Type: Article
Publication Date: 1968-01-01
Citations: 89
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1090/s0002-9939-1968-0219936-1
wheref is a complex-valued function on a group G, for all x, y in G. On the line this functional equation is obviously satisfied by the cosine function and may be called the cosine equation. Of course this equation has a meaning on any group. One obvious way to solve the functional equation (A) on any group is by means of a homomorphism of G, say g, into the multiplicative group of nonzero complex numbers, K. If g is such a homomorphism, then the function defined by