Spivak's Proof Not Clear. Theorem 2.13

In summary, the proof of Theorem 2.13 in Spivak's Calculus on Manifolds involves extending the domain of $h$ and composing it with a diffeomorphism in order to obtain a diffeomorphism from an open set containing $c$ to $\mathbb R^n$. This is necessary because $h$ is only defined on a subset of $\mathbb R^n$ and we need it to be defined on an open set containing $c$.
  • #1
caffeinemachine
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MHB
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Hello MHB.

I am having trouble understanding the proof of theorem 2.13 given in Spivak's Calculus on Manifolds.

Theorem 2.12 (Implicit Function Theorem)
Suppose $f:\mathbb R^n\times \mathbb R^m \to \mathbb R^m$ is a continuously differentiable function in an open set containing $(a,b)$ and $f(a,b)=0$. Let $M$ be the $m\times m$ matrix $$(D_{n+j}f^i(a,b))~~~ 1\leq i,j\leq m.$$
If $\det M\neq 0$, there is an open set $A\subseteq \mathbb R^n$ containing $a$ and an open set $B\subseteq \mathbb R^m$ containing $b$, with the following property: for each $x\in A$ there is a unique $g(x)\in B$ such that $f(x,g(x))=0$.
The function $g$ is differentiable.

Proof: (Spivak) Define $F:\mathbb R^n \times \mathbb R^m\to\mathbb R^n \times \mathbb R^m$ by $F(x,y)=(x,f(x,y))$. Then $\det F'(a,b)=\det M\neq 0$.
By the inverse function theorem, there is an open set $W\subseteq \mathbb R^n\times\mathbb R^m$ containing $F(a,b)=(a,0)$ and an open set $V=A\times B\subseteq \mathbb R^n\times\mathbb R^m$ containing $(a,b)$, where $A$ and $B$ are open in $\mathbb R^n$ and $\mathbb R^m$ respectively, such that $F:A\times B\to W$ has a differentiable inverse $h:W\to A\times B$. It's easy to see that $h$ is of the form $h(x,y)=(x,k(x,y))$ for some $k:W\to B$. Since $h$ is differentiable, it follows that $k$ too is differentiable. Let $\pi:\mathbb R^n\times\mathbb R^m\to\mathbb R^m$ be defined as $\pi(x,y)=y$. Then $\pi\circ F=f$. Thus $f(x,k(x,y))=f\circ h(x,y)=\pi\circ(F\circ h)(x,y)=y$. So $f(x,k(x,0))=0$. Thus $g(x)=k(x,0)$ is the required function.


Here's the theorem I am having trouble with.

Theorem 2.13
Let $f:\mathbb R^n\to\mathbb R^p$ be continuously differentiable in an open set containing a point $c\in \mathbb R^n$, where $p\leq n$. If $f(c)=0$ and the $p\times n$ matrix $[D_jf_i(c)]$ has rank $p$, then there is an open set $C\subseteq \mathbb R^n$ which contains $c$ and a diffeomorphism $h:C\to \mathbb R^n$ such that $f\circ h(x_1,\ldots,x_n)=(x_{n-p+1},\ldots,x_n)$.

Proof: (Spivak) We can consider $f$ as a function $f:\mathbb R^{n-p}\times \mathbb R^p \to \mathbb R^p$. If $\det M\neq 0$, then $M$ is the $p\times p$ matrix $(D_{n-p+j}f_i(c))$, $1\leq i,j\leq p$, then we are precisely situation considered in the proof of the above theorem.
NOW, In that proof we showed that there is an $h$ such that $f\circ h(x_1,\ldots,x_n)=(x_{n-p+1},\ldots,x_n)$ and we are done.
(Now Spivak deals with the case when $\det M$ is not zero but I am ok with that part of gthe proof)

My problem with the proof is:

In the above proof $h$ is a diffeomorphism from $W$ (as in the proof of theorem 2.12) to $V$ (as in the proof of theorme 2.12 again). What we needed was to find a diffeomorphism $h$ from an open set $C$ containing $c$ to $\mathbb R^n$. So we need to make some adjustments. Let $\gamma:V\to\mathbb R^n$ be a diffeomorphism and define $h_1=\gamma \circ h$. Let $W$ play the role of $C$.
Now,
1. We are not sure if $C=W$ contains $c$. What $W$ contains for sure is $F(c)=(c_1,\ldots,c_{n-p},0,\ldots,0)$, where $F$ is defined in the proof of theorem 2.12.
2. Because of this new gamma we are not sure if $f\circ h_1$ satisfies $f\circ h_1(x_1,\ldots,x_n)=(x_{n-p+1},\ldots,x_n)$.
___

Can somebody please help me on this.
I know this is a long post and it must be a headache to go through all this so I thank you big time in advance for taking your time out and helping.
 
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  • #2
The key issue in the proof is that $h$ is only defined on a subset of $\mathbb R^n$ (namely, $W$), so it cannot be used directly to define a diffeomorphism from an open set containing $c$ to $\mathbb R^n$. To address this, we need to extend the domain of $h$ to an open set containing $c$, and then compose it with a diffeomorphism from the extended domain to $\mathbb R^n$. Let $C$ be an open set containing $c$, and let $V$ be an open set containing $(a,b)$ such that $F:A\times B\to W$ has a differentiable inverse $h:W\to A\times B$. We can extend the domain of $h$ by defining $h_1:C\to V$ as $h_1(x)=h(x)$ for all $x\in W$, and $h_1(x)=h(c)$ for all $x\in C\setminus W$. Since $h$ is differentiable, it follows that $h_1$ is also differentiable. Now let $\gamma:V\to \mathbb R^n$ be a diffeomorphism, and define $h_2=\gamma \circ h_1:C\to \mathbb R^n$. Since both $h_1$ and $\gamma$ are differentiable, it follows that $h_2$ is also differentiable. It remains to show that $f\circ h_2(x_1,\ldots,x_n)=(x_{n-p+1},\ldots,x_n)$. This is true because for all $x\in C$, we have $f\circ h_2(x)=f\circ \gamma \circ h_1(x)=f\circ h(x)=f(x,k(x,0))=0$ (where $k$ is as in the proof of Theorem 2.12). Thus $h_2$ is the desired diffeomorphism.
 

FAQ: Spivak's Proof Not Clear. Theorem 2.13

What is Spivak's Proof Not Clear Theorem 2.13?

Spivak's Proof Not Clear Theorem 2.13 is a mathematical theorem found in the book "Calculus" by Michael Spivak. It states that the limit of a function as x approaches a certain value can be determined by evaluating the function at that value.

Who is Michael Spivak?

Michael Spivak is an American mathematician and writer, known for his contributions to differential geometry and his books on mathematics, including "Calculus" and "The Joy of TeX".

What does it mean when a proof is "not clear"?

In mathematics, a proof that is deemed "not clear" means that it is difficult to understand or follow. This can be due to a lack of clarity in the presentation of the proof or a lack of rigor in the logical steps.

What is the significance of Theorem 2.13 in Spivak's book?

Theorem 2.13 is significant because it is a fundamental concept in calculus and is used to solve many problems in mathematics and other fields such as physics and engineering. It also highlights the importance of clear and rigorous proofs in mathematics.

Are there any criticisms of Spivak's Proof Not Clear Theorem 2.13?

Some critics have argued that the name of the theorem, "Proof Not Clear", is misleading and does not accurately reflect the content of the theorem. Others have also pointed out that the theorem is not unique to Spivak and has been previously proven by other mathematicians.

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