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Algebra Difficulty 7.8 National olympiad, round 2 Find the answer

Determine all f:RR f:R\rightarrow R such that
f(xf(y)+y3)=yf(x)+f(y)3 f(xf(y)+y^3)=yf(x)+f(y)^3

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

Solution

Determine all f:RR f: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R} such that
f(xf(y)+y3)=yf(x)+f(y)3. f(xf(y) + y^3) = yf(x) + f(y)^3.

Let P(x,y) P(x, y) denote the original proposition.

First, we consider the constant solution. Clearly, the only constant solution is:
f(x)=0  xR. \boxed{f(x) = 0 \ \ \forall x \in \mathbb{R}}.

Now, assume f f is non-constant.

From P(x,0) P(x, 0) :
f(xf(0))=f(0)3x    f(0)=0 since f is non-constant. f(xf(0)) = f(0)^3 \quad \forall x \implies f(0) = 0 \text{ since } f \text{ is non-constant}.

Claim 1: f(y3)=f(y)3 f(y^3) = f(y)^3 for all y y .

Proof: From P(0,y) P(0, y) :
f(y3)=f(y)3. f(y^3) = f(y)^3. \quad \blacksquare

Claim 2: f f is injective at 0.

Proof: Suppose f(a)=0 f(a) = 0 for some a0 a \neq 0 . Then from P(x,a) P(x, a) :
af(x)=f(a3)    f is constant, contradiction! af(x) = f(a^3) \implies f \text{ is constant, contradiction!} \quad \blacksquare

Claim 3: f(1)=1 f(1) = 1 .

Proof: From Claim 1, putting y=1 y = 1 gives f(1)=0 f(1) = 0 , 1 -1 , or 1 1 . 0 0 can be ruled out by Claim 2. If f(1)=1 f(1) = -1 , then from P(x,1) P(x, 1) :
f(1x)=f(x)1x    f(x)=f(1(1x))=f(1x)1=f(x)2, f(1 - x) = f(x) - 1 \quad \forall x \implies f(x) = f(1 - (1 - x)) = f(1 - x) - 1 = f(x) - 2,
which is absurd. Therefore, f(1)=1 f(1) = 1 . \quad \blacksquare

Claim 4: f(x+1)=f(x)+1 f(x + 1) = f(x) + 1 for all x x .

Proof: From P(x,1) P(x, 1) . \quad \blacksquare

Now, for any y,z y, z with y0 y \neq 0 , we can choose an x x such that z=xf(y)+y3 z = xf(y) + y^3 by Claim 2. Then from P(x+1,y) P(x + 1, y) :
f(xf(y)+y3+f(y))=yf(x+1)+f(y)3    f(z+f(y))=yf(x)+f(y)3+y    from Claim 4=f(xf(y)+y3)+y    from P(x,y)    f(z+f(y))=f(z)+y. \begin{align*} f(xf(y) + y^3 + f(y)) &= yf(x + 1) + f(y)^3 \\ \implies f(z + f(y)) &= yf(x) + f(y)^3 + y \ \ \dots \ \ \text{from Claim 4} \\ &= f(xf(y) + y^3) + y \ \ \dots \ \ \text{from } P(x, y) \\ \implies f(z + f(y)) &= f(z) + y. \end{align*}

Clearly, the above holds when y=0 y = 0 as well, so call it Q(z,y) Q(z, y) .

Claim 5: f(f(y))=y f(f(y)) = y for all y y .

Proof: From Q(0,y) Q(0, y) . \quad \blacksquare

Now, Q(z,f(y)) Q(z, f(y)) along with Claim 5 implies:
f(y+z)=f(y)+f(z)y,z    f is additive. f(y + z) = f(y) + f(z) \quad \forall y, z \implies f \text{ is additive}.

Using the additivity in P(x,y) P(x, y) , we get:
f(xf(y))+f(y3)=yf(x)+f(y)3    f(xf(y))=yf(x), f(xf(y)) + f(y^3) = yf(x) + f(y)^3 \implies f(xf(y)) = yf(x),
by Claim 1. Replacing y y by f(y) f(y) in the above and using Claim 5, we get:
f(xy)=f(x)f(y)x,y    f is multiplicative as well. f(xy) = f(x)f(y) \quad \forall x, y \implies f \text{ is multiplicative as well}.

It is well known that the only non-constant function which is both additive and multiplicative is:
f(x)=x  xR. \boxed{f(x) = x \ \ \forall x \in \mathbb{R}}.

\quad \blacksquare

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