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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.3 National olympiad, round 2 Find the answer

Find all real numbers aa such that there exist f:RRf:\mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} with f(xf(y))=f(x)+a[y]f(x-f(y))=f(x)+a[y] for all x,yRx,y\in \mathbb{R}

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

1. Let P(x,y) P(x, y) be the assertion of the given functional equation:
f(xf(y))=f(x)+ay f(x - f(y)) = f(x) + a \lfloor y \rfloor
for all x,yR x, y \in \mathbb{R} .

2. First, we consider the case a=0 a = 0 . If a=0 a = 0 , the equation simplifies to:
f(xf(y))=f(x) f(x - f(y)) = f(x)
This implies that f f is a constant function. For example, f(x)=c f(x) = c for some constant c c . Therefore, a=0 a = 0 is a valid solution.

3. Now, assume a0 a \neq 0 . We need to find all possible values of a a such that the functional equation holds.

4. Suppose f(u)=f(v) f(u) = f(v) for some u,vR u, v \in \mathbb{R} . Comparing P(x,u) P(x, u) and P(x,v) P(x, v) , we get:
f(xf(u))=f(x)+au f(x - f(u)) = f(x) + a \lfloor u \rfloor
f(xf(v))=f(x)+av f(x - f(v)) = f(x) + a \lfloor v \rfloor
Since f(u)=f(v) f(u) = f(v) , we have:
f(xf(u))=f(xf(v)) f(x - f(u)) = f(x - f(v))
Therefore:
f(x)+au=f(x)+av f(x) + a \lfloor u \rfloor = f(x) + a \lfloor v \rfloor
This implies:
au=av a \lfloor u \rfloor = a \lfloor v \rfloor
Since a0 a \neq 0 , we conclude:
u=v \lfloor u \rfloor = \lfloor v \rfloor
Hence, if f(u)=f(v) f(u) = f(v) , then u=v \lfloor u \rfloor = \lfloor v \rfloor .

5. Next, assume f(u)Z f(u) \notin \mathbb{Z} . Then there exist x1,x2 x_1, x_2 such that x1=x2 \lfloor x_1 \rfloor = \lfloor x_2 \rfloor but x1f(u)x2f(u) \lfloor x_1 - f(u) \rfloor \neq \lfloor x_2 - f(u) \rfloor .

6. From P(x1,u) P(x_1, u) and P(x2,u) P(x_2, u) , we have:
f(x1f(u))=f(x1)+au f(x_1 - f(u)) = f(x_1) + a \lfloor u \rfloor
f(x2f(u))=f(x2)+au f(x_2 - f(u)) = f(x_2) + a \lfloor u \rfloor
Since x1=x2 \lfloor x_1 \rfloor = \lfloor x_2 \rfloor , we get:
f(x1f(u))=f(x2f(u)) f(x_1 - f(u)) = f(x_2 - f(u))
This implies:
x1f(u)=x2f(u) \lfloor x_1 - f(u) \rfloor = \lfloor x_2 - f(u) \rfloor
which is a contradiction. Therefore, f(x)Z f(x) \in \mathbb{Z} for all x x .

7. Using induction on n n , we show that:
f(xnf(y))=f(x)anynZ f(x - n f(y)) = f(x) - a n \lfloor y \rfloor \quad \forall n \in \mathbb{Z}
For n=1 n = 1 , this is just P(x,y) P(x, y) . Assume it holds for n n . Then:
f(x(n+1)f(y))=f((xnf(y))f(y))=f(xnf(y))ay f(x - (n+1) f(y)) = f((x - n f(y)) - f(y)) = f(x - n f(y)) - a \lfloor y \rfloor
By the induction hypothesis:
f(xnf(y))=f(x)any f(x - n f(y)) = f(x) - a n \lfloor y \rfloor
Therefore:
f(x(n+1)f(y))=f(x)anyay=f(x)a(n+1)y f(x - (n+1) f(y)) = f(x) - a n \lfloor y \rfloor - a \lfloor y \rfloor = f(x) - a (n+1) \lfloor y \rfloor
Thus, the induction is complete.

8. Now, consider:
f(xf(z)f(y))=f(x)af(z)yx,y,z f(x - f(z) f(y)) = f(x) - a f(z) \lfloor y \rfloor \quad \forall x, y, z
Swapping y y and z z and subtracting, we get:
f(z)y=f(y)zy,z f(z) \lfloor y \rfloor = f(y) \lfloor z \rfloor \quad \forall y, z
Setting z=1 z = 1 , we get:
f(x)=cxx f(x) = c \lfloor x \rfloor \quad \forall x
for some cZ c \in \mathbb{Z} .

9. Plugging this back into the original equation, we get:
f(xcy)=f(x)+ay f(x - c \lfloor y \rfloor) = f(x) + a \lfloor y \rfloor
cxcy=cx+ay c \lfloor x - c \lfloor y \rfloor \rfloor = c \lfloor x \rfloor + a \lfloor y \rfloor
Simplifying, we get:
cxc2y=cx+ay c \lfloor x \rfloor - c^2 \lfloor y \rfloor = c \lfloor x \rfloor + a \lfloor y \rfloor
Therefore:
c2y=ay -c^2 \lfloor y \rfloor = a \lfloor y \rfloor
Since y0 \lfloor y \rfloor \neq 0 for all y y , we get:
a=c2 a = -c^2
Hence, the answer is:
a{n2nZ} a \in \{-n^2 \mid n \in \mathbb{Z}\}

The final answer is a{n2nZ} \boxed{ a \in \{-n^2 \mid n \in \mathbb{Z}\} }

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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.