Uniqueness of trigonometric functions from functional equation

complex-analysisfunctional-equationsreal-analysis

Take the functional equation
$$f(x+y)=f(x)f(y).$$
This is a variation on the Cauchy equation, and we know that it has a unique continuous solution over the real numbers
$$f(x)=e^{\alpha x}.$$
We then look at the pair of equations
$$u(x+y)=u(x)u(y)-v(x)v(y),$$
$$v(x+y)=v(x)u(y)+u(x)v(y).$$
Moving over to complex numbers and setting $f(z)=u(z)+iv(z)$, this becomes the exponential equation above. Fixing that $u,v$ are real for real arguments fixes the trigonometric functions,

$$u(x)=e^{\alpha x}\cos\beta x,\quad v(x)=e^{\alpha x}\sin\beta x$$

as defined via complex exponentials. Further specifying a bounded image gives us what we need. So the trig functions must be the only continuous bounded solutions to the pair of equations above. Specifying that it's just bounded is probably enough, actually, given the Cauchy-ness involved.

Can this uniqueness be established by working solely over the reals? Preferably just by elementary methods. It doesn't need to be established that $\cos x=\Re e^{ix}$, for example.

EDIT:

A possible direction assuming continuity could be the following. As pointed out by an answer below, we can focus only on solutions for which $u^2+v^2=1$. With that in mind, what would be interesting to show is that given two nontrivial continuous solutions $(u_1,v_1)$ and $(u_2,v_2)$, we must have
$$u_2(x)=u_1(\alpha x),$$
$$v_2(x)=v_1(\alpha x),$$
where
$$\alpha=\lim_{x\rightarrow0}\frac{v_2(x)}{v_1(x)},$$
provided of course that we can show this limit exists.

Best Answer

What follows is just and idea.

Assume $u$ and $v$ are continuous. Let $g(x)=u^2(x)+v^2(x).$ Then $g(x+y)=g(x)g(y).$ Hence a $g(x)=e^{2\alpha x}$ for some $\alpha\in \mathbb{R}.$ For fixed $x$ there is a unique $t_x\in [0,2\pi)$ such that $$\cos(t_x)={u(x)\over \sqrt{g(x)}},\quad \sin(t_x)={v(x)\over \sqrt{g(x)}}$$ The equations involving $u(x+y)$ and $v(x+y)$ imply $$\cos(t_{x+y})=\cos(t_x+t_y),\quad \sin(t_{x+y})=\sin(t_x+t_y)$$ Hence $$t_{x+y}=t_x+t_y,\quad t_x+t_y<2\pi\\ t_{x+y}=t_x+t_y-2\pi,\quad t_x+t_y\ge 2\pi $$ Assuming continuity of $x\mapsto t_x,$ we get $t_x=\beta x.$ Hence $$u(x)=e^{\alpha x}\cos(\beta x),\qquad v(x)=e^{\alpha x}\sin(\beta x)$$