Change of measure technique in characterizations of the Gamma and Kummer distributions

Abstract: If $X$ and $Y$ are independent random variables with distributions $\mu$ and $\nu$ then $U=\psi(X,Y)$ and $V=\phi(X,Y)$ are also independent for some $\psi$ and $\phi$. Properties of this type are known for many important probability distributions $\mu$ and $\nu$. Also related characterization questions have been widely investigated: Let $X$ and $Y$ be independent and let $U$ and $V$ be independent. Are the distributions of $X$ and $Y$ $\mu$ and $\nu$, respectively? Recently two new properties and characterizations of this kind involving the Kummer distribution appeared in the literature. For independent $X$ and $Y$ with gamma and Kummer distributions Koudou and Vallois observed that $U=(1+(X+Y)^{-1})/(1+X^{-1})$ and $V=X+Y$ are also independent, and Hamza and Vallois observed that $U=Y/(1+X)$ and $V=X(1+Y/(1+X))$ are independent. In 2011 and 2012 Koudou, Vallois characterizations related to the first property were proved, while the characterizations in the second setting have been recently given in Piliszek, Weso{\l}owski (2016). In both cases technical assumptions on smoothness properties of densities of $X$ and $Y$ were needed. In 2015, the assumption of independence of $U$ and $V$ in the first setting was weakened to constancy of regressions of $U$ and $U^{-1}$ given $V$ with no density assumptions. However, the additional assumption $\mathbb{E} X^{-1}<\infty$ was introduced. In the present paper we provide a complete answer to the characterization question in both settings without any additional technical assumptions regarding smoothness or existence of moments. The approach is, first, via characterizations exploiting some conditions imposed on regressions of $U$ given $V$, which are weaker than independence, but for which moment assumptions are necessary. Second, using a technique of change of measure we show that the moment assumptions can be avoided.