Olympiad problems

2016 HMIC, 3

Denote by $\mathbb{N}$ the positive integers. Let $f:\mathbb{N} \rightarrow \mathbb{N}$ be a function such that, for any $w,x,y,z \in \mathbb{N}$, \[ f(f(f(z)))f(wxf(yf(z)))=z^{2}f(xf(y))f(w). \] Show that $f(n!) \ge n!$ for every positive integer $n$. [i]Pakawut Jiradilok[/i]

2018 Costa Rica - Final Round, 4

Tags: functional , functional inequality , algebra

Determine if there exists a function f: $N^*\to N^*$ that satisfies that for all $n \in N^*$, $$10^{f (n)} <10n + 1 <10^{f (n) +1}.$$ Justify your answer. Note: $N^*$ denotes the set of positive integers.

1979 Kurschak Competition, 2

Tags: algebra , functional , functional inequality , function

$f$ is a real-valued function defined on the reals such that $f(x) \le x$ and $f(x + y) \le f(x) + f(y)$ for all $x, y$. Prove that $f(x) = x$ for all $x$.

2015 Belarus Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: polynomial , functional inequality , algebra

Consider all polynomials $P(x)$ with real coefficients that have the following property: for any two real numbers $x$ and $y$ one has \[|y^2-P(x)|\le 2|x|\quad\text{if and only if}\quad |x^2-P(y)|\le 2|y|.\] Determine all possible values of $P(0)$. [i]Proposed by Belgium[/i]

2001 Miklós Schweitzer, 6

Tags: function , inequalities , functional inequality , real analysis

Let $I\subset \mathbb R$ be a non-empty open interval, $\varepsilon\geq 0$ and $f\colon I\rightarrow\mathbb R$ a function satisfying the $$f(tx+(1-t)y)\leq tf(x)+(1-t)f(y)+\varepsilon t(1-t)|x-y|$$ inequality for all $x,y\in I$ and $t\in [0,1]$. Prove that there exists a convex $g\colon I\rightarrow\mathbb R$ function, such that the function $l :=f-g$ has the $\varepsilon$-Lipschitz property, that is $$|l(x)-l(y)|\leq \varepsilon|x-y|\text{ for all }x,y\in I$$

2024 Indonesia TST, 2

Tags: algebra , functional inequality

Let $\mathbb R_{>0}$ be the set of positive real numbers. Determine all functions $f \colon \mathbb R_{>0} \to \mathbb R_{>0}$ such that \[x \big(f(x) + f(y)\big) \geqslant \big(f(f(x)) + y\big) f(y)\] for every $x, y \in \mathbb R_{>0}$.

1963 Swedish Mathematical Competition., 6

Tags: analysis , algebra , inequalities , function , functional inequality

The real-valued function $f(x)$ is defined on the reals. It satisfies $|f(x)| \le A$, $|f''(x)| \le B$ for some positive $A, B$ (and all $x$). Show that $|f'(x)| \le C$, for some fixed$ C$, which depends only on $A$ and $B$. What is the smallest possible value of $C$?

2016 Saudi Arabia IMO TST, 2

Tags: algebra , functional inequality

Find all functions $f : R \to R$ satisfying the conditions: 1. $f (x + 1) \ge f (x) + 1$ for all $x \in R$ 2. $f (x y) \ge f (x)f (y)$ for all $x, y \in R$

2024 Switzerland Team Selection Test, 8

Tags: functional inequality , algebra

Let $\mathbb R_{>0}$ be the set of positive real numbers. Determine all functions $f \colon \mathbb R_{>0} \to \mathbb R_{>0}$ such that \[x \big(f(x) + f(y)\big) \geqslant \big(f(f(x)) + y\big) f(y)\] for every $x, y \in \mathbb R_{>0}$.

1994 Czech And Slovak Olympiad IIIA, 1

Tags: functional inequality , function , algebra

Let $f : N \to N$ be a function which satisfies $f(x)+ f(x+2) \le 2 f(x+1)$ for any $x \in N$. Prove that there exists a line in the coordinate plane containing infinitely many points of the form $(n, f(n)), n \in N$.

1977 IMO Longlists, 2

Tags: algebra , functional inequality , functional equation

Find all functions $f : \mathbb{N}\rightarrow \mathbb{N}$ satisfying following condition: \[f(n+1)>f(f(n)), \quad \forall n \in \mathbb{N}.\]

1972 Dutch Mathematical Olympiad, 2

Tags: functional , inequalities , functional equation , functional inequality , algebra

Prove that there exists exactly one function $ƒ$ which is defined for all $x \in R$, and for which holds: $\bullet$ $x \le y \Rightarrow f(x) \le f(y)$, for all $x, y \in R$, and $\bullet$ $f(f(x)) = x$, for all $x \in R$.

