Find all functions $f:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow\mathbb{R}$ such that $2f(x^2+y^2)=(x+f(y))^2+f(x-f(y))^2$ for all $x,y\in\mathbb{R}$.
Problem
Source: 2020 Korean MO winter camp Test 1 P7
Tags: algebra
07.09.2020 20:59
11.09.2020 08:39
The answer is, for any subset $A\subseteq (-\infty,0)$, the function $$f(x) = \begin{cases} -x & x\in A \\ x & x\notin A. \end{cases}$$To check it, note that $f(x)=x$ for all $x\geq 0$, and $f(x)^2=x^2$ for all $x$. Thus the equation is reduced to $$2(x^2+y^2)= (x+f(y))^2 + (x-f(y))^2,$$which is indeed true. Now we restrict our attention into proving that these are all solutions. Let $P(x,y)$ denote the assertion $2f(x^2+y^2) = (x+f(y))^2 + f(x-f(y))^2$. Comparing $P(x,y)$ and $P(-x,y)$ gives $$f(x-f(y))^2 - f(-x-f(y))^2 = -4f(y)x \qquad (*)$$Since the constant function does not work, we fix two real numbers $a,b$ such that $f(a)\ne f(b)$. We use the above equation twice to obtain the equations \begin{align*} f(x+f(a)-f(b))^2 - f(-x-f(a)-f(b))^2 &= -4f(b)(x+f(a)) \\ f(x+f(b)-f(a))^2 - f(-x-f(b)-f(a))^2 &= -4f(a)(x+f(b)), \end{align*}which upon subtracting gives $$f(x+f(a)-f(b))^2 - f(x+f(b)-f(a))^2 = 4x(f(a)-f(b)).$$Setting $\delta = f(a)-f(b)$, this can be written more compactly as $$f(x+\delta)^2 - f(x-\delta)^2 = 4x\delta.$$Motivated by this, we subtract $P(x+\delta, y)$ and $P(x-\delta, y)$, which gives \begin{align*} 2f((x+\delta)^2 + y^2)&= (x+\delta + f(y))^2 + f(x+\delta - f(y))^2 \\ 2f((x-\delta)^2 + y^2) &= (x-\delta + f(y))^2 + f(x-\delta - f(y))^2 \\[4pt] 2f((x+\delta)^2 + y^2)- 2f((x-\delta)^2 + y^2) &= 4\delta(x+f(y)) + 4\delta(x-f(y)) \end{align*}Therefore if $g(x)=f(x)-x$, then $$g((x+\delta)^2+y^2) = g((x-\delta)^2+y^2)$$for all reals $x,y$. We claim that this gives $g$ eventually constant. To see why, select $u,v$ which $u,v > (1+|\delta|)^2$ and $u-v\in (0,4\delta)$. Selecting $x = \tfrac{u-v}{4\delta}$ and appropriate value of $y$, we obtain $g(u)=g(v)$. This clearly extends to any $u,v$ large enough, so $g$ is indeed eventually constant (say in $[M,\infty)$ where $M>2020$). We are nearly done. Supposethat $g(x)=c$ for all $x\geq M$. Then, for any $x,y>M$, $f(x)=x+c$, so \begin{align*} &2(x^2+y^2+c) = (x+y+c)^2 + f(x-y-c)^2 \\ \implies &f(x-y-c)^2 = x^2+y^2-2xy-2cx-2cy-c^2+2c = \underbrace{(x-y)^2 - (c^2-2c)}_{\text{fixed}}+2c(x+y) \end{align*}This forces $c=0$ and $f(t)=\pm t$ for all $t$. However, $LHS\geq 0$, hence $f(x)\geq 0$ for all $x\geq 0$. This gives the described set of solution.
