On the hyperbolic linear functional equations (Q1091546)

The author deals with the functional equation \((1)\quad \sum^{n}_{k=1}r_ kf(x+a_ k(t),y+b_ k(t))=0,\) where \(r_ k\) are given constants, \(a_ k,b_ k\) are given, sufficiently often differentiable functions in a neighbourhood of the origin with \(a_ k(0)=b_ k(0)=0\) \((k=1,2,...,n)\). \textit{H. Światak} [Ann. Pol. Math. 22, 371-376 (1970; Zbl 0197.125)] first considered (1) as a generalization of the square functional equation investigated by \textit{J. Aczél}, the reviewer, \textit{M. A. McKiernan} and \textit{G. N. Sakovič} [Aequationes Math. 1, 37-53 (1968; Zbl 0157.461)] and studied (1) when a certain partial differential equation related to (1) is elliptic. In the present paper the author finds the general distributional solution of (1) when a certain partial differential equation related to (1) is hyperbolic. Furthermore, by using the above result the author gives a new proof of Baker's theorem on the functional equation \(f(x+t,y)+f(x- t,y)=f(x,y+t)+f(x,y-t),\) where \(f: R^ 2\to R\) and x,y,t are real variables, which was investigated by \textit{J. A. Baker} [Can. Math. Bull. 12, 837-846 (1969; Zbl 0187.091)] and the reviewer [Aequationes Math. 5, 118-119 (1970; Zbl 0207.458)].