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Combinatorics Difficulty 7.9 National olympiad, round 2 Prove it

A function ψ ⁣:ZZ\psi \colon {\mathbb Z} \to {\mathbb Z} is said to be zero-requiem if for any positive integer nn and any integers a1a_1, \ldots, ana_n (not necessarily distinct), the sums a1+a2++ana_1 + a_2 + \dots + a_n and ψ(a1)+ψ(a2)++ψ(an)\psi(a_1) + \psi(a_2) + \dots + \psi(a_n) are not both zero.

Let ff and gg be two zero-requiem functions for which fgf \circ g and gfg \circ f are both the identity function (that is, ff and gg are mutually inverse bijections). Given that f+gf+g is not a zero-requiem function, prove that fff \circ f and ggg \circ g are both zero-requiem.

Sutanay Bhattacharya

Solution

1. Understanding Zero-Requiem Functions:
A function ψ:ZZ\psi: \mathbb{Z} \to \mathbb{Z} is zero-requiem if for any positive integer nn and any integers a1,a2,,ana_1, a_2, \ldots, a_n, the sums a1+a2++ana_1 + a_2 + \cdots + a_n and ψ(a1)+ψ(a2)++ψ(an)\psi(a_1) + \psi(a_2) + \cdots + \psi(a_n) are not both zero.

2. Given Conditions:
- ff and gg are zero-requiem functions.
- fgf \circ g and gfg \circ f are the identity functions, meaning ff and gg are mutually inverse bijections.
- f+gf + g is not a zero-requiem function.

3. Objective:
Prove that fff \circ f and ggg \circ g are both zero-requiem functions.

4. Lemma:
Suppose ff is a zero-requiem function. Then for all a1++an=0a_1 + \cdots + a_n = 0, f(a1)++f(an)f(a_1) + \cdots + f(a_n) have the same sign.

Proof:
Suppose a1++an=0a_1 + \cdots + a_n = 0 and b1++bn=0b_1 + \cdots + b_n = 0. Assume f(a1)++f(an)>0f(a_1) + \cdots + f(a_n) > 0 and f(b1)++f(bn)<0f(b_1) + \cdots + f(b_n) < 0. Let A=f(a1)++f(an)A = f(a_1) + \cdots + f(a_n) and B=(f(b1)++f(bn))B = -(f(b_1) + \cdots + f(b_n)). Then:
B(a1+a2++an)+A(b1++bn)=0 B(a_1 + a_2 + \cdots + a_n) + A(b_1 + \cdots + b_n) = 0
B(f(a1)++f(an))+A(f(b1)++f(bn))=0 B(f(a_1) + \cdots + f(a_n)) + A(f(b_1) + \cdots + f(b_n)) = 0
This leads to a contradiction since A>0A > 0 and B>0B > 0. Hence, f(a1)++f(an)f(a_1) + \cdots + f(a_n) must have the same sign for all a1++an=0a_1 + \cdots + a_n = 0.

5. **Behavior of ff and f1f^{-1}**:
Since ff is zero-requiem, without loss of generality, assume for all a1++an=0a_1 + \cdots + a_n = 0, f(a1)++f(an)>0f(a_1) + \cdots + f(a_n) > 0. If for all b1++bn=0b_1 + \cdots + b_n = 0, f1(b1)++f1(bn)>0f^{-1}(b_1) + \cdots + f^{-1}(b_n) > 0, then f+f1f + f^{-1} would be zero-requiem, which contradicts the given condition. Therefore, for all b1++bn=0b_1 + \cdots + b_n = 0, f1(b1)++f1(bn)<0f^{-1}(b_1) + \cdots + f^{-1}(b_n) < 0.

6. **Sign Behavior of ff**:
Either f(x)>0f(x) > 0 for all x>0x > 0 or f(x)>0f(x) > 0 for all x<0x < 0.

Proof:
Suppose f(a)0f(a) \leq 0 and f(b)0f(-b) \leq 0 where a,b>0a, b > 0. Then:
f(a)+f(a)++f(a)b+f(b)+f(b)++f(b)a=bf(a)+af(b)<0 \underbrace{f(a) + f(a) + \cdots + f(a)}_{b} + \underbrace{f(b) + f(b) + \cdots + f(b)}_{a} = bf(a) + af(b) < 0
This inequality holds since ff is a bijection.

7. Case Analysis:
- Case 1: f(x)>0f(x) > 0 for all x>0x > 0.
- This implies f1(x)<0f^{-1}(x) < 0 for all x<0x < 0.
- Let m=infx>0f(x)xm = \inf_{x > 0} \frac{f(x)}{x} and n=supx<0,f(x)<0f(x)xn = \sup_{x < 0, f(x) < 0} \frac{f(x)}{x}.
- m>0m > 0 and n>0n > 0.
- If m<nm < n, there exist a>0a > 0 and b>0b > 0 such that:
f(a)a(m+nm3)andf(b)b(nnm3) f(a) \leq a(m + \frac{n - m}{3}) \quad \text{and} \quad f(-b) \leq -b(n - \frac{n - m}{3})
Thus, af(b)+bf(a)<0af(-b) + bf(a) < 0, which is absurd.

- Therefore, mnm \geq n. For a1++ak=b1++bla_1 + \cdots + a_k = b_1 + \cdots + b_l where ai,bi0a_i, b_i \geq 0:
f(f(ai))m2aiandf(f(bi))n2bi f(f(a_i)) \geq m^2 a_i \quad \text{and} \quad f(f(-b_i)) \geq -n^2 b_i
Summing gives:
f(f(ai))+f(f(bj))m2ain2bj=(ai)(m2n2) \sum f(f(a_i)) + \sum f(f(-b_j)) \geq m^2 \sum a_i - n^2 \sum b_j = (\sum a_i)(m^2 - n^2)
This is zero only if m=nm = n and all equalities hold, implying ff is not zero-requiem. Hence, in this case, f2f^2 is zero-requiem.

- Case 2: f(x)>0f(x) > 0 for all x<0x < 0.
- This implies f1(y)<0f^{-1}(y) < 0 for all y>0y > 0.
- Since f1(x)<0f^{-1}(x) < 0 for all x>0x > 0 or f1(x)<0f^{-1}(x) < 0 for all x<0x < 0, the latter is impossible because it contradicts the previous implication.
- Hence, f1f^{-1} and ff map N+\mathbb{N}^+ to Z\mathbb{Z}^- and Z\mathbb{Z}^- to N+\mathbb{N}^+, implying f(0)=0f(0) = 0, which is absurd.

8. Conclusion:
Both fff \circ f and ggg \circ g are zero-requiem functions.

\blacksquare

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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.