Thursday 16 January 2014

calculus - Continuous functions that satisfies $f(x) + f(1-x) + f(sqrt{x^2+(1-x)}) = 0$ and $f(frac12)=0$



$f:[0,1]\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ is a continuous function which satisfies

$$
f(x) + f(1-x) + f\left(\sqrt{x^2+(1-x)}\right) = 0 \text{ and } f\left(\tfrac12\right)=0.
$$



Can someone give explicit examples of $f$, apart from the trivial solution, $f(x)=0$? And are there infinitely many solutions for $f$?



I can derive some properties like $f(\frac{\sqrt3}2)=0$ or $f(0)=-2f(1)$, but I can't generate particular examples. Continuity seems important here, but I can't see how to use it, for if we take $f(x)=0$, for $x\in (0,1)$, and $f(1)=1$, $f(0)=-2$ also works.


Answer



First, notice that $\sqrt{x^2+1-x}\geq\sqrt{3}/2$ for all $x\in[0,1]$. Let $g:[1/2,\sqrt{3}/2]\to\mathbb R$ be an arbitrary continuous function such that $g(1/2)=g(\sqrt{3}/2)=0$. Then, define $f:[0,1]\to\mathbb R$ as follows:
\begin{align*}

f(x)=\begin{cases}
0&\text{if $x\in[0,1-\sqrt{3}/2]$,}\\
-g(1-x)&\text{if $x\in(1-\sqrt{3}/2,1/2]$,}\\
g(x)&\text{if $x\in(1/2,\sqrt{3}/{2}]$,}\\
0&\text{if $x\in(\sqrt{3}/2,1]$.}
\end{cases}
\end{align*}



For example:




Example:


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