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Algebra Difficulty 5.7 AIME, harder Find the answer

Given a rational number a0a \neq 0, find, with proof, all functions f:QQf: \mathbb{Q} \rightarrow \mathbb{Q} satisfying the equation f(f(x)+ay)=af(y)+x f(f(x)+a y)=a f(y)+x for all x,yQx, y \in \mathbb{Q}.

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

Solution

Let P(x,y)P(x, y) denote the functional equation. From P(x,0)P(x, 0), we have f(f(x))=x+af(0)f(f(x))=x+a f(0). Thus, the tripling trick gives f(x+af(0))=f(f(f(x)))=f(x)+af(0)f(x+a f(0))=f(f(f(x)))=f(x)+a f(0). Now, here is the main idea: P(f(x),y)P(f(x), y) gives f(f(f(x))+ay)=af(y)+f(x)f(x+af(0)+ay)=f(x)+af(y)f(x+ay)=f(x)+af(y)af(0) \begin{aligned} f(f(f(x))+a y) & =a f(y)+f(x) \\ f(x+a f(0)+a y) & =f(x)+a f(y) \\ f(x+a y) & =f(x)+a f(y)-a f(0) \end{aligned} In particular, plugging in x=0x=0 into this equation gives f(ay)=af(y)+(1a)f(0)f(a y)=a f(y)+(1-a) f(0), so inserting it back to the same equation gives f(x+ay)=f(x)+f(ay)f(0) f(x+a y)=f(x)+f(a y)-f(0) for all rational numbers x,yx, y. In particular, the function g(x)=f(x)f(0)g(x)=f(x)-f(0) is additive, so ff is linear. Let f(x)=bx+cf(x)=b x+c. By substituting it in, we have P(x,y)P(x, y) iff f(ay+bx+c)=a(by+c)+xaby+b2x+bc+c=aby+ac+x(b21)x+(b+1a)c=0 \begin{aligned} f(a y+b x+c) & =a(b y+c)+x \\ a b y+b^{2} x+b c+c & =a b y+a c+x \\ \left(b^{2}-1\right) x+(b+1-a) c & =0 \end{aligned} Since xx is arbitrary, we can state that b21=0b^{2}-1=0 and (b+1a)c=0(b+1-a) c=0, thus b=±1b= \pm 1. As a0a \neq 0, we know b+1a=0b+1-a=0 only if b=1b=1 and a=2a=2. When a2a \neq 2 or b1b \neq 1, we know the only solutions are b=±1,c=0b= \pm 1, c=0, while for a=2,b=1a=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 \left\{\begin{array}{l} f(x)=x \\ f(x)=-x \\ f(x)=x+c \text { for all rational number } c \text { iff } a=2 \end{array}\right. Solution 2: We will only prove that ff is linear. Then, proceed as in the end of Solution 1. We know f(f(x))=af(0)+xf(f(x))=a f(0)+x, so as af(0)+xa f(0)+x can take any rational number when xx takes every rational number, the range of ff is Q\mathbb{Q}, and so ff is surjective. If f(x1)=f(x2)f\left(x_{1}\right)=f\left(x_{2}\right), we have x1=f(f(x1))af(0)=x_{1}=f\left(f\left(x_{1}\right)\right)-a f(0)= f(f(x2))af(0)=x2f\left(f\left(x_{2}\right)\right)-a f(0)=x_{2}, so x1=x2x_{1}=x_{2}, implying ff being injective. Thus, ff is bijective. From P(x,0)P(x, 0), we still get f(f(x))=x+af(0)f(f(x))=x+a f(0). Thus, from \left.P\left(f^{-1}(0)\right), y / a\right),wecanget, we can get f(y)=a f(y / a)+f^{-1}(0).Pluggingagain. Plugging again P(f(x), y / a),wehave, we have f(f(f(x))+y)=f(x+y+a f(0))=a f(y / a)+f(x)=f(x)+f(y)-f^{-1}(x).Thus,weknow. Thus, we know f(x+y)=f(x-a f(0))+f(y)-f^{-1}(0)=f(x)+f(y)-f(0).Hence,thefunction. Hence, the function g(x)=f(x)-f(0)isadditive,so is additive, so g(x)=k xforsomerationalnumber for some rational number k.Thus,. Thus, f$ is a linear function, and we can proceed as in above solution.

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