Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /145 of 520

Algebra Difficulty 6.6 National olympiad Find the answer

Determine all functions f:RRf: \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R} such that the inequality
f(x2)f(y2)(f(x)+y)(xf(y)) f(x^2)-f(y^2) \le (f(x)+y)(x-f(y))
holds for all real numbers xx and yy.

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

Solution

1. **Define the assertion P(x,y) P(x, y) :**
P(x,y):f(x2)f(y2)(f(x)+y)(xf(y)) P(x, y): f(x^2) - f(y^2) \le (f(x) + y)(x - f(y))

2. **Evaluate P(0,0) P(0, 0) :**
P(0,0):f(02)f(02)(f(0)+0)(0f(0)) P(0, 0): f(0^2) - f(0^2) \le (f(0) + 0)(0 - f(0))
00    This is always true. 0 \le 0 \implies \text{This is always true.}

3. **Evaluate P(x,0) P(x, 0) :**
P(x,0):f(x2)f(02)(f(x)+0)(xf(0)) P(x, 0): f(x^2) - f(0^2) \le (f(x) + 0)(x - f(0))
f(x2)xf(x) f(x^2) \le x f(x)

4. **Evaluate P(0,y) P(0, y) :**
P(0,y):f(02)f(y2)(f(0)+y)(0f(y)) P(0, y): f(0^2) - f(y^2) \le (f(0) + y)(0 - f(y))
f(y2)yf(y) -f(y^2) \le -y f(y)
f(y2)yf(y) f(y^2) \ge y f(y)

5. Combine the results from steps 3 and 4:
f(x2)xf(x)andf(x2)xf(x) f(x^2) \le x f(x) \quad \text{and} \quad f(x^2) \ge x f(x)
    f(x2)=xf(x) \implies f(x^2) = x f(x)

6. **Show that f f is odd:**
f((x)2)=(x)f(x) f((-x)^2) = (-x) f(-x)
f(x2)=xf(x) f(x^2) = -x f(-x)
xf(x)=xf(x) x f(x) = -x f(-x)
    f(x)=f(x) \implies f(-x) = -f(x)

7. **Use the new assertion Q(x,y) Q(x, y) :**
Q(x,y):f(x)f(y)xy Q(x, y): f(x) f(y) \le x y

8. **Evaluate Q(x,y) Q(x, -y) :**
Q(x,y):f(x)f(y)x(y) Q(x, -y): f(x) f(-y) \le x (-y)
f(x)(f(y))xy f(x) (-f(y)) \le -xy
f(x)f(y)xy -f(x) f(y) \le -xy
f(x)f(y)xy f(x) f(y) \ge xy

9. Combine the results from steps 7 and 8:
f(x)f(y)xyandf(x)f(y)xy f(x) f(y) \le xy \quad \text{and} \quad f(x) f(y) \ge xy
    f(x)f(y)=xy \implies f(x) f(y) = xy

10. **Set y=1 y = 1 :**
f(x)f(1)=x f(x) f(1) = x
f(x)=xf(1) f(x) = \frac{x}{f(1)}

11. **Determine f(1) f(1) :**
f(1)f(1)=1 f(1) f(1) = 1
f(1)2=1 f(1)^2 = 1
f(1)=1orf(1)=1 f(1) = 1 \quad \text{or} \quad f(1) = -1

12. Find the solutions:
If f(1)=1, then f(x)=x \text{If } f(1) = 1, \text{ then } f(x) = x
If f(1)=1, then f(x)=x \text{If } f(1) = -1, \text{ then } f(x) = -x

The final answer is f(x)=x or f(x)=x \boxed{f(x) = x \text{ or } f(x) = -x} .

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

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