Skip to main content
OlympiadHQ

Browse · MATH

Print

jmc

algebra senior

Problem

The injective function satisfies for all real numbers and Find

Note: A function is injective if implies
Solution
Setting in the given functional equation, we get so or

Setting we get If then for all but this function is not injective. Hence,

Setting we get for all

Setting and we get for all In other words, for all comparing this to the equation we can conlucde that or for all Assuming is nonzero, we can divide both sides by to get Since this equation holds for we can say that it holds for all

Setting we get Substituting we get so This factors as Hence, or for each individual value of If then cannot be equal to 1, since is injective, so Note that this formula also holds when
Final answer
1 - x