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Algebra Difficulty 7.1 National Olympiad, round 2 Find the answer

Find all functions f:RRf:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow\mathbb{R} that satisfy f(x2y)+2yf(x)=f(f(x))+f(y)f(x^2-y)+2yf(x)=f(f(x))+f(y) for all x,yRx,y\in\mathbb{R} .

A number or a short expression. Fractions can be typed as 3/2, and spacing doesn't matter.

Solution

Plugging in yy as 0:0: f(x2)=f(f(x))+f(0) (1)\begin{equation} f(x^2)=f(f(x))+f(0) \text{ } (1) \end{equation}
Plugging in x,yx, y as 0:0: f(0)=f(f(0))+f(0)f(0)=f(f(0))+f(0) or f(f(0))=0f(f(0))=0 Plugging in xx as 0:0: f(y)+2yf(0)=f(f(0))+f(y),f(-y)+2yf(0)=f(f(0))+f(y), but since f(f(0))=0,f(f(0))=0, f(y)+2yf(0)=f(y) (2)\begin{equation} f(-y)+2yf(0)=f(y) \text{ } (2) \end{equation}
Plugging in y2y^2 instead of yy in the given equation: f(x2y2)+2y2f(x)=f(f(x))+f(y2)f(x^2-y^2)+2y^2f(x)=f(f(x))+f(y^2) Replacing yy and xx : f(y2x2)+2x2f(y)=f(f(y))+f(x2)f(y^2-x^2)+2x^2f(y)=f(f(y))+f(x^2) The difference would be:
f(x2y2)f(y2x2)+2y2f(x)2x2f(y)=f(f(x))f(x2)f(f(y))f(y2) (3)\begin{equation} f(x^2-y^2)-f(y^2-x^2)+2y^2f(x)-2x^2f(y)=f(f(x))-f(x^2)-f(f(y))-f(y^2) \text{ } (3) \end{equation}
The right-hand side would be f(0)f(0)=0f(0)-f(0)=0 by (1).(1). Also, f(x2y2)f(y2x2)=2(x2y2)f(0)f(x^2-y^2)-f(y^2-x^2)=2(x^2-y^2)f(0) by (2)(2) So, (3)(3) is reduced to: 2(x2y2)f(0)+2y2f(x)2x2f(y)=02(x^2-y^2)f(0)+2y^2f(x)-2x^2f(y)=0 Regrouping and dividing by 2: y2(f(x)f(0))=x2(f(y)f(0))y^2(f(x)-f(0))=x^2(f(y)-f(0)) f(x)f(0)x2=f(y)f(0)y2\frac{f(x)-f(0)}{x^2}=\frac{f(y)-f(0)}{y^2} Because this holds for all x and y, f(x)f(0)x2\frac{f(x)-f(0)}{x^2} is a constant. So, f(x)=cx2+f(0)f(x)=cx^2+f(0) .
This function must be even, so f(y)f(y)=0f(y)-f(-y)=0 .
So, along with (2)(2) , 2yf(0)=02yf(0)=0 for all yy , so f(0)=0f(0)=0 , and f(x)=cx2f(x)=cx^2 .
Plugging in cx2cx^2 for f(x)f(x) in the original equation, we get: c(x42x2y+y2)+2cx2y=c3x4+cy2c(x^4-2x^2y+y^2)+2cx^2y=c^3x^4+cy^2 c(x4+y2)=c(c2x4+y2)c(x^4+y^2)=c(c^2x^4+y^2) So, c=0c=0 or c2=1.c^2=1. All of these solutions work, so the solutions are f(x)=x2,0,x2f(x)=-x^2, 0, x^2 .
-codemaster11

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