Skip to main content
2 of 4
Fixed a mistake (the same occurring in one the linked preprints!) and simplified the tail of the reasoning
Salvo Tringali
  • 10.5k
  • 2
  • 29
  • 64

The answer is in the negative.

Let $f$ and $g$ be two upper densities (in the sense of the OP), and let $\alpha \in [0,1]$ and $q \in [1,\infty[$. Then the function $$h: \mathcal P(\mathbf N^+) \to \mathbf R: X \mapsto (\alpha (f(X))^q + (1-\alpha) (g(X))^q)^{\frac{1}{q}}$$ is an upper density too (this is a special case of Proposition 11 here, where, however, there is a minor mistake with the range of the parameter $q$).

Next, fix a set $X \subseteq 2\cdot\mathbf N^+$, and suppose to a contradiction that $h$ is additive, regardless of the actual values of the parameters $f$, $g$, $\alpha$ and $q$.

Then, using that $f(2\cdot\mathbf N^+ + 1) = g(2\cdot\mathbf N^+ + 1)=\frac{1}{2}$, we see that the additivity of $h$ implies $$ (\alpha (x+1)^q + (1-\alpha)(y+1)^q)^{\frac{1}{q}} = (\alpha x^q + (1-\alpha)y^q)^{\frac{1}{q}} + 1, $$ where $x := 2f(X)$ and $y := 2g(X)$.

But an appropriate choice of $f$, $g$ and $X$ makes it possible to have $x$ equal to zero while $y$ takes any value in the interval $[0,1]$: This can be achieved, for instance, by letting $f$ be the upper asymptotic density (on $\mathbf N^+$), $g$ the upper Banach density, and $X$ a suitable subset of the intersection, $S$, of $\bigcup_{n \ge 1} [\![2^n, 2^n + n]\!]$ and $2 \cdot\mathbf N^+$, and by considering that (i) the upper Banach density of $S$ is $\frac{1}{2}$, (ii) the upper asymptotic and upper Banach densities are upper densities, and (iii) upper densities have the strong, and hence the weak, Darboux property (by the main theorem here).

Accordingly, we should have $$(\alpha + (1-\alpha)(y+1)^q)^{\frac{1}{q}} = (1-\alpha)^{\frac{1}{q}}y + 1$$ for all $\alpha, y \in [0,1]$ and $q \in [1,\infty[$, which, however, is blatantly false. []

Added later. If you assume $\alpha = \frac{1}{2}$ and $q = 2$ in the last displayed equation, you don't even need to know that the upper Banach density has the weak Darboux property, since then you end up with the equation $$\sqrt{1 + (1+y)^2} = y + \sqrt{2},$$ which has a unique solution for $y \in \bf R$ (namely, $y = 0$).

Salvo Tringali
  • 10.5k
  • 2
  • 29
  • 64