All Questions
5,786 questions
26
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Sum of Gaussian pdfs
I learned from a colleague that if one sums translates of the Gaussian density $f(x)=(2\pi)^{-1/2}e^{-x^2/2}$ translated by the integers (i.e. one considers $F(x)=\sum_{n\in\mathbb Z}f(x+n)$), the ...
- 23.2k
26
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Does Arzelà-Ascoli require choice?
Inspired by a recent Math.SE question entitled Where do we need the axiom of choice in Riemannian geometry?, I was thinking of the Arzelà--Ascoli theorem. Let's state a very simple version:
...
- 29.8k
26
votes
3
answers
17k
views
Hölder's inequality for matrices
I was wondering if the Hölder's inequality was true for matrix induced norms, i.e. if
$$\|AB\|_1 \leq \|A\|_p\|B\|_q, \quad\forall p,q \in [1,\infty] \text{ s.t. } \tfrac{1}{p}+\tfrac{1}{q} = 1.$$
But ...
- 837
26
votes
2
answers
12k
views
About the definition of Borel and Radon measures
I am trying to understand the notion of Radon measure, but I am a little bit lost with the different conventions used in the litterature.
More precisely, I have a doubt about the very definition of ...
- 281
26
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Dual of bounded uniformly continuous functions
Let $(X,d)$ be a metric space, and let $C_u(X)$ be the Banach space of bounded uniformly continuous functions on $X$ (with the uniform norm). How can I characterize its dual space $C_u(X)^*$?
I ...
- 29.8k
26
votes
4
answers
2k
views
$\binom{x}{2}+\binom{x}{4}+\cdots+\binom{x}{2u}$ is a convex function on $[0,+\infty)$?
Let $f(x)=\binom{x}{2}+\binom{x}{4}+\cdots+\binom{x}{2u}$, where $u\in\mathbb{Z}^+$ and $\binom{x}{l}=\frac{x(x-1)\dots(x-l+1)}{l!}$ for all $l\in\mathbb{Z}^+$.
Then can we prove $f(x)$ is a convex ...
- 271
26
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Analogues of Luzin's theorem
If $X$ is a compact metric space and $\mu$ is a Borel probability measure on $X$, then the space $C(X)$ of continuous real-valued functions on $X$ is a closed nowhere dense subset of $L^\infty(X,\mu)$,...
- 8,903
26
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Symmetric strengthening of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality
In this great question by Nathaniel Johnston, and in its answers, we can learn the following remarkable inequality: For all $v,w \in \mathbb{R}^n$ we have
\begin{align*}
\|v^2\| \, \|w^2\| - \langle ...
- 12.6k
25
votes
9
answers
6k
views
Function with range equal to whole reals on every open set
There is an example of a function that is unbounded on every open set. Just take $f(n/m) = m$ for coprime $n$ and $m$ and $f(irrational) = 0$.
I want to generalize this in a way to get a function ...
- 2,821
25
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Writing a function on $\mathbb{R}$ as a sum of two injections
Let $f: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ be a function. It is well-known that, using transfinite recursion with a well-ordering of $\mathbb{R}$, one can construct two injective functions $g,h: \...
- 4,265
25
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What is the origin/history of the following very short definition of the Lebesgue integral?
Typical courses on real integration spend a lot of time defining the Lebesgue measure and then spend another lot of time defining the integral with respect to a measure. This is sometimes criticized ...
- 32.5k
25
votes
2
answers
2k
views
$f^3,f^2$ are the cube and quadratic of f respectively and both infinite differentiable on $R$,how to show so is $f$
Let $f$ be a real function with domain R.
If $f^2$ and $f^3$ are both infinitely differentiable on R,
how to prove $f$ is infinitely differentiable on R?
I have been thinking about this problem for a ...
