Regularity properties of functional equations in several variables. (Q1773292)

This book is a welcome addition to the functional equations literature. Its main topic is the proving of regularity theorems, which show that any solution of a functional equation satisfying some weak regularity property (e.g. measurability) must satisfy a stronger regularity property (e.g. continuity). The book treats non-composite functional equations with several variables. In this context, the adjective ``several'' means there are more variables in the equation than the (minimum) number of places in the unknown function(s). The author treats essentially five types of regularity theorems: (I) measurability or the Baire property implies continuity, (II) continuity implies almost everywhere differentiability, (III) almost everywhere differentiability implies continuous differentiability, (IV) \(p\)-times continuous differentiability implies \((p+1)\)-times continuous differentiability, and (V) infinite differentiability implies analyticity. The central object of study is the most general non-composite ``explicit'' equation \(f(x) = h(x, y, f(g_1(x, y)),\dots, f(g_n(x, y)))\) for vector functions of vector variables (or on manifolds). Here \(f\) is the unknown function, while \(h\) and the \(g_i\)'s are given. The author does a masterful job of organizing and summarizing the results of the last 50 years (mostly the last 25) and weaving them together into a coherent general theory. There are over 200 references. The book is very carefully written, with apparently very few misprints. (This reviewer could find only one. In the definition of a measure at the bottom of page 42, the condition that \(T\) should be covered by the collection \(H\) is omitted.) The book concludes with a chapter of examples illustrating how the results can be applied to a variety of equations. The author has certainly achieved his stated goal of making these results ``more accessible and easier to use for everyone working with functional equations.''