On a functional equation related to competition (Q2510418): Difference between revisions

The main result of the paper establishes that \(f:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow\mathbb{R}\) is a solution of the functional equation \(f\big(\frac{x+y}{1-xy}\big)=\frac{f(x)+f(y)}{1+f(x)f(y)}\), \(xy<1\), if and only if \(f=\tanh\circ\,\alpha\circ\tan^{-1}\), where \(\alpha:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow\mathbb{R}\) is an additive function, that is, \(\alpha(x+y)=\alpha(x)+\alpha(y)\) for all \(x,y\in\mathbb{R}\). The proof is based on the addition formulas corresponding to the tangent and hyperbolic tangent functions. Before their main result, the authors derive some immediate properties from the functional equation. Among others, they prove that if \(f:\mathbb{R}\rightarrow\mathbb{R}\) is a solution, then \(-f\) also is one; if \(f(x)=1\) or \(f(x)=-1\) for some \(x\in\mathbb{R}\), necessarily \(f\) is constant, with \(f\equiv 1\) or \(f\equiv -1\), respectively; \(f(0)\) is either \(0\) or \(-1\) or \(1.\) Finally, after the main result, they show that if some regularity conditions are imposed to \(f\) (for instance, to be continuous at a point; to be measurable in the sense of Lebesgue; \dots) then \(f\) is a solution if and only if there exists a real constant \(c\) such that \(f=\tanh\circ(c\tan^{-1})\), due to the fact that in this case \(\alpha(x)=cx\), \(x\in\mathbb{R}\).