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Algebra Difficulty 8.2 Shortlist Find the answer

Let α\alpha be given positive real number, find all the functions f:N+Rf: N^{+} \rightarrow R such that f(k+m)=f(k)+f(m)f(k + m) = f(k) + f(m) holds for any positive integers kk, mm satisfying αmk(α+1)m\alpha m \leq k \leq (\alpha + 1)m.

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Solution

Let α\alpha be a given positive real number. We aim to find all functions f:N+R f: \mathbb{N}^{+} \rightarrow \mathbb{R} such that f(k+m)=f(k)+f(m) f(k + m) = f(k) + f(m) holds for any positive integers k k and m m satisfying αmk(α+1)m \alpha m \leq k \leq (\alpha + 1)m .

To solve this, we first note that the given functional equation f(k+m)=f(k)+f(m) f(k + m) = f(k) + f(m) resembles Cauchy's functional equation. However, the condition αmk(α+1)m \alpha m \leq k \leq (\alpha + 1)m restricts the values of k k and m m .

We will show that the only solution to this functional equation under the given condition is a linear function of the form f(n)=cn f(n) = cn for some constant c c .

1. Step 1: Prove separability for large integers

An integer n n is called separable if there exist integers a a and b b such that a+b=n a + b = n and f(a+b)=f(a)+f(b) f(a + b) = f(a) + f(b) . We need to show that all sufficiently large integers are separable.

Given the condition αmk(α+1)m \alpha m \leq k \leq (\alpha + 1)m , we can rewrite it in terms of n=k+m n = k + m as:
α+1nmα+2. \alpha + 1 \leq \frac{n}{m} \leq \alpha + 2.
This implies:
1α+2mn1α+1. \frac{1}{\alpha + 2} \leq \frac{m}{n} \leq \frac{1}{\alpha + 1}.
By starting with 1n \frac{1}{n} and adding 1n \frac{1}{n} at each step, we ensure that m m remains within the interval (1α+2,1α+1) \left( \frac{1}{\alpha + 2}, \frac{1}{\alpha + 1} \right) . Hence, such an integer n n is separable.

2. **Step 2: Represent f(n) f(n) as a linear combination**

Since all sufficiently large integers are separable, f(n) f(n) can be expressed as a linear combination of f(1),f(2),,f(k) f(1), f(2), \ldots, f(k) for some fixed k k . Let us consider the smallest subset such that the linear representation is unique:
f(n)=g1(n)f(a1)++gm(n)f(am), f(n) = g_1(n)f(a_1) + \cdots + g_m(n)f(a_m),
where {a1,a2,,am}{1,2,,k} \{a_1, a_2, \ldots, a_m\} \subset \{1, 2, \ldots, k\} .

By the uniqueness of the linear representation, the problem condition carries over to the gi g_i functions. Since gi g_i are functions from integers to rationals, and every rational can be represented as a linear combination of other rationals, it follows that gi g_i must be linear functions of the form gi(n)=nci g_i(n) = n c_i for some constants ci c_i .

3. **Step 3: Conclude the form of f(n) f(n) **

Therefore, we can represent f f as:
f(n)=n(c1f(a1)++cmf(am))=nD, f(n) = n (c_1 f(a_1) + \cdots + c_m f(a_m)) = nD,
where D D is a constant. This representation holds for all n>k n > k .

4. **Step 4: Verify for all n n **

For α1 \alpha \leq 1 , we have f(2n)=2f(n) f(2n) = 2f(n) . By induction, choosing a sufficiently large k k , we get f(n)=nD f(n) = nD .

For α>1 \alpha > 1 , choose an integer a a such that αaα+1 \alpha \leq a \leq \alpha + 1 . We have f((a+1)n)=f(n)+f(an) f((a+1)n) = f(n) + f(an) . By choosing n n in the interval (k/2,k] (k/2, k] , we extend f(n)=nD f(n) = nD to all n n .

Thus, the only function f f satisfying the given conditions is:
f(n)=cn, f(n) = cn,
where c c is a constant.

The answer is: \boxed{f(n) = cn}.

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