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Algebra Difficulty 6.3 National olympiad Find the answer

Find all real solutions xx to the equation x22x+2x=x2\lfloor x^2 - 2x \rfloor + 2\lfloor x \rfloor = \lfloor x \rfloor^2.

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

Solution

To solve the equation x22x+2x=x2\lfloor x^2 - 2x \rfloor + 2\lfloor x \rfloor = \lfloor x \rfloor^2, we proceed with the following steps:

### Step 1: Understanding the Floor Function

The floor function, y\lfloor y \rfloor, represents the greatest integer less than or equal to yy. This means that for any real number xx, xx<x+1\lfloor x \rfloor \leq x < \lfloor x \rfloor + 1.

### Step 2: Set x=n+θx = n + \theta

Consider x=n+θx = n + \theta where n=xn = \lfloor x \rfloor and 0θ<10 \leq \theta < 1. Substituting this into the main equation gives:

(n+θ)22(n+θ)+2n=n2. \lfloor (n+\theta)^2 - 2(n+\theta) \rfloor + 2n = n^2.

This simplifies to:

n2+2nθ+θ22n2θ+2n=n2. \lfloor n^2 + 2n\theta + \theta^2 - 2n - 2\theta \rfloor + 2n = n^2.

Hence, we have:

θ2+θ(2n2)=0. \lfloor \theta^2 + \theta(2n - 2) \rfloor = 0.

This equation implies that:

0θ2+θ(2n2)<1. 0 \leq \theta^2 + \theta(2n - 2) < 1.

### Step 3: Solve the Quadratic Inequality

The inequality becomes:

θ2+θ(2n2)<1. \theta^2 + \theta(2n - 2) < 1.

Completing the square, we have:

(θ+(n1))2<(n1)2+1. (\theta + (n-1))^2 < (n-1)^2 + 1.

For 0θ<10 \leq \theta < 1, θ+(n1)<(n1)2+1\theta + (n-1) < \sqrt{(n-1)^2 + 1}. Therefore, this restricts:

n1<θ+(n1)<(n1)2+1. n - 1 < \theta + (n-1) < \sqrt{(n-1)^2 + 1}.

This inequality in terms of θ\theta results in:

n1<x<(n1)2+1+1. n - 1 < x < \sqrt{(n-1)^2 + 1} + 1.

### Conclusion

The above range, n1<x<(n1)2+1+1n - 1 < x < \sqrt{(n-1)^2 + 1} + 1, corresponds to the solution intervals (n,(n1)2+1+1)(n, \sqrt{(n-1)^2 + 1} + 1) for each integer n1n \geq 1. Additionally, since nn is an integer, xx can also be any integer, hence xZx \in \mathbb{Z}.

Thus, the complete set of solutions is:

xZn=1(n,(n1)2+1+1). \boxed{x \in \mathbb{Z} \cup \bigcup_{n = 1} ^{\infty} (n, \sqrt{(n-1)^2 + 1} + 1)}.

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