Characterization of Polynomials as solutions of certain functional equations

Abstract

Recently, the functional equation \[ \sum_{i=0}^mf_i(b_ix+c_iy)= \sum_{i=1}^na_i(y)v_i(x) \] with $x,y\in\mathbb{R}^d$ and $b_i,c_i\in\mathbf{GL}_d(\mathbb{C})$, was studied by Almira and Shulman, both in the classical context of continuous complex valued functions and in the framework of complex valued Schwartz distributions, where these equations were properly introduced in two different ways. The solution sets of these equations are, typically, exponential polynomials and, in some particular cases, they reduce to ordinary polynomials. In this paper we present several characterizations of ordinary polynomials as the solution sets of certain related functional equations. Some of these equations are important because of their connection with the Characterization Problem of distributions in Probability Theory.