1 \\ \Rightarrow f(x)=-x-1 . \end{array}

Since f(x)=2x1f(x)=2 x-1,
f(x)=x1,f(x)=x21 f(x)=-x-1, f(x)=x^{2}-1

all satisfy the conditions, hence the solutions are the above three functional equations.

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Source: NuminaMath-1.5, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.