Holder's inequality for integrals

In summary, the conversation discusses Holder's inequality and the steps to prove it. The first part involves showing that xy is less than or equal to 1/2 (x^2 + y^2), and the second part involves filling in variables and integrating both sides.
  • #1
brydustin
205
0
Does anyone know a simple proof for holder's inequality?

I would be more interested in seeing the case of
|∫fg|≤ sqrt(∫f^2)*sqrt(∫g^2)
 
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  • #2
brydustin said:
Does anyone know a simple proof for holder's inequality?

I would be more interested in seeing the case of
|∫fg|≤ sqrt(∫f^2)*sqrt(∫g^2)



Be sure you can prove the following:

1) For any [itex]x,y\in\mathbb R\,\,,\,\,xy\leq\frac{1}{2}(x^2+y^2)[/itex]

2) Now put [itex]\frac{f}{\sqrt{\int f^2}}:= x\,,\,\,\frac{g}{\sqrt{\int g^2 dx}}:=y\,\,[/itex] in the above, integrate both sides and voila!, there you have your proof.

DonAntonio
 
  • #3
DonAntonio said:
Be sure you can prove the following:

1) For any [itex]x,y\in\mathbb R\,\,,\,\,xy\leq\frac{1}{2}(x^2+y^2)[/itex]

2) Now put [itex]\frac{f}{\sqrt{\int f^2}}:= x\,,\,\,\frac{g}{\sqrt{\int g^2 dx}}:=y\,\,[/itex] in the above, integrate both sides and voila!, there you have your proof.

DonAntonio

Well the first part makes sense, I don't see why the second step follows.
 
  • #4
Also I don't see the first part either...

If max(x,y) = x.
Then xy <= x^2.
and y^2 <= xy
But the other part doesn't follow. I think your proof is lacking...
 
  • #5
Think about [itex](x-y)^2[/itex] and [itex](x+y)^2[/itex].
 
  • #6
micromass said:
Think about [itex](x+y)^2[/itex].

Actually I see the argument xy ≤ 1/2 (x^2 + y^2)
because if we start with x=y then the result is equality.
Now if we let min(x,y) = x. Such that x+ε=y as ε→0,
then xy doesn't decrease as fast as x^2. I.e. (y-ε)y < (y-ε)^2 = x^2
Okay, so the first part makes since, but I still don't see Holder's inequality.
 
  • #7
What do you get if you fill in the x and y that DonAntonio suggested?
 
  • #8
brydustin said:
Also I don't see the first part either...

If max(x,y) = x.
Then xy <= x^2.
and y^2 <= xy
But the other part doesn't follow. I think your proof is lacking...


[itex]xy\leq \frac{1}{2}(x^2+y^2)\Longleftrightarrow 0 \leq (x-y)^2[/itex] . I think something different is lacking...;)

DonAntonio
 
  • #9
micromass said:
What do you get if you fill in the x and y that DonAntonio suggested?

For the first part: Let x + ε= y. : ε≥0
y^2 - εy ≤ y^2 - εy + 2ε^2
y^2 - εy ≤ .5(2^2 - 2yε+ε^2)
(y-ε)y = xy ≤ .5[ (y-ε)^2 + y^2] = .5(x^2 + y^2)

The furthest I get for the second part is:
fg/[ (sqrt(∫g^2)*sqrt(∫f^2) ] ≤ .5 * [ (f^2/∫f^2) + (g^2/∫g^2) ]
Sorry, I don't see it.
 
  • #10
brydustin said:
For the first part: Let x + ε= y. : ε≥0
y^2 - εy ≤ y^2 - εy + 2ε^2
y^2 - εy ≤ .5(2^2 - 2yε+ε^2)
(y-ε)y = xy ≤ .5[ (y-ε)^2 + y^2] = .5(x^2 + y^2)

Why are you making it so difficult?? It's just basic algebra. What is [itex](x-y)^2[/itex]??

The furthest I get for the second part is:
fg/[ (sqrt(∫g^2)*sqrt(∫f^2) ] ≤ .5 * [ (f^2/∫f^2) + (g^2/∫g^2) ]
Sorry, I don't see it.

Now integrate both sides, what do you get??
 

Related to Holder's inequality for integrals

1. What is Holder's inequality for integrals?

Holder's inequality for integrals is a mathematical inequality that relates the integral of a product of two functions to the product of their integrals. It is a generalization of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality for sums to integrals.

2. What is the significance of Holder's inequality?

Holder's inequality is an important tool in mathematical analysis and is used in various fields such as probability, statistics, and physics. It allows for the comparison of integrals and can be used to prove the convergence of certain integrals.

3. How is Holder's inequality stated?

Holder's inequality is usually stated as:

For any two functions f and g that are integrable on a measure space (X, Σ, μ), and for any real numbers p, q > 1 such that 1/p + 1/q = 1, the following inequality holds:

X |f(x)g(x)| dμ ≤ (∫X |f(x)|p dμ)1/p(∫X |g(x)|q dμ)1/q

This can also be written as:

X |f(x)g(x)| dμ ≤ ||f||p ||g||q

4. What are some applications of Holder's inequality?

Holder's inequality is commonly used in the study of probability and statistics, as well as in functional analysis. It is also used in the proof of various theorems in measure theory and analysis, such as the Riesz-Thorin interpolation theorem and the Hardy-Littlewood maximal inequality.

5. Are there any generalizations of Holder's inequality?

Yes, there are several generalizations of Holder's inequality, including the Hölder-McCarthy inequality, which extends the inequality to functions with complex values, and the Young's inequality, which is a generalization of Holder's inequality for three functions. There are also various versions of Holder's inequality for discrete sums and infinite series.

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