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Short Communications
On probability density functions which are their own characteristic functions
K. Schladitz,
H. J. Engelbert Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Stochastik, Jena, Germany
Abstract:
Let
$p$ be the probability density of a probability distribution
$P$ on the real line
$\mathbf R$ with respect to the Lebesgue measure. The characteristic function
$\widehat p$ of
$p$ is defined as
$$
\widehat p(x):=\int_{\mathbf{R}}e^{ixy}p(y)\,dy,\qquad x\in\mathbf{R}.
$$
We consider probability densities
$p$ which are their own characteristic functions, that means
\begin{equation}
\widehat p(x)=\frac1{p(0)}p(x),\qquad x\in\mathbf{R}.
\tag{1}
\end{equation}
By linear combination of Hermitian functions we find a family of probability densities which are solutions of this integral equation. These solutions are entire functions of order 2 and type
$\frac12$. This is contradictory to Corollary 3 in [J. L. Teugels, Bull. Soc. Math. Belg., 23 (1971), pp. 236–262.]. Furthermore, we characterize the general solution of the integral equation (1) within the convex cone of probability density functions.
Keywords:
probability density functions, characteristic function, positive definite functions, Hermitian functions, Fourier transform. Received: 16.06.1994
Language: English