- 295
25
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Evaluation of an $n$-dimensional integral
I asked the same question on math.se but got no answer there. Since it pertains to my current research, I decided to ask here:
Let $n\in 2\mathbb{N}$ be an even number. I want to evaluate
$$I_n
:=
\...
- 453
25
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Does there exist a continuous function $f(x)$ such that $f(0)=0$ and $0<\lim_{n\to\infty}\prod_{k=1}^n f(k/n)<\infty$?
Does there exist a continuous function $f(x)$ such that $f(0)=0$ and $0<\lim\limits_{n\to\infty}\prod\limits_{k=1}^n f(\frac{k}{n})<\infty$ ?
I do not see any reason why such a function could ...
- 3,527
25
votes
1
answer
8k
views
Convergence of Fourier Series of $L^1$ Functions
I recently learned of the result by Carleson and Hunt (1968) which states that if $f \in L^p$ for $p > 1$, then the Fourier series of $f$ converges to $f$ pointwise-a.e. Also, Wikipedia informs me ...
- 871
24
votes
11
answers
8k
views
The role of the mean value theorem (MVT) in first-year calculus
Should the mean value theorem be taught in first-year calculus?
Most calculus textbooks present the MVT just before the section that says that if $f'>0$ on an interval then $f$ increases on that ...
24
votes
4
answers
1k
views
show this nice and hard inequality with $ \prod_{i=1}^{n}|x_{i}-y_{i}|<e^{\frac{n}{2}}$
I saw the following results in a book. The author said it was not difficult to prove how I felt it was difficult to prove, so I asked here. The result comes from a book that has no electronic version....
- 4,280
23
votes
9
answers
2k
views
Nonseparable counterexamples in analysis
When asking for uncountable counterexamples in algebra I noted that in functional analysis there are many examples of things that “go wrong” in the nonseparable setting. But most of the examples I'm ...
23
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Are such functions differentiable?
In my recent researches, I encountered functions $f$ satisfying the following functional inequality:
$$
(*)\; f(x)\geq f(y)(1+x-y) \; ; \; x,y\in \mathbb{R}.
$$
Since $f$ is convex (because $\...
- 995
23
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Is $\ x\! \cdot\!\tan(x)\ $ integrable in elementary functions?
I'm teaching Calculus and my students asked me to calculate the integral of $\ x\! \cdot\!\tan(x)$.
I spent quite a lot of effort to do this, but I'm now even not sure if the integral could be ...
- 1,437
23
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Identity for an infinite product
Here is an experimental "result" exhibiting the difference of two (formal) infinite products that "almost factorizes".
QUESTION. Is this true?
$$\prod_{n\geq1}(1+x^{2n-1})^{24} - \...
- 43.2k
23
votes
5
answers
2k
views
PDEs and algebraic varieties
Let $P$ be an order $d$ differential operator with constant coefficients and consider a PDE of the form $Pf = \delta$. Taking the Fourier transform of $P$ we get a degree $d$ polynomial whose zero ...
- 8,998
23
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Continuous functions taking uncountably many values countably often
Let $f$ be a continuous function defined on the closed interval $[0,1]$. Clearly $f$ is bounded and attains its bounds.
Then my question is how often can $f$ take a value in its range countably many ...
- 4,862
23
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Density of smooth functions under "Hölder metric"
This question came up when I was doing some reading into convolution squares of singular measures. Recall a function $f$ on the torus $T = [-1/2,1/2]$ is said to be $\alpha$-Hölder (for $0 < \alpha ...
- 505
23
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Is there a function defined on real numbers which is continuous from the left, but not from the right, everywhere
I am teaching Mathematical analysis. A student asked this question. I think this is a good question, but don't know the answer.
- 527
23
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Which is the correct ring of functions for a topological space?
There is a fact that I should have learned a long time ago, but never did; I was reminded that I did not know the answer by Qiaochu's excellent series of posts, the most recent of which is this one.
...
