Wednesday, January 6, 2016

functional equations - Examples of functions where f(ab)=f(a)+f(b)


What are some examples of continuous (on a certain interval) real or complex functions where f(ab)=f(a)+f(b) (like lnx?)


Answer



Define g(x)=f(ex). Then g(x+y)=f(ex+y)=f(exey)=f(ex)+f(ey)=g(x)+g(y).


If f is continuous, so is g, and it's a well-known exercise to show that g must then be of the form g(x)=cx for some constant c (see Cauchy's functional equation).



Thus, ln(x) and constant multiples of it are the only examples of the kind you seek.


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