Example 39([31.4]) Let the set of all positive rational numbers be denoted as . Construct a function , such that for any , it satisfies .
Solution
Assume the function satisfies the given condition . Let's first discuss the basic properties such a function should satisfy. Taking , from the condition we get
If , then from this and equation (1) we derive
Therefore,
if and only if .
Taking , from the condition we get . From this and equations (2), (1), we have
Substituting for , from the condition and equation (3) we get
From this and equation (2), we derive
i.e., is a "totally multiplicative function". Since is not equal to zero, it is easy to see (why) that the condition holds if and only if conditions (1) and (5) hold.
Now, the function is defined on . By the fundamental theorem of arithmetic, if and only if has the representation
where are all prime numbers, arranged in increasing order. When is given by the above expression, from equation (5) and we get
Therefore, it is sufficient to define the value of the function at prime numbers to meet the required conditions. From the above analysis, it is known that it is sufficient for prime numbers to satisfy condition (1), i.e.,
Since is a function from , we can assume
From equation (5) we know
Since only when , the above equation suggests that should take a very simple value, such as or , where is a prime. However, these discussions do not truly provide information on how to define the value of . Through experimentation and observation, for we define
to meet the requirements.