Skip to main content
making it look even nicer; added 4 characters in body
Source Link
Randomblue
  • 3k
  • 7
  • 35
  • 38

A calculus-free argument suggested by fedja:

The ultimate reason is, of course, that the typical coordinate of a point in the unit ball is just of size $n^{-1/2}\ll 1$, as several people have already mentioned$\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}\ll 1$. This can be turned into a very simple geometric argument (as suggested by fedja) using the fact that an $n$-element set has $2^n$ subsets. At:

At least $n/2$ of the coordinates of anya point in the unit ball are at most $\sqrt{2/n}$ or less$\sqrt{\frac{2}{n}}$ in absolute value, and the rest are at most $1$ in absolute value. Thus, the unit ball can be covered by at most $2^n$ bricks (meaning rightright-angled parallelepipeds) of volume $(8/n)^{n/4}$$$\left(2\sqrt{\frac{2}{n}}\right)^{n/2},$$ each. Each brick corresponds corresponding to one choice of thea subset offor the small coordinates. SoHence, the volume of the unit ball is at most $2^n \cdot (8/n)^{n/4} = (128/n)^{n/4}$, which clearly goes to $0$.

Indeed$$2^n \cdot \left(2\sqrt{\frac{2}{n}}\right)^{n/2} = \left(\frac{128}{n}\right)^{n/4}\rightarrow0.$$ In fact, the argument shows that the volume of the unit ball decreases faster than any exponential, which is to say thatso the volume of the $n$-sphereball of any fixed radius $r$ also goes to $0$.

A calculus-free argument suggested by fedja:

The ultimate reason is, of course, that the typical coordinate of a point in the unit ball is just of size $n^{-1/2}\ll 1$, as several people have already mentioned. This can be turned into a very simple geometric argument using the fact that an $n$-element set has $2^n$ subsets. At least $n/2$ of the coordinates of any point in the unit ball are $\sqrt{2/n}$ or less and the rest are at most $1$ in absolute value. Thus, the ball can be covered by at most $2^n$ bricks (meaning right-angled parallelepipeds) of volume $(8/n)^{n/4}$ each. Each brick corresponds to one choice of the subset of small coordinates. So the volume of the ball is at most $2^n \cdot (8/n)^{n/4} = (128/n)^{n/4}$, which clearly goes to $0$.

Indeed, the volume decreases faster than any exponential, which is to say that the volume of the $n$-sphere of any fixed radius $r$ also goes to $0$.

The ultimate reason is, of course, that the typical coordinate of a point in the unit ball is of size $\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}\ll 1$. This can be turned into a simple geometric argument (as suggested by fedja) using the fact that an $n$-element set has $2^n$ subsets:

At least $n/2$ of the coordinates of a point in the unit ball are at most $\sqrt{\frac{2}{n}}$ in absolute value, and the rest are at most $1$ in absolute value. Thus, the unit ball can be covered by at most $2^n$ bricks (right-angled parallelepipeds) of volume $$\left(2\sqrt{\frac{2}{n}}\right)^{n/2},$$ each corresponding to a subset for the small coordinates. Hence, the volume of the unit ball is at most $$2^n \cdot \left(2\sqrt{\frac{2}{n}}\right)^{n/2} = \left(\frac{128}{n}\right)^{n/4}\rightarrow0.$$ In fact, the argument shows that the volume of the unit ball decreases faster than any exponential, so the volume of the ball of any fixed radius also goes to $0$.

added 16 characters in body
Source Link
Greg Kuperberg
  • 56.6k
  • 10
  • 203
  • 282

ArgumentA calculus-free argument suggested by fedja:

The ultimate reason is, of course, that the typical coordinate of a point in the unit ball is just of size $n^{-1/2}\ll 1$, as several people have already mentioned. This can be turned into a very simple geometric argument using the fact that an $n$-element set has $2^n$ subsets. At least $n/2$ of the coordinates of any point in the unit ball are $\sqrt{2/n}$ or less and the rest are at most $1$ in absolute value. Thus, the ball can be covered by at most $2^n$ bricks (meaning right-angled parallelepipeds) of volume $(8/n)^{n/4}$ each. Each brick corresponds to one choice of the subset of small coordinates. So the volume of the ball is at most $2^n \cdot (8/n)^{n/4} = (128/n)^{n/4}$, which clearly goes to $0$.

Indeed, the volume decreases faster than any exponential, which is to say that the volume of the $n$-sphere of any fixed radius $r$ also goes to $0$.

