On a generalized Dhombres functional equation (Q5945043)

Consider the functional equation \[ f\bigl(xf(x) \bigr)= \varphi \bigl(f(x)\bigr), \quad x\in(0,\infty), \tag{1} \] where \(\varphi: J\to J\) is a given increasing homeomorphism of an open interval \(J\subset(0,\infty)\) and \(f: (0,\infty)\to J\) is an unknown function (a particular case of (1), \(\varphi(y) =y^2\), is the Dhombres equation). The paper deals with continuous solutions of this equation. The first main result shows that if \(f\) is a continuous solution of (1), then \(\Phi(f)=f\), where \[ \Phi(f): =\Bigl\{\biggl( xf(x), \varphi \bigl(f(x)\bigr) \biggr),\quad x\in (0,\infty) \Bigr\} \] (we identify the function \(f\) with its graph). The next one presents the form of ranges of continuous solutions of (1). The authors also give a characterization of the continuous monotone solutions of equation (1). In order to do this they describe, for any \((x_0,y_0)\in (0,\infty) \times J\), the class \({\mathcal M} (x_0, y_0)\) of monotone continuous functions \(g\) on the interval \([x_0y_0,x_0]\) which has the following property. For \(g\in {\mathcal M}(x_0,y_0)\) the mapping \(f:= \bigcup^\infty_{n=-\infty} \Phi^n(g)\) either is a monotone continuous solution of (1) or can be extended to such a solution. Moreover, if \(f\) is a continuous monotone solution of equation (1) with \(f(x_0)=y_0\), then \(g:=f|_{[x_0y_0, x_0]} \in{\mathcal M} (x_0,y_0)\). Finally, a sufficient condition for any continuous solution to be monotone is proved.