- 54.6k
23
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Axiomatic construction of trigonometric functions
I am able to construct functions $\sin,\cos\colon \mathbb R \to \mathbb R$ satisfying the following properties:
$\sin^2 x + \cos^2 x = 1$,
$\sin(x+y)=\sin x \cos y + \sin y\cos x$, $\cos(x+y)=\cos x \...
- 702
23
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Does the average primeness of natural numbers tend to zero?
This question was posted in MSE. It got many upvotes but no answer hence posting it in MO.
A number is either prime or composite, hence primality is a binary concept. Instead I wanted to put a value ...
- 5,470
23
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Which smooth compactly supported functions are convolutions?
If $f,g$ are smooth functions with support in the interval $[-r,r]$ for some $r>0$, then their convolution $f*g$ is smooth with support in $[-2r,2r]$. My question is about the converse: Given ...
- 1,017
23
votes
1
answer
706
views
Which ordered fields are homeomorphic to their power?
It is well known that $\mathbb{R}^2\ncong \mathbb{R}$. It is also known that $\mathbb{Q}^2\cong \mathbb{Q}$. It is a corollary to Sierpiński's theorem which states that every countable metric space ...
- 6,741
23
votes
3
answers
868
views
Best Hölder exponents of surjective maps from the unit square to the unit cube
The Peano's square-filling curve $p:I\to I^2$ turn's out to be Hölder continuous with exponent $1/2$ on the unit interval $I$ (a quick way to see it, is to note that $p$ is a fixed point of a ...
- 60.5k
23
votes
2
answers
651
views
Asymptotics of a Selberg-type integral
Let $\Delta(s_1,s_2,\ldots,s_n) := \prod_{i<j}(s_i-s_j)^2$. Is there a standard way to estimate the decay of the Selberg-type integral
$$ I_n:= \frac{1}{n!^2}\int_0^1 \int_0^1\cdots\int_0^1 \...
23
votes
1
answer
528
views
A characterization of constant functions
In How to recognize constant functions. Connections with Sobolev spaces (Russian Math Surveys 57 (2002); MSN), H. Brezis recalls the following fact:
Let $\Omega\subset{\mathbb R}^N$ be connected ...
- 52.3k
23
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Evaluating an integral using real methods
This is a bit of recreational integration. The following, rather attractive integral is quite straightforward via residues:
$$\int_0^1 x^{-x}(1-x)^{x-1}\sin \pi x\,\mathrm{d}x=\frac{\pi}{e}$$
...
- 453
23
votes
0
answers
939
views
A question about small sets of reals
In ZFC, does there exist an uncountable set of reals $A$ such that for every closed measure zero set of reals $B$, we have that $ A + B = \{a+b : a \in A, b \in B\} \neq \mathbb{R}$?
This question is ...
- 9,631
22
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Is a real power series that maps rationals to rationals defined by a rational function?
Suppose that the function $p(x)$ is defined on an open subset $U$ of $\mathbb{R}$ by a power series with real coefficients. Suppose, further, that $p$ maps rationals to rationals. Must $p$ be defined ...
- 6,199
22
votes
1
answer
4k
views
A challenging (for me) limit calculation
How to calculate the following limit
$$
\lim_{n\to\infty}\sqrt{n}\underbrace{{}\sin(\sin(\sin(\sin(\cdots\sin(\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}})\cdots))))}_{n \text{ sin's}} \text{?}
$$
${}{}$
- 549
22
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Rigorous justification for this formal solution to $f(x+1)+f(x)=g(x)$
Let $g\in C(\Bbb R)$ be given, we want to find a solution $f\in C(\Bbb R)$ of the equation
$$
f(x+1) + f(x) = g(x).
$$
We may rewrite the equation using the right-shift operator $(Tf)(x) = f(x+1)$...
- 1,245
22
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Differential equation changing sign almost everywhere
Conjecture: Let $f:\mathbb{R}→\mathbb{R}$ be an everywhere differentiable function and assume that $f(x)+f′(x)∈ \{-1,1\}$ almost everywhere and $f'(0)=0$. Then is $f$ necessarily a constant function?
