Abstract
Positive definite functions on metric spaces were considered by Schoenberg (26). We write σk for the unit hypersphere in (k + 1)-space; then σk is a metric space under geodesic distance. The functions which are positive definite (p.d.) on σk were characterized by Schoenberg (27), who also obtained a necessary condition for a function to be p.d. on the it sphere σ∞ in Hilbert space. We extend this result by showing that Schoenberg's necessary condition for a function to be p.d. on σ∞ is also sufficient.

This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit: