Multi-variable translation equation which arises from homothety

In many regular cases, there exists a (properly defined) limit of iterations of a function in several real variables, and this limit satisfies the functional equation (1-z)f(x)=f(f(xz)(1-z)/z); here z is a scalar and x is a vector. This is a special case of a well-known translation equation. In this paper we present a complete solution to this functional equation in case f is a continuous function on a single point compactification of a 2-dimensional real vector space. It appears that, up to conjugation by a homogeneous continuous function, there are exactly four solutions. Further, in a 1-dimensional case we present a solution with no regularity assumptions on f.Comment: 15 page

The projective translation equation and unramified 2-dimensional flows with rational vector fields

Let X=(x,y). Previously we have found all rational solutions of the 2-dimensional projective translation equation, or PrTE, (1-z)f(X)=f(f(Xz)(1-z)/z); here f(X)=(u(x,y),v(x,y)) is a pair of two (real or complex) functions. Solutions of this functional equation are called projective flows. A vector field of a rational flow is a pair of 2-homogenic rational functions. On the other hand, only special pairs of 2-homogenic rational functions give rise to rational flows. In this paper we are interested in all non-singular (satisfying the boundary condition) and unramified (without branching points, i.e. single-valued functions in C^2\{union of curves}) projective flows whose vector field is still rational. We prove that, up to conjugation with 1-homogenic birational plane transformation, these are of 6 types: 1) the identity flow; 2) one flow for each non-negative integer N - these flows are rational of level N; 3) the level 1 exponential flow, which is also conjugate to the level 1 tangent flow; 4) the level 3 flow expressable in terms of Dixonian (equianharmonic) elliptic functions; 5) the level 4 flow expressable in terms of lemniscatic elliptic functions; 6) the level 6 flow expressable in terms of Dixonian elliptic functions again. This reveals another aspect of the PrTE: in the latter four cases this equation is equivalent and provides a uniform framework to addition formulas for exponential, tangent, or special elliptic functions (also addition formulas for polynomials and the logarithm, though the latter appears only in branched flows). Moreover, the PrTE turns out to have a connection with Polya-Eggenberger urn models. Another purpose of this study is expository, and we provide the list of open problems and directions in the theory of PrTE; for example, we define the notion of quasi-rational projective flows which includes curves of arbitrary genus.Comment: 34 pages, 2 figure

The projective translation equation and rational plane flows. I

Let X=(x,y). A plane flow is a function F(X,t): R^2*R->R^2 such that F(F(X,s),t)=F(X,s+t) for (almost) all real numbers x,y,s,t (the function F might not be well-defined for certain x,y,t). In this paper we investigate rational plane flows which are of the form F(X,t)=f(Xt)/t; here f is a pair of rational functions in 2 real variables. These may be called projective flows, and for a description of such flows only the knowledge of Cremona group in dimension 1 is needed. Thus, the aim of this work is to completely describe over R all rational solutions of the two dimensional translation equation (1-z)f(X)=f(f(Xz)(1-z)/z). We show that, up to conjugation with a 1-homogenic birational plane transformation (1-BIR), all solutions are as follows: a zero flow, two singular flows, an identity flow, and one non-singular flow for each non-negative integer N, called the level of the flow. The case N=0 stands apart, while the case N=1 has special features as well. Conjugation of these canonical solutions with 1-BIR produce a variety of flows with different properties and invariants, depending on the level and on the conjugation itself. We explore many more features of these flows; for example, there are 1, 4, and 2 essentially different symmetric flows in cases N=0, N=1, and N>=2, respectively. Many more questions will be treated in the second part of this work.Comment: 54 pages, 6 figures. Final version before proof

Orthogonalities and functional equations

In this survey we show how various notions of orthogonality appear in the theory of functional equations. After introducing some orthogonality relations, we give examples of functional equations postulated for orthogonal vectors only. We show their solutions as well as some applications. Then we discuss the problem of stability of some of them considering various aspects of the problem. In the sequel, we mention the orthogonality equation and the problem of preserving orthogonality. Last, but not least, in addition to presenting results, we state some open problems concerning these topics. Taking into account the big amount of results concerning functional equations postulated for orthogonal vectors which have appeared in the literature during the last decades, we restrict ourselves to the most classical equations