On two mean value properties and functional equations associated with them (Q1263750)

The general solutions f,\(\phi\) : \(I\to {\mathbb{R}}\), where \(I\subset {\mathbb{R}}\) is a proper interval, of the functional equations (1) \(f(x)-f(y)=(x-y)\phi (\eta (x,y))\) and (2) \(xf(y)-yf(x)=(x-y)\phi (\zeta (x,y))\) are found, with no regularity assumptions, in the case where \(\eta\) (resp. \(\zeta)\) is the arithmetic or geometric or harmonic mean. For instance, if \(\eta (x,y)=\zeta (x,y)=(xy)^{1/2}\), \(I\subset (0,\infty)\), then \(f(x)=ax^{-1}+b+cx\), \(x\in I\), \(\phi (t)=c-at^{- 2}\), \(t\in int I\), solve (1), whereas \(f(x)=ax^ 2+bx+c\), \(\phi (t)=c- at^ 2\) solve (2). The general solution of equation (1) with \(\eta (x,y)=x+y\) is found on commutative fields with characteristic different from 2 and 3, and that of equation (2), when \(\zeta\) is a quasiarithmetic mean. The study of equations (1) and (2) is motivated by the mean value theorem of the differential calculus and by its counterpart observed by \textit{D. Pompeiu} [Sur une proposition analogue au théorème des accroissements finis, Mathematica, Timisoara 22, 143-146 (1946)].