14.09.2020 12:06
Consider $a,b$ such that $f(a)\neq f(b)$ (there exists such pair since $f$ can’t be constant). Pick $s,t$ such that $s^2+a^2=t^2+b^2$ and $s-f(a)=t-f(b)$, and plug $(x,y)$ by $(s,a)$ and $(t,b)$ in the equation, we obtain $|s+f(a)|=|t+f(b)|$. Clearly, if $s+f(a)=t+f(b)$ then $f(a)=f(b)$, a contradiction. So, we have $s+f(a)+t+f(b)=0$, and thus $s=-f(b), t=-f(a)$. Hence, we deduce that if $f(a)\neq f(b)$ then $f(a)^2-a^2=f(b)^2-b^2$. Moreover, if $f(m)=f(n)$, just consider $c$ s.t. $f(c)\neq f(m)$, then $f(c)^2-c^2=f(m)^2-m^2=f(n)^2-n^2$, which stills preserves the equation $f(m)^2-m^2=f(n)^2-n^2$. Therefore, $f(x)^2-x^2=f(y)^2-y^2$ $\forall x,y$, and we conclude that $f(x)^2=x^2+c$ $\forall x$, $c$ is a constant. Note that $f(x^2)\geq 0$ $\forall x$, so $c=0$, $f(x)=x$ $\forall x\geq 0$, $f(x)=\pm x$ for each $x<0$. Just try plug back into the original equation and we can see that this answer satisfies the condition.
04.10.2020 15:51
Oh. I've heard that Korean wintercamp test is held twice during the camp. Can I have the other one? (to any Korean users) I love those Korean questions cause they are very challenging
14.04.2021 15:39
Really beautiful problem Here is a new way of solving the problem: We claim that the only solution is $f(x)=x \forall x\ge 0$ and $f(x)=xg(x) \forall x<0$, where $g$ is any function mapping $\mathbb{R}^-$ to $\{1,-1\}$ Verification: Note that $f(x)^2=x^2$ for all $x$. Hence $2f(x^2+y^2)=(x+f(y))^2+f(x-f(y))^2$ $\iff 2x^2+2y^2=x^2+f(y)^2+2xf(y)+(x-f(y))^2$ which is true. We now show that this is the only solution. Let $P(x,y)$ denote the assertion that $2f(x^2+y^2)=(x+f(y))^2+f(x-f(y))^2$ $P(\frac{1}{2},\frac{1}{2}): 2f(\frac{1}{2})=\frac{1}{4}+f(\frac{1}{2})^2+f(\frac{1}{2})+f(\frac{1}{2}-f(\frac{1}{2}))^2$ which is equivalent to $(\frac{1}{2}-f(\frac{1}{2}))^2+f(\frac{1}{2}-f(\frac{1}{2}))^2=0$ This is only possible when $f(\frac{1}{2})=\frac{1}{2}$ and $f(\frac{1}{2}-f(\frac{1}{2}))=0$, and thus combining the two $f(0)=0$ $P(x,0),P(0,x): 2f(x^2)=x^2+f(x)^2=f(x)^2+f(-f(x))^2$ In particular $f(x)^2=f(-x)^2 \implies x^2=f(-f(x))^2=f(f(x))^2$ Suppose $f(f(c))=-c$. Note that the original condition implies $f(\text{positive})=\text{non-negative}$ Thus if $c$ is positive then the LHS is positive while the RHS is negative, contradiction. Thus $c\le 0$. This means that $f(f(x^2))=x^2$. $P(f(y),y),P(-f(y),y): 4f(y)^2=2f(f(y)^2+y^2)=f(-2f(y))^2=f(2f(y))^2$. Take $y=f(x^2)$, $f(2x^2)^2=4x^4$ Since $f(2x^2)\ge 0$, $f(2x^2)=2x^2$ so $f(x)=x \forall x\ge 0$ Now since $f(x^2)^2=f(-x^2)^2 \implies f(-x^2)^2=x^4 \implies f(x)=\pm x \forall x<0$ Hence the general solution is $f(x)=x \text{ if } x \ge 0$ and $xg(x) \text{ if } x<0$, for any $g:\mathbb{R}^-\rightarrow \{1,-1\}$