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Algebra Difficulty 4.8 AIME Prove it

Let f(x)f(x) be a function defined on R\mathbb{R} such that for all x,yRx, y \in \mathbb{R}, f(x+y)=f(x)+f(y)f(x+y) = f(x) + f(y), and when x>0x > 0, f(x)<0f(x) < 0, with f(1)=2f(-1) = 2.
(1) Prove that f(x)f(x) is an odd function;
(2) Prove that f(x)f(x) is a decreasing function on R\mathbb{R};
(3) Find the maximum and minimum values of f(x)f(x) on the interval [2,4][-2, 4].

Solution

(1) To prove f(x)f(x) is an odd function, we will show f(x)=f(x)f(-x) = -f(x) for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}.

First, let x=y=0x = y = 0. Then, we have f(0+0)=f(0)+f(0)f(0+0) = f(0) + f(0), which simplifies to f(0)=2f(0)f(0) = 2f(0). Hence, f(0)=0f(0) = 0 since the only solution to this equation is f(0)=0f(0) = 0.

Next, let y=xy = -x. We then have f(xx)=f(x)+f(x)f(x-x) = f(x) + f(-x), which simplifies to f(0)=f(x)+f(x)f(0) = f(x) + f(-x). Since we have already shown f(0)=0f(0) = 0, it follows that f(x)+f(x)=0f(x) + f(-x) = 0 and thus f(x)=f(x)f(-x) = -f(x).

Therefore, f(x)f(x) is an odd function as for all xRx \in \mathbb{R}, f(x)=f(x)f(-x) = -f(x).

(2) To prove f(x)f(x) is a decreasing function on R\mathbb{R}, we will show that for any two numbers x1,x2Rx_1, x_2 \in \mathbb{R} with x2>x1x_2 > x_1, we have f(x2)x1f(x_2) x_1. Then f(x2)f(x1)=f(x2+(x1))f(x_2) - f(x_1) = f(x_2 + (-x_1)). Since x2>x1x_2 > x_1, x2x1>0x_2 - x_1 > 0 and from the function properties given, f(x2x1)<0f(x_2 - x_1) < 0.

Therefore, f(x2)f(x1)=f(x2x1)<0f(x_2) - f(x_1) = f(x_2 - x_1) < 0, which implies f(x2)<f(x1)f(x_2) < f(x_1).

As a result, f(x)f(x) is a decreasing function on R\mathbb{R}.

(3) Since f(1)=2f(-1) = 2, we can calculate f(2)f(-2) by using the additivity property of the function.

We find f(2)=f(1)+f(1)=2+2=4f(-2) = f(-1) + f(-1) = 2 + 2 = 4. Furthermore, since f(x)f(x) is an odd function, f(2)=f(2)=4f(2) = -f(-2) = -4. We then calculate f(4)f(4) as follows:

f(4)=f(2+2)=f(2)+f(2)=4+(4)=8.f(4) = f(2+2) = f(2) + f(2) = -4 + (-4) = -8.

Because f(x)f(x) is decreasing over the interval [2,4][-2, 4], the maximum value of f(x)f(x) on this interval occurs at the left endpoint, 2-2, and the minimum value occurs at the right endpoint, 44.

Thus, the maximum and minimum values of f(x)f(x) on [2,4][-2, 4] are fmax=f(2)=4\boxed{f_{\text{max}} = f(-2) = 4} and fmin=f(4)=8\boxed{f_{\text{min}} = f(4) = -8}, respectively.

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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.