Abstract :
We prove a group analogue of the well-known Heyde theorem where a Gaussian measure is characterized
by the symmetry of the conditional distribution of one linear form given another. Let X be a locally compact
second countable Abelian group containing no subgroup topologically isomorphic to the circle group T,
G be the subgroup of X generated by all elements of order 2, and Aut(X) be the set of all topological
automorphisms of X. Let αj ,βj ∈ Aut(X), j = 1, 2, . . . , n, n 2, such that βiα−1
i ± βj α−1
j ∈ Aut(X)
for all i = j. Let ξj be independent random variables with values in X and distributions μj with nonvanishing
characteristic functions. If the conditional distribution of L2 = β1ξ1 + ··· + βnξn given L1 =
α1ξ1 + ··· + αnξn is symmetric, then each μj = γj ∗ ρj, where γj are Gaussian measures, and ρj are
distributions supported in G.
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