Celebrating 2020 with a functional equation.

Calculus Level 3

The real-valued function f f is defined and continuous on the set of all real numbers, takes only positive values and for certain function g g f ( x ) f ( y ) = g ( x 2 + y 2 ) f(x)f(y)=g(\sqrt{x^2+y^2}) for all real numbers x x and y . y. If we know that f ( 0 ) = 2020 f(0)=2020 and f ( 1 ) = 2020 e , f(1)=\frac{2020}{e}, find the value of 10000 f ( π ) . \left\lfloor 10000 f(\pi)\right\rfloor.


The answer is 1044.

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2 solutions

Arturo Presa
May 8, 2020

Making y = 0 y=0 in the equation f ( x ) f ( y ) = g ( x 2 + y 2 ) , f(x)f(y)=g(\sqrt{x^2+y^2}), we obtain that 2020 f ( x ) = g ( x 2 ) . ( ) 2020f(x)=g(\sqrt{x^2}).\quad\quad \quad (*)

Then we can rewrite the given functional equation as f ( x ) f ( y ) = 2020 f ( x 2 + y 2 ) f(x)f(y)=2020f(\sqrt{x^2+y^2}) . Now by making h ( x ) = 1 2020 f ( x ) , h(x)=\frac{1}{2020}f(x), and substitution into the previous equation and multiplying both side of the equation by a convenient number, we get the equation h ( x ) h ( y ) = h ( x 2 + y 2 ) . ( ) h(x)h(y)=h(\sqrt{x^2+y^2}). \quad\quad (**) As we have done it before, replacing the y y by 0 in the last equation, we obtain that h ( x ) = h ( x 2 ) h(x)=h(\sqrt{x^2}) and therefore there is a continuous function m m defined on the interval [ 0 , ] [0, \infty] with positive values, such that h ( x ) = m ( x 2 ) . h(x)= m(x^2). Then the equation ( ) (**) written in terms of m m turns to be m ( x 2 ) m ( y 2 ) = m ( x 2 + y 2 ) , m(x^2)m(y^2)= m(x^2+y^2), Making t = x 2 t=x^2 and s = y 2 , s=y^2, it follows that m ( t ) m ( s ) = m ( t + s ) . m(t)m(s)=m(t+s). It is known that if m m is defined and continuous on [ 0 , ) [0, \infty) with positive values and satisfies the previous functional equation , then m ( t ) = e k t , m(t)=e^{kt}, where k k is a real constant. Then using backsubstitution, we obtain that f ( x ) = 2020 h ( x ) = 2020 m ( x 2 ) = 2020 e k x 2 f(x)=2020h(x)=2020m(x^2)=2020e^{kx^2}

Now using the fact that f ( 1 ) = 2020 e , f(1)= \frac{2020}{e}, we obtain the equation e k = 1 e , e^k=\frac{1}{e}, and, therefore, k = 1. k=-1. Then the answer is 10000 f ( π ) = 10000 2020 e 1 π 2 = 1044 . \left\lfloor 10000 f(\pi)\right\rfloor=\left\lfloor 10000 *2020 e^{-1\pi^2 }\right\rfloor =\boxed{1044}.

Karan Chatrath
May 8, 2020

If the function f ( x ) f(x) is continuous, then the function g ( x 2 + y 2 ) g(\sqrt{x^2+y^2}) is also continuous. This allows us to proceed as follows. COnsider:

f ( x ) f ( y ) = g ( x 2 + y 2 ) f(x)f(y) = g(\sqrt{x^2+y^2})

Partially differentiating the above with respect to x gives:

f ( x ) f ( y ) = x g ( x 2 + y 2 ) x 2 + y 2 ( 1 ) f'(x)f(y) = \frac{x g'(\sqrt{x^2+y^2})}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}} \ \dots (1)

Partially differentiating the above with respect to y gives:

f ( x ) f ( y ) = y g ( x 2 + y 2 ) x 2 + y 2 ( 2 ) f(x)f'(y) = \frac{y g'(\sqrt{x^2+y^2})}{\sqrt{x^2+y^2}} \ \dots (2)

Dividing (1) and (2) and rearranging gives:

f ( x ) x f ( x ) = f ( y ) y f ( y ) \frac{f'(x)}{x \ f(x)} = \frac{f'(y)}{y \ f(y)}

Replacing y y by any constant reduces the right-hand side to a constant (say A A ) thus leading to:

f ( x ) f ( x ) = A x \frac{f'(x)}{f(x)}=Ax

Integrating both sides and simplifying leads to:

f ( x ) = B e A x 2 f(x) = B\mathrm{e}^{Ax^2}

Where B B is an arbitrary constant. Now f ( 0 ) = 2020 f(0) = 2020 , thus B = 2020 B = 2020 .

f ( x ) = 2020 e A x 2 f(x) = 2020\mathrm{e}^{Ax^2}

Now f ( 1 ) = 2020 / e f(1) = 2020/\mathrm{e} and this leads to A = 1 A = -1 . Therefore, the solution is:

f ( x ) = 2020 e x 2 f(x) = 2020\mathrm{e}^{-x^2}

From here, the required answer follows.

f ( π ) 1044.8 f(\pi) \approx 1044.8

Very nice, but you are using that the function f f has derivative and this is not given. Before doing this, you would need to prove that the differentiability of f f can be derived from the given conditions.

Arturo Presa - 1 year, 1 month ago

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That is a valid point. I did implicitly make the assumption of differentiability. I will update my solution as soon as I can show that f f is differentiable.

Karan Chatrath - 1 year, 1 month ago

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