How do you find f(x)f(x) and g(x)g(x) when h(x)= (x+1)^2 -9(x+1)h(x)=(x+1)29(x+1) and h(x)= (fog)(x)h(x)=(fog)(x)?

The answers are:
f(x)= x^2-9xf(x)=x29x and
g(x)= x+1g(x)=x+1
but how?

1 Answer
Dec 12, 2017

See below.

Explanation:

Note that

(f @ g)(x) = f(g(x))(fg)(x)=f(g(x))

Now if f(x) = x^2-9xf(x)=x29x and g(x) = x+1g(x)=x+1 then

f(g(x)) = g(x)^2-9g(x) = (x+1)^2-9(x+1)f(g(x))=g(x)29g(x)=(x+1)29(x+1)

NOTE

There are infinite f(x)f(x) and g(x)g(x) such that f(g(x)) = (x+1)^2-9(x+1)f(g(x))=(x+1)29(x+1)

Considering

f(x) = a x^2 + b x + cf(x)=ax2+bx+c and
g(x) = d x+eg(x)=dx+e

we have

f(g(x)) = ad^2x^2+(b d +2ade)x+ae^2+be+cf(g(x))=ad2x2+(bd+2ade)x+ae2+be+c now comparing coeficients

{(ae^2+be+c+8=0),(b d +2ade+7=0),(ad^2=1):}

Solving now for a,b,c we have

{(a=1/lambda^2),(b=-(7lambda+2mu)/lambda^2),(c->(mu^2+7lambda mu -8lambda^2)/lambda^2),(d=lambda),(e=mu):}

which is a two parameter set of compatible values.