Continuous proportion relations and functions (Q803443)

Consider the set \(\Sigma_ n\) of all boxes in \({\mathbb{R}}^ n\), \(n\geq 2\). Two boxes P, Q are called reciprocal, \(P\rho\) Q, if they are similar (P\(\sigma\) Q) and if some edge of P is congruent to an edge of Q. (The interest in this notion stems from architecture.) A proportion relation is an equivalence \(\pi\) on \(\Sigma_ n\), such that \(\rho\subseteq \pi.\) Main Theorem: if \(n\geq 3\) and \(\pi\) is a continuous proportion relation, then even \(\sigma\subseteq \pi.\) This is closely related to proportion functions, i.e. (continuous) symmetric functions f: (0,\(\infty)^ n\to X\) (where X is some Hausdorff space) such that \(f(x)=f((x_ 1^{-1}x_ n)x)\) [cf. the author, Arch. Math. 47, 165-181 (1986; Zbl 0604.39004); \textit{C. Alsina} and the author, Aequationes Math. 37, No.2/3, 293-305 (1989; Zbl 0674.39009)]. The theorem does not hold for \(n=2\).