[Math] Convexity check sub- / superlevel sets

convex optimizationconvex-analysis

I'm doing a convex optimization course at my university and struggling with proving quasi convexity and – concavity. I know that this is done by proving convexity of the sub- and super level sets of the function, though I can't really wrap my mind around this.

I know that by definition a function is quasi convex if for an arbitrary α

$$
{S_\alpha } = \{ x \in domf | f(x) \le \alpha \}
$$
And is quasi concave if the super level set is convex for -f(x) <= a.
Which intuitively means that whenever you can draw a straight line through the function, the sub- or super level set has to be convex. However I don't understand how to prove this analytically. Unfortunately my textbook skips this part, and google hasn't been my friend on this problem (as everything I find is too technical for me to understand).
An example problem might be the following:
$$%
\begin{array}{l}
minimize \,\, \frac{{{f_0}(x)}}{{({c^T}x + d)}}\\
Subject\,\,to \,\,{f_i}(x) \le 0,i = 1,…,m\\
Ax = b
\end{array}
$$
Where all $f_i$ are convex, and the domain of the objective function is defined as $\{ x \in dom \ f_0 | {({c^T}x + d)} \ > 0 \} $

With solution: The sublevel sets are convex because $f_0(x)/(c^T x + d)\ \le \alpha$ if and only if $c^T x + d > 0$ and $f_0(x) \ \le \alpha (c^T x + d)$.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Ko.

Best Answer

Your answer is straightforward up to the part where you have to show that $\{x \; : \; f_0(x)/(c^T x + d)\ \le \alpha \}$ is a convex set. You could use the definition of convexity for that (as gerw does), but that is quite involved. Instead, you could rewrite the set as $\{x \; : \; f_0(x)\ \le \alpha (c^T x + d) \}$. Now it is immediate that this set is convex. To do the rewriting, you need $c^T x + d > 0$, as otherwise the inequality may flip.