Iterative Functional Equations (Encyclopedia of Mathematics and its Applications)

A cohesive and comprehensive account of the modern theory of iterative functional equations. Many of the results included have appeared before only in research literature, making this an essential volume for all those working in functional equations and in such areas as dynamical systems and chaos, to which the theory is closely related. The authors introduce the reader to the theory and then explore the most recent developments and general results. Fundamental notions such as the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the equations are stressed throughout, as are applications of the theory to such areas as branching processes, differential equations, ergodic theory, functional analysis and geometry. Other topics covered include systems of linear and nonlinear equations of finite and infinite ORD various function classes, conjugate and commutable functions, linearization, iterative roots of functions, and special functional equations.