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Algebra Difficulty 5.9 AIME, harder Find the answer

Let ff be a monic cubic polynomial satisfying f(x)+f(x)=0f(x)+f(-x)=0 for all real numbers xx. For all real numbers yy, define g(y)g(y) to be the number of distinct real solutions xx to the equation f(f(x))=yf(f(x))=y. Suppose that the set of possible values of g(y)g(y) over all real numbers yy is exactly {1,5,9}\{1,5,9\}. Compute the sum of all possible values of f(10)f(10).

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

Solution

We claim that we must have f(x)=x33xf(x)=x^{3}-3 x. First, note that the condition f(x)+f(x)=0f(x)+f(-x)=0 implies that ff is odd. Combined with ff being monic, we know that f(x)=x3+axf(x)=x^{3}+a x for some real number aa. Note that aa must be negative; otherwise f(x)f(x) and f(f(x))f(f(x)) would both be increasing and 1 would be the only possible value of g(y)g(y). Now, consider the condition that the set of possible values of g(y)g(y) is {1,5,9}\{1,5,9\}. The fact that we can have g(y)=9g(y)=9 means that some horizontal line crosses the graph of f(f(x))9f(f(x)) 9 times. Since f(f(x))f(f(x)) has degree 9, this means that its graph will have 4 local maxima and 4 local minima. Now, suppose we start at some value of yy such that g(y)=9g(y)=9, and slowly increase yy. At some point, the value of g(y)g(y) will decrease. This happens when yy is equal to a local maximum of ff. Since g(y)g(y) must jump from 9 down to 5, all four local maxima must have the same value. Similarly, all four local minima must also have the same value. Since ff is odd, it suffices to just consider the four local maxima. The local maximum of f(x)f(x) occurs when 3x2+a=03 x^{2}+a=0. For convenience, let a=3b2a=-3 b^{2}, so f(x)=x33b2xf(x)=x^{3}-3 b^{2} x. Then, the local maximum is at x=bx=-b, and has a value of f(b)=2b3f(-b)=2 b^{3}. We consider the local maxima of f(f(x))f(f(x)) next. They occur either when x=bx=-b (meaning f(x)f(x) is at a local maximum) or f(x)=bf(x)=-b. If f(x)=bf(x)=-b, then f(f(x))=f(b)=2b3f(f(x))=f(-b)=2 b^{3}. Thus, we must have f(f(b))=f(2b3)=2b3f(f(-b))=f\left(2 b^{3}\right)=2 b^{3}. This yields the equation f(2b3)=8b93b22b3=2b3f\left(2 b^{3}\right)=8 b^{9}-3 b^{2} \cdot 2 b^{3}=2 b^{3} which factors as 2b3(b21)(2b2+1)22 b^{3}\left(b^{2}-1\right)\left(2 b^{2}+1\right)^{2}. The only possible value of b2b^{2} is 1. Thus, f(x)=x33xf(x)=x^{3}-3 x, and our answer is 103310=97010^{3}-3 \cdot 10=970.

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