Let R>0={x∈R∣x>0} denote the set of positive real numbers. Find all pairs f,g:R>0→R>0 of functions satisfying f(g(x))=f(x)g(x),f(x)=x(1+g(x)) and such that the sequence g(x),g(g(x)),g(g(g(x))),… takes finitely many different values for all x∈R>0.
Solution
Answer: f(x)=x+1 and g(x)=1/x. The pair above is a solution. In order to prove that there is no other solution, fix x∈R>0 and denote g0=x and gn=g(gn−1) for n≥1. We have g(x)(1+g(g(x)))=f(g(x))=f(x)g(x)=x(1+g(x))g(x). Since g(x)=0, we have 1+g2=x(1+g). This can be rewritten as gg2−1=(xg−1)(1+g). Then g2g3−1=(gg2−1)(1+g2)=(xg−1)(1+g)(1+g2) and more generally gngn+1−1=(gn−1gn−1)(1+gn)=(xg−1)(1+g)(1+g2)…(1+gn) for any n≥1 by induction. There is n>m with gn=gm by assumption. Then we have (xg−1)(1+g)…(1+gm)((1+gm+1)…(1+gn)−1)=0. Since gk>0, we must have xg−1=0. It follows that g=1/x and f=x+1.
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