We are tasked with determining all functions f:Z→Z such that the following functional equation holds for all integers x,y:
f(x−f(y))=f(f(x))−f(y)−1.
To solve this problem, we will analyze the equation by substituting various values initially to find a pattern or constraints on f.
### Step 1: Simplification with Substitutions
1. **Substituting x=f(y):**
f(0)=f(f(f(y)))−f(y)−1.
Let c=f(0), then the equation becomes:
c=f(f(f(y)))−f(y)−1.(1)
2. **Substituting y=0:**
f(x−f(0))=f(f(x))−c−1.
Replacing c gives:
f(x−c)=f(f(x))−c−1.(2)
### Step 2: Exploring Constant and Linear Solutions
1. **Case: f(x)=−1 for all x**
For this to hold, the original condition becomes:
−1=(−1)−(−1)−1,
which simplifies to:
−1=−1,
thus, valid for all x.
2. **Case: f(x)=x+1 for all x**
For the substitution:
f(x−(y+1))=(x+1+1)−(y+1)−1,
which simplifies to:
f(x−y−1)=x+1−y−1,
f(x−y−1)=x−y=(x−y)+1−1=f(x−y),
This verifies the functional equation is satisfied for all integers x,y.
### Conclusion
From both cases, we verify that there are two possible solutions for f:
- f(x)=−1 for all x∈Z.
- f(x)=x+1 for all x∈Z.
Therefore, the functions that satisfy the given equation are:
f(x)=−1 for all x∈Z or f(x)=x+1 for all x∈Z.