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Algebra Difficulty 5.8 AIME, harder Prove it

3. Let f:RRf: \mathbf{R} \rightarrow \mathbf{R} be a real-valued function defined on the set of real numbers, satisfying for all real numbers x,yx, y,
f(x+y)yf(x)+f(f(x)). f(x+y) \leqslant y f(x)+f(f(x)) .

Prove: For all real numbers x0x \leqslant 0, we have f(x)=0f(x)=0.

Solution

3. Let y=txy=t-x. Then equation (1) can be written as
f(t)tf(x)xf(x)+f(f(x)) f(t) \leqslant t f(x)-x f(x)+f(f(x)) \text {. }

In equation (2), let t=f(a),x=bt=f(a), x=b and t=f(b),x=at=f(b), x=a. We get
f(f(a))f(f(b))f(a)f(b)bf(b),f(f(b))f(f(a))f(a)f(b)af(a). \begin{array}{l} f(f(a))-f(f(b)) \leqslant f(a) f(b)-b f(b), \\ f(f(b))-f(f(a)) \leqslant f(a) f(b)-a f(a) . \end{array}

Adding the above two equations yields
2f(a)f(b)af(a)+bf(b). Let b=2f(a). Then 2f(a)f(b)af(a)+2f(a)f(b)af(a)0. \begin{array}{l} 2 f(a) f(b) \geqslant a f(a)+b f(b) . \\ \text { Let } b=2 f(a) \text {. Then } \\ 2 f(a) f(b) \geqslant a f(a)+2 f(a) f(b) \\ \Rightarrow a f(a) \leqslant 0 . \end{array}

Therefore, when a>0a>0, f(a)0f(a) \leqslant 0. By equation (2), for each
t<xf(x)f(f(x))f(x), t<\frac{x f(x)-f(f(x))}{f(x)},

we have f(t)<0f(t)<0, which contradicts equation (3).
Thus, for all real numbers xx,
f(x)0 f(x) \leqslant 0 \text {. }

Combining with equation (3), for all real numbers x<0x<0,
f(x)=0 f(x)=0 \text {. }

In equation (2), let t=x<0t=x<0. Then
f(x)f(f(x)) f(x) \leqslant f(f(x)) \text {. }

Hence 0f(0)0 \leqslant f(0).
Combining with equation (4), we get f(0)=0f(0)=0.
In summary, for any x0x \leqslant 0, we have f(x)=0f(x)=0.

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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.