2003 Federal Math Competition of S&M, Problem 2

Tags: functional equation , functional inequality , inequalities

Let $ f : [0, 1] \to\ R $ be a function such that :- $1.)$ $f(x) \ge 0$ for all $x$ in $[0,1]$ . $2.)$ $f(1) = 1$ . $3.)$ If $x_1 , x_2$ are in $[0,1]$ such that $x_1 + x_2 \le 1$ , then $f(x_1) + f(x_2) \le f(x_1 + x_2)$ . Show that $f(x) \le 2x $ for all $x$ in $ [0,1] $.

1972 IMO Shortlist, 1

Tags: function , algebra , functional equation , functional inequality

$f$ and $g$ are real-valued functions defined on the real line. For all $x$ and $y, f(x+y)+f(x-y)=2f(x)g(y)$. $f$ is not identically zero and $|f(x)|\le1$ for all $x$. Prove that $|g(x)|\le1$ for all $x$.

2010 Germany Team Selection Test, 3

Tags: function , inequalities , algebra , functional inequality

Let $f$ be any function that maps the set of real numbers into the set of real numbers. Prove that there exist real numbers $x$ and $y$ such that \[f\left(x-f(y)\right)>yf(x)+x\] [i]Proposed by Igor Voronovich, Belarus[/i]

2014 IMO Shortlist, A5

Tags: polynomial , algebra , functional inequality

Consider all polynomials $P(x)$ with real coefficients that have the following property: for any two real numbers $x$ and $y$ one has \[|y^2-P(x)|\le 2|x|\quad\text{if and only if}\quad |x^2-P(y)|\le 2|y|.\] Determine all possible values of $P(0)$. [i]Proposed by Belgium[/i]

2023 Dutch BxMO TST, 2

Tags: functional equation , functional inequality , algebra

Find all functions $f : \mathbb R \to \mathbb R$ for which \[f(a - b) f(c - d) + f(a - d) f(b - c) \leq (a - c) f(b - d),\] for all real numbers $a, b, c$ and $d$. Note that there is only one occurrence of $f$ on the right hand side!

2024 Middle European Mathematical Olympiad, 1

Tags: algebra , monotone , construction , functional inequality , function , sequence

Let $\mathbb{N}_0$ denote the set of non-negative integers. Determine all non-negative integers $k$ for which there exists a function $f: \mathbb{N}_0 \to \mathbb{N}_0$ such that $f(2024) = k$ and $f(f(n)) \leq f(n+1) - f(n)$ for all non-negative integers $n$.

1977 IMO, 3

Tags: function , algebra , functional inequality , functional equation

Let $\mathbb{N}$ be the set of positive integers. Let $f$ be a function defined on $\mathbb{N}$, which satisfies the inequality $f(n + 1) > f(f(n))$ for all $n \in \mathbb{N}$. Prove that for any $n$ we have $f(n) = n.$

2011 IMO Shortlist, 6

Tags: function , algebra , functional inequality

Let $f : \mathbb R \to \mathbb R$ be a real-valued function defined on the set of real numbers that satisfies \[f(x + y) \leq yf(x) + f(f(x))\] for all real numbers $x$ and $y$. Prove that $f(x) = 0$ for all $x \leq 0$. [i]Proposed by Igor Voronovich, Belarus[/i]

2017 Singapore Senior Math Olympiad, 4

Tags: inequalities , functional inequality , functional , algebra

Find all functions $f : Z^+ \to Z^+$ such that $f(k + 1) >f(f(k))$ for $k > 1$, where $Z^+$ is the set of positive integers.

2016 Rioplatense Mathematical Olympiad, Level 3, 4

Tags: function , algebra , maximum , functional inequality

Let $c > 1$ be a real number. A function $f: [0 ,1 ] \to R$ is called c-friendly if $f(0) = 0, f(1) = 1$ and $|f(x) -f(y)| \le c|x - y|$ for all the numbers $x ,y \in [0,1]$. Find the maximum of the expression $|f(x) - f(y)|$ for all [i]c-friendly[/i] functions $f$ and for all the numbers $x,y \in [0,1]$.

2021 Balkan MO Shortlist, A4

Tags: shortlist , algebra , functional inequality

Let $f, g$ be functions from the positive integers to the integers. Vlad the impala is jumping around the integer grid. His initial position is $x_0 = (0, 0)$, and for every $n \ge 1$, his jump is $x_n - x_{n - 1} = (\pm f(n), \pm g(n))$ or $(\pm g(n), \pm f(n)),$ with eight possibilities in total. Is it always possible that Vlad can choose his jumps to return to his initial location $(0, 0)$ infinitely many times when (a) $f, g$ are polynomials with integer coefficients? (b) $f, g$ are any pair of functions from the positive integers to the integers?