So many functions

Algebra Level 3

For some integers a a and b b the function f ( x ) = a x + b f(x)=ax+b has the properties that f ( f ( 0 ) ) = 0 f(f(0))=0 and f ( f ( f ( 4 ) ) ) = 9 f(f(f(4)))= 9 , find f ( f ( f ( f ( 10 ) ) ) ) = ? f(f(f(f(10))))= ?

10 12 11 14 13

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2 solutions

Chew-Seong Cheong
Aug 10, 2017

f ( x ) = a x + b f ( f ( 0 ) ) = 0 f ( a ( 0 ) + b ) = 0 f ( b ) = 0 a b + b = 0 ( a + 1 ) b = 0 \begin{aligned} f(x) & = ax+b \\ f(f(0)) & = 0 \\ f(a(0)+b) & = 0 \\ f(b) & = 0 \\ ab + b & = 0 \\ (a+1)b & = 0 \end{aligned}

{ b = 0 a = 1 \implies \begin{cases} b = 0 \\ a = -1 \end{cases}

If b = 0 b=0 , then f ( x ) = a x f(x) = ax , then we have f ( f ( f ( 4 ) ) ) = f ( f ( 4 a ) ) = f ( 4 a 2 ) = 4 a 3 = 9 f(f(f(4))) = f(f(4a)) = f(4a^2) = 4a^3 = 9 , a = 9 4 3 \implies a = \sqrt[3]{\frac 94} not an integer.

Therefore, the solution is a = 1 a=-1 and f ( x ) = b x f(x) = b-x , and we have f ( f ( f ( 4 ) ) = f ( f ( b 4 ) ) = f ( b b + 4 ) = f ( 4 ) = b 4 = 9 f(f(f(4)) = f(f(b-4)) = f(b-b+4) = f(4) = b-4 = 9 , b = 13 \implies b = 13 and f ( x ) = 13 x f(x) = 13-x .

Now we have

f ( f ( f ( f ( 10 ) ) ) ) = f ( f ( f ( 13 10 ) ) ) f ( f ( f ( 3 ) ) ) = f ( f ( 13 3 ) ) f ( f ( 10 ) ) = f ( 13 10 ) f ( 3 ) = 13 3 = 10 \begin{aligned} f(f(f(f(10)))) & = f(f(f(13-10))) \\ f(f(f(3))) & = f(f(13-3)) \\ f(f(10)) & = f(13-10) \\ f(3) & = 13-3 = \boxed{10} \end{aligned}

Thank you for sharing your solution.

Hana Wehbi - 3 years, 10 months ago
Brandon Monsen
Aug 9, 2017

if f ( f ( 0 ) ) = 0 f(f(0))=0 , then f ( x ) f(x) must either have reflective symmetry about the line y = x y=x , or be of the form f ( x ) = k x f(x)=kx for some k k .

Case 1:

If there is reflective symmetry about y = x y=x , then f ( f ( x ) ) = x f(f(x))=x . Therefore f ( f ( f ( f ( x ) ) ) ) = f ( f ( x ) ) = x f(f(f(f(x))))=f(f(x))=x , so f ( f ( f ( f ( 10 ) ) ) ) = 10 f(f(f(f(10))))=10 .

Case 2:

if y = k x y=kx , then f ( f ( f ( x ) ) ) = k 3 x f(f(f(x)))=k^{3}x . The condition f ( f ( f ( 4 ) ) ) = 9 f(f(f(4)))=9 implies 4 k 3 = 9 4k^{3}=9 . However, this means k k is not an integer so we reject this case.

Thus f ( f ( f ( f ( 10 ) ) ) ) = 10 f(f(f(f(10))))=\boxed{10}

Thank you for sharing your solution.

Hana Wehbi - 3 years, 10 months ago

That's a nice way! I solved f(x) = - x + 5 first, but that's more work.

Peter van der Linden - 3 years, 10 months ago

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