...
- 1,503
22
votes
3
answers
2k
views
The origin of the Ramanujan's $\pi^4\approx 2143/22$ identity
What is the origin of the Ramanujan's approximate identity $$\pi^4\approx 2143/22,\;\;\tag 1$$ which is valid with $10^{-9}$ relative accuracy? For comparison, the relative accuracy of the well known $...
- 16.5k
22
votes
2
answers
2k
views
When are Fourier coefficients monotonic?
Given some sufficiently smooth function $f$ what conditions would be sufficient for its Fourier coefficients, as defined by
$$
\hat{f}(n) := \int_{0}^{2\pi}\cos(nx)f(x)\ dx, \quad \text{for } n = 1,2,\...
- 595
22
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Are functions of bounded variation a.e. differentiable?
In general, it is well known that, on the real line, say on $[0,1]$, if a function $f$ is of (pointwise) bounded variation, meaning that
$$
\sum_{i=1}^n |f(x_i)-f(x_{i-1})| <+\infty
$$
for every ...
- 608
22
votes
2
answers
849
views
Do equal integrals of $1/(1+x^a)$ imply equal measure?
Suppose $\mu$ and $\nu$ are two probability measures on $[0,1]$ with the property that $\int_{0}^{1} \frac{1}{1+x^a} ~d\mu(x) = \int_{0}^{1} \frac{1}{1+x^a} ~d\nu(x)$ holds for every exponent $a > ...
- 765
22
votes
2
answers
652
views
Does every positive continuous function have a non-negative interpolating polynomial of every degree?
Let $f:[a,b] \to (0,\infty)$ be a continuous function. Then is it necessarily true that for every $n\ge 1$, we can find $n+1$ distinct points $\{x_0,x_1,...,x_n\}$ in $[a,b]$ such that the ...
- 1,209
21
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Boundedness of sum of sin(sin(n))
Playing with desmos I have accidentally noticed that the sequence of partial sums
$$\left\{ \sum_{n=1}^{N}\sin(\sin(n)) : N\geq 1 \right\}$$
is bounded.
However, I did not succeed in proving this ...
21
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Real rootedness of a polynomial
Let's consider $m$ and $n$ arbitrary positive integers, with $m\leq n$, and the polynomial given by:
$$ P_{m,n}(t) := \sum_{j=0}^m \binom{m}{j}\binom{n}{j} t^j$$
I've found with Sage that for every $...
- 1,889
21
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Approximate intermediate value theorem in pure constructive mathematics
The ordinary intermediate value theorem (IVT) is not provable in constructive mathematics. To show this, one can construct a Brouwerian "weak counterexample" and also promote it to a precise ...
- 66.8k
21
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Prime ideals in the ring of germs of continuous functions
We all know that the ring of germs of continuous functions at a point on, say $\mathbb{R}$, has a unique maximal ideal- namely, those functions that vanish at that point.
Can anyone think of a single ...
- 13.5k
21
votes
1
answer
1k
views
If $f:R^n \to R$ is a smooth real-valued function such that $\nabla f : R^n \to R^n$ is a diffeomorphism, what can one conclude about the behavior of $f(x)$ at infinity?
This question may seem peculiar, so let me preface it by saying that it arose while I was trying to understand Legendre transformations better, and in that context it is fairly natural. Anyway, ...
- 15.3k
21
votes
1
answer
1k
views
(update) Is there always a real $x$ such that $\cos n_1 x + \cos n_2 x + \cos n_3 x < -2$?
Problem: Given three positive integers $0 < n_1 < n_2 < n_3$ such that
$$n_1 + n_2 \ne n_3, \quad n_2 \ne 2n_1, \quad n_3 \ne 2n_1, \quad n_3 \ne 2n_2,$$
is there always a real number $x$ ...
- 1,053