Multiplicative functions that are close to their mean

We introduce a simple approach to study partial sums of multiplicative functions which are close to their mean value. As a first application, we show that a completely multiplicative function f : N→C satisfies ∑ f(n)_ (n≤x) = cx+O(1) with c ≠ 0 if and only if f(p) = 1 for all but finitely many primes and |f(p)| < 1 for the remaining primes. This answers a question of Imre Ruzsa. For the case c = 0, we show, under the additional hypothesis ∑_(p:|f(p)|<1)1/p < ∞, that f has bounded partial sums if and only if f(p) = χ(p)p^(it) for some non-principal Dirichlet character χ modulo q and t ∈ ℝ except on a finite set of primes that contains the primes dividing q, wherein |f(p)| < 1. This essentially resolves another problem of Ruzsa and generalizes previous work of the first and the second author on Chudakov's conjecture. We also consider some other applications, which include a proof of a recent conjecture of Aymone concerning the discrepancy of square-free supported multiplicative functions.