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Algebra Difficulty 8.3 Shortlist Find the answer

Find all functions f:R2Rf: \mathbb{R}^2 \rightarrow \mathbb{R}, such that
1) f(0,x)f(0,x) is non-decreasing ;
2) for any x,yRx,y \in \mathbb{R}, f(x,y)=f(y,x)f(x,y)=f(y,x) ;
3) for any x,y,zRx,y,z \in \mathbb{R}, (f(x,y)f(y,z))(f(y,z)f(z,x))(f(z,x)f(x,y))=0(f(x,y)-f(y,z))(f(y,z)-f(z,x))(f(z,x)-f(x,y))=0 ;
4) for any x,y,aRx,y,a \in \mathbb{R}, f(x+a,y+a)=f(x,y)+af(x+a,y+a)=f(x,y)+a .

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

Solution

Let f:R2R f: \mathbb{R}^2 \rightarrow \mathbb{R} be a function satisfying the following conditions:
1. f(0,x) f(0,x) is non-decreasing.
2. For any x,yR x, y \in \mathbb{R} , f(x,y)=f(y,x) f(x,y) = f(y,x) .
3. For any x,y,zR x, y, z \in \mathbb{R} , (f(x,y)f(y,z))(f(y,z)f(z,x))(f(z,x)f(x,y))=0 (f(x,y) - f(y,z))(f(y,z) - f(z,x))(f(z,x) - f(x,y)) = 0 .
4. For any x,y,aR x, y, a \in \mathbb{R} , f(x+a,y+a)=f(x,y)+a f(x+a, y+a) = f(x,y) + a .

We aim to find all such functions f f .

First, define h(x)=f(0,x) h(x) = f(0,x) . Given that h(x) h(x) is non-decreasing, we can use the functional equations to derive the form of f f .

From condition 4, substituting x x and y y with xa x-a and ya y-a respectively, we get:
f(x,y)=h(yx)+x. f(x,y) = h(y-x) + x.

Using condition 2, f(x,y)=f(y,x) f(x,y) = f(y,x) , we have:
h(yx)+x=h(xy)+y. h(y-x) + x = h(x-y) + y.
This implies:
h(x)=h(x)x. h(-x) = h(x) - x.

Next, we use condition 3. Consider P3(0,x,2x) P_3(0,x,2x) :
(h(x)+xh(2x))(h(2x)h(x))=0. (h(x) + x - h(2x))(h(2x) - h(x)) = 0.
This implies that for all x0 x \neq 0 , either h(2x)=h(x) h(2x) = h(x) or h(2x)=h(x)+x h(2x) = h(x) + x .

### Case 1: u>0 \exists u > 0 such that h(2u)=h(u) h(2u) = h(u)
If h(2u)=h(u) h(2u) = h(u) , then h(x) h(x) is constant for xu x \geq u . By extending this argument, we find that h(x)=a h(x) = a for some constant a a and for all x>0 x > 0 . For x<0 x < 0 , using the non-decreasing property and symmetry, we get h(x)=a+x h(x) = a + x . Hence, f(x,y)=a+min(x,y) f(x,y) = a + \min(x,y) .

### Case 2: h(2x)h(x) h(2x) \neq h(x) for all x>0 x > 0
If h(2x)=h(x)+x h(2x) = h(x) + x for all x>0 x > 0 , then h(x) h(x) must be of the form h(x)=a+x h(x) = a + x for x>0 x > 0 . For x<0 x < 0 , using the non-decreasing property and symmetry, we get h(x)=a h(x) = a . Hence, f(x,y)=a+max(x,y) f(x,y) = a + \max(x,y) .

Thus, the functions f f that satisfy all given conditions are:
f(x,y)=a+min(x,y)orf(x,y)=a+max(x,y)for any aR. \boxed{f(x,y) = a + \min(x,y) \quad \text{or} \quad f(x,y) = a + \max(x,y) \quad \text{for any } a \in \mathbb{R}.}

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