American Mathematical Monthly Problem 11402 by Catalin Barboianu,

Craiova, Romania.
Let f : [0, 1] [0, ) be a continuous function satisfying f (0) = f (1) = 0 and
f (x) > 0 for all x (0, 1). Prove that there exists a square which has two of its
vertices in the interval (0, 1) on the x-axis and its other two vertices on the graph of f .
Solution by Darij Grinberg.
The set {t [0, 1] | t + f (t) 1} = (id +f )1 ([1, )) is nonempty (since it contains 1) and bounded from below (by 0), so it has an infimum. This infimum must be a
minimum, since the function id +f : [0, 1] R is continuous. Let c = min {t [0, 1] | t + f (t) 1}
be this minimum. Then, for every x [0, c) , we have x + f (x) < 1, while c + f (c) = 1
(again by continuity of id +f ). Hence, every x [0, c] satisfies x + f (x) 1, so that
f (x + f (x)) is well-defined. In other words, the function f (id +f ) is well-defined on
[0, c] . Now, consider the function f (id +f ) f on [0, c] . This function is obviously
continuous. We now will show two assertions about this function:
Assertion A: There exists some t (0, c) such that (f (id +f ) f ) (t) < 0.
Assertion B: There exists some t (0, c) such that (f (id +f ) f ) (t) 0.
Proof of Assertion A. Clearly, c 1. We consider two cases: c < 1 and c = 1.
Case 1: We have c < 1. Then,

(f (id +f ) f ) (c) = f c + f (c) f (c) = f (1) f (c) < 0.

| {z }
| {z } |{z}
=1

=0

>0,
since
c(0,1)

Since the function f (id +f )f : [0, c] R is continuous, this yields that (f (id +f ) f ) (c )
will still be < 0 for sufficiently small > 0. Thus, Assertion A is fulfilled for t = c .
Case 2: We have c = 1. Then, x + f (x) < 1 for every x [0, 1) (since we know that
x + f (x) < 1 for every x [0, c)). Consequently, x + f (x) (0, 1) for every x (0, 1)
(since x + f (x) < 1 follows from x [0, 1) , and x + f (x) > 0 follows from x > 0
and f (x) > 0). Hence, we can define a sequence (x0 , x1 , x2 , ...) of elements of (0, 1) by
1
x0 = and the recurrence relation xn+1 = xn + f (xn ) for every integer n 0. This
2
sequence is increasing (since xn+1 = xn + f (xn ) > xn for every n 0) and bounded
| {z }
>0

from above by 1, so it must have a limit lim xn 1.

n

Now, assume that Assertion A is wrong. Then, all t (0, c) satisfy (f (id +f ) f ) (t)
0. Since c = 1 and (f (id +f ) f ) (t) = f (t + f (t)) f (t) , this rewrites as follows:
All t (0, 1) satisfy f (t + f (t)) f (t) . Hence, in particular, f (xn + f (xn )) f (xn )
for every n 0, so that f (xn+1 ) f (xn ) for every n 0. Hence, by
 induction,

f (xn ) f (x0 ) for all n 0. Taking limits, we conclude from this that f lim xn
n
 


1
f (x0 ) , so that f lim xn f
> 0. But on the other hand, the continuity of f
n
2

yields


f lim xn = lim f (xn ) = lim (xn + f (xn ) xn ) = lim (xn+1 xn ) = lim xn+1 lim xn
n

= lim xn lim xn = 0,
n

what is a contradiction. Thus, our assumption about the falsehood of Assertion A was
wrong, and Assertion A is proven in Case 2 as well.
Proof of Assertion B. As a continuous function on a closed interval (namely, [0, 1]),
the function f has a maximum. Assume that this maximum is taken at some point
u [0, 1] . We must have u (0, 1) (since otherwise, f would take its maximum at 0
or 1, so the maximum would be 0, contradicting to f (x) > 0 for all 0 < x < 1).
The function id +f : [0, c] R is continuous, and takes the value 0 at 0 (in fact,
(id +f ) (0) = 0 + f (0) = 0) and the value 1 at c (in fact, (id +f ) (c) = c + f (c) =
| {z }
| {z }
=0

=1

1). Hence, by the intermediate value theorem, there exists some t (0, c) such that
(id +f ) (t) = u (since u (0, 1)). Thus,
(f (id +f ) f ) (t) = f ((id +f ) (t)) f (t) = f (u) f (t) 0
because of f (u) f (t) (since f takes its maximum at u). Consequently, our t fulfils
Assertion B.
Now, as both Assertions are proven, we notice that the function f (id +f ) f :
[0, c] R is continuous. Thus, by the intermediate value theorem, Assertions A and B
yield the existence of some t (0, c) such that (f (id +f ) f ) (t) = 0. In other words,
f (t + f (t)) f (t) = 0, so that f (t) = f (t + f (t)) . Besides, t (0, 1) (since t (0, c)
and c 1) and thus f (t) > 0, and also t + f (t) (0, 1) (in fact, t + f (t) > t > 0 is
|{z}
>0

clear, and t + f (t) < 1 follows from t < c). Hence, the square with vertices
(t, 0) ,

(t + f (t) , 0) ,

(t, f (t)) ,

(t + f (t) , f (t))

has its first two vertices in the interval (0, 1) (since t (0, 1) and t + f (t) (0, 1)) and
its other two vertices on the graph of f (since f (t) = f (t + f (t))). And this square
doesnt collapse to a point (since f (t) > 0). This solves the problem.