A generalization of the symmetrized multiplicative Cauchy equation (Q2400097)

Let \(S\) be a semigroup, then the functional equation \[ f(xy)+f(yx)=2f(x)f(y) \qquad \left(x, y\in S\right) \tag{1} \] for the unknown function \(f\colon S\to \mathbb{C}\), is the symmetrized multiplicative Cauchy equation. This equation is a special case of the so-called d'Alembert functional equation, \[ f(xy)+f(\tau(y)x)=2f(x)f(y) \qquad \left(x, y\in S\right). \tag{2} \] Here \(f\colon S\to \mathbb{C}\) stands for the unknown function, while \(\tau\colon S\to S\) is a fixed homomorphism for which \(\tau\circ \tau =\text{id}\) is fulfilled. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate a generalization of equation \((2)\), namely the functional equation \[ f(x\sigma(y))+f(\tau(y)x)=2f(x)f(y) \qquad \left(x, y\in S\right), \tag{3} \] where \(f\colon S\to \mathbb{C}\) denotes the unknown function, while \(\sigma, \tau\colon S\to S\) are fixed homomorphisms for which \(\tau\circ \tau= \sigma \circ \sigma =\text{id}\) are fulfilled. The authors prove that the solutions \(f\colon S\to \mathbb{C}\) of equation \((3)\) are functions of the form \[ f=\dfrac{\mu+\mu\circ \sigma \circ \tau}{2}, \] where \(\mu\colon S\to \mathbb{C}\) is a multiplicative function such that: 1) \(\mu\circ \sigma \circ \tau= \mu\circ \tau\circ \sigma\); 2) \(\mu\) is \(\sigma\)-even and/or \(\tau\)-even. Furthermore, if \(S\) is a topological semigroup and \(f\in \mathcal{C}(S)\) (the algebra of all continuous functions from \(S\) to \(\mathbb{C}\)), then \(\mu, \mu\circ\sigma\circ \tau\in \mathcal{C}(S)\).