Given a rational number a=0, find, with proof, all functions f:Q→Q satisfying the equation f(f(x)+ay)=af(y)+x for all x,y∈Q.
A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.
Solution
Let P(x,y) denote the functional equation. From P(x,0), we have f(f(x))=x+af(0). Thus, the tripling trick gives f(x+af(0))=f(f(f(x)))=f(x)+af(0). Now, here is the main idea: P(f(x),y) gives f(f(f(x))+ay)f(x+af(0)+ay)f(x+ay)=af(y)+f(x)=f(x)+af(y)=f(x)+af(y)−af(0) In particular, plugging in x=0 into this equation gives f(ay)=af(y)+(1−a)f(0), so inserting it back to the same equation gives f(x+ay)=f(x)+f(ay)−f(0) for all rational numbers x,y. In particular, the function g(x)=f(x)−f(0) is additive, so f is linear. Let f(x)=bx+c. By substituting it in, we have P(x,y) iff f(ay+bx+c)aby+b2x+bc+c(b2−1)x+(b+1−a)c=a(by+c)+x=aby+ac+x=0 Since x is arbitrary, we can state that b2−1=0 and (b+1−a)c=0, thus b=±1. As a=0, we know b+1−a=0 only if b=1 and a=2. When a=2 or b=1, we know the only solutions are b=±1,c=0, while for a=2,b=1, the equation is automatically satisfied, so the final answer is ⎩⎨⎧f(x)=xf(x)=−xf(x)=x+c for all rational number c iff a=2 Solution 2: We will only prove that f is linear. Then, proceed as in the end of Solution 1. We know f(f(x))=af(0)+x, so as af(0)+x can take any rational number when x takes every rational number, the range of f is Q, and so f is surjective. If f(x1)=f(x2), we have x1=f(f(x1))−af(0)=f(f(x2))−af(0)=x2, so x1=x2, implying f being injective. Thus, f is bijective. From P(x,0), we still get f(f(x))=x+af(0). Thus, from \left.P\left(f^{-1}(0)\right), y / a\right),wecangetf(y)=a f(y / a)+f^{-1}(0).PluggingagainP(f(x), y / a),wehavef(f(f(x))+y)=f(x+y+a f(0))=a f(y / a)+f(x)=f(x)+f(y)-f^{-1}(x).Thus,weknowf(x+y)=f(x-a f(0))+f(y)-f^{-1}(0)=f(x)+f(y)-f(0).Hence,thefunctiong(x)=f(x)-f(0)isadditive,sog(x)=k xforsomerationalnumberk.Thus,f$ is a linear function, and we can proceed as in above solution.
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