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Algebra Difficulty 5.5 AIME, harder Find the answer

Find all functions f:ZZf: \mathbb{Z} \rightarrow \mathbb{Z} that satisfy

f(f(x)f(y))=1xy f(-f(x)-f(y))=1-x-y

for all x,yZx, y \in \mathbb{Z}.

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

Solution

Substituting x=y=1x=y=1 gives f(2f(1))=1f(-2 f(1))=-1. Substituting x=n,y=1x=n, y=1 gives f(f(n)f(1))=nf(-f(n)-f(1))=-n. Now we choose x=f(n)f(1)x=-f(n)-f(1) and y=2f(1)y=-2 f(1), which gives

f(f(f(n)f(1))f(2f(1)))=1(f(n)f(1))(2f(1)) f(-f(-f(n)-f(1))-f(-2 f(1)))=1-(-f(n)-f(1))-(-2 f(1))

where the left side can be further calculated as f(n1)=f(n+1)f(--n--1)=f(n+1) and the right side as 1+f(n)+f(1)+2f(1)=f(n)+3f(1)+11+f(n)+f(1)+2 f(1)=f(n)+3 f(1)+1. Let 3f(1)+1=c3 f(1)+1=c, then we have

f(n+1)=f(n)+c f(n+1)=f(n)+c

By induction in both directions, it follows that f(n+k)=f(n)+ckf(n+k)=f(n)+c k for all kZk \in \mathbb{Z}, and with n=0n=0 we get that f(k)=f(0)+ckf(k)=f(0)+c k for all kZk \in \mathbb{Z}, so ff is a linear function.

To check, we substitute f(x)=ax+bf(x)=a x+b with a,bZa, b \in \mathbb{Z}. Then the left side of the functional equation becomes

f(f(x)f(y))=a(axbayb)+b=a2xa2y2ab+b f(-f(x)-f(y))=a(-a x-b-a y-b)+b=-a^{2} x-a^{2} y-2 a b+b

This must be equal to 1xy1-x-y for all xx and yy. The coefficient of xx must therefore be the same (since with yy fixed, the same function of xx must stand on both sides), so a2=1-a^{2}=-1, thus a=1a=1 or a=1a=-1. With a=1a=-1 and x=y=0x=y=0 we get 2b+b=12 b+b=1, which does not yield an integer bb. With a=1a=1 and x=y=0x=y=0 we get 2b+b=1-2 b+b=1 so b=1b=-1. Indeed, for a=1a=1 and b=1b=-1, the left side also becomes 1xy1-x-y, so the only function that satisfies is f(x)=x1f(x)=x-1.

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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.