Argument suggested by fedja:

The ultimate reason is, of course, that the typical coordinate of a point in the unit ball is just of size $n^{-1/2}\ll 1$, as several people have already mentioned. This can be turned into a very simple geometric argument using the fact that an $n$-element set has $2^n$ subsets. At least $n/2$ of the coordinates of any point in the unit ball are $\sqrt{2/n}$ or less and the rest are at most $1$ in absolute value. Thus, the ball can be covered by at most $2^n$ bricks (meaning right-angled parallelepipeds) of volume $(8/n)^{n/4}$ each. Each brick corresponds to one choice of the subset of small coordinates. So the volume of the ball is at most $2^n \cdot (8/n)^{n/4} = (128/n)^{n/4}$, which clearly goes to $0$.

Indeed, the volume decreases faster than any exponential, which is to say that the volume of the $n$-sphere of any fixed radius $r$ also goes to $0$.

A calculus-free argument suggested by fedja:

The ultimate reason is, of course, that the typical coordinate of a point in the unit ball is just of size $n^{-1/2}\ll 1$, as several people have already mentioned. This can be turned into a very simple geometric argument using the fact that an $n$-element set has $2^n$ subsets. At least $n/2$ of the coordinates of any point in the unit ball are $\sqrt{2/n}$ or less and the rest are at most $1$ in absolute value. Thus, the ball can be covered by at most $2^n$ bricks (meaning right-angled parallelepipeds) of volume $(8/n)^{n/4}$ each. Each brick corresponds to one choice of the subset of small coordinates. So the volume of the ball is at most $2^n \cdot (8/n)^{n/4} = (128/n)^{n/4}$, which clearly goes to $0$.

Indeed, the volume decreases faster than any exponential, which is to say that the volume of the $n$-sphere of any fixed radius $r$ also goes to $0$.

added 159 characters in body
Source Link
Greg Kuperberg
  • 56.6k
  • 10
  • 203
  • 282

Argument suggested by fedja:

The ultimate reason is, of course, that the typical coordinate of a point in the unit ball is just of size $n^{-1/2}\ll 1$, as several people have already mentioned. This can be turned into a very simple geometric argument if we are allowed to useusing the simple combinatorial fact that andan $n$-element set has $2^n$ subsets. Indeed, at At least $n/2$ of the coordinates of any point in the unit ball are $\sqrt{2/n}$ or less and the rest are at most $1$ in absolute value. Thus, the ball can be covered by at most $2^n$ bricks (meaning right-angled parallelepipeds) of volume $(8/n)^{n/4}$ each (each parallelepiped. Each brick corresponds to one choice of the subset of small coordinates). So the volume of the ball is at most $2^n \cdot (8/n)^{n/4} = (128/n)^{n/4}$, which clearly tendsgoes to $0$.

Indeed, the volume decreases faster than any exponential, which is to say that the volume of the $n$-sphere of any fixed radius $r$ also goes to $0$.

The ultimate reason is, of course, that the typical coordinate of a point in the unit ball is just of size $n^{-1/2}\ll 1$, as several people have already mentioned. This can be turned into a very simple geometric argument if we are allowed to use the simple combinatorial fact that and $n$-element set has $2^n$ subsets. Indeed, at least $n/2$ of the coordinates of any point in the unit ball are $\sqrt{2/n}$ or less and the rest are at most $1$ in absolute value. Thus, the ball can be covered by at most $2^n$ parallelepipeds of volume $(8/n)^{n/4}$ each (each parallelepiped corresponds to one choice of the subset of small coordinates). So the volume of the ball is at most $2^n \cdot (8/n)^{n/4} = (128/n)^{n/4}$, which clearly tends to $0$.

Argument suggested by fedja:

The ultimate reason is, of course, that the typical coordinate of a point in the unit ball is just of size $n^{-1/2}\ll 1$, as several people have already mentioned. This can be turned into a very simple geometric argument using the fact that an $n$-element set has $2^n$ subsets. At least $n/2$ of the coordinates of any point in the unit ball are $\sqrt{2/n}$ or less and the rest are at most $1$ in absolute value. Thus, the ball can be covered by at most $2^n$ bricks (meaning right-angled parallelepipeds) of volume $(8/n)^{n/4}$ each. Each brick corresponds to one choice of the subset of small coordinates. So the volume of the ball is at most $2^n \cdot (8/n)^{n/4} = (128/n)^{n/4}$, which clearly goes to $0$.

Indeed, the volume decreases faster than any exponential, which is to say that the volume of the $n$-sphere of any fixed radius $r$ also goes to $0$.

added 24 characters in body
Source Link
Reid Barton
  • 25.2k
  • 1
  • 76
  • 133
Loading
fixed signs
Source Link
Reid Barton
  • 25.2k
  • 1
  • 76
  • 133
Loading
Post Made Community Wiki
Source Link
fedja
  • 61.9k
  • 11
  • 160
  • 302
Loading