Prove that $f(x)e^{-inx}$ is integrable if $f$ is Riemann integrable.

integrationreal-analysis

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My attempt:
$$\left|\int_{-\pi}^{\pi}f(x)e^{-inx}\right|dx\leq \int_{-\pi}^{\pi}\left|f(x)e^{-inx}\right| dx= \int_{-\pi}^{\pi}|f(x)||e^{-inx}|dx= \int_{-\pi}^{\pi}|f(x)|dx\leq\infty. $$

It is my attampt is the sense that I can write it. But I dont understand several things.

Question 1: We know that $f$ is integrable by Riemann. Then $|f|$ is also integrable by Riemann in any case?

Question 2: In the above question if we replace "by Riemann" by "by Lebesgue" the answer will be the same?

Question 3: We was asked to prove that $f(x)e^{-inx}$ is integrable by Riemann. Why we use absolute value? For me it looks like we do this just because we want to use a well-known inequlity $|\int f |\leq \int |f|$ for the sake of the proof.

Question 4: Okey. Now we know that $\int_{-\pi}^{\pi}|f(x)e^{-inx}|dx \leq \infty$. In other words $ |f(x)e^{-inx}|$ is integrable. Can we conclude that $f(x)e^{-inx}$ is also integrable by Riemann in any case?

Best Answer

The answer is yes to Riemann and Lebesgue integrals, though for different reasons: Your reasoning works for the Lebesgue integral since (with a measurability assumption as background) integrability is all about controlling the size of the function. On the other hand, for the Riemann integral you also have to worry about irregularities: For instance the function $$ f(x)= \begin{cases} 1 & x\in \mathbb{Q},\\ -1 & x\in \mathbb{R}\setminus\mathbb{Q}, \end{cases} $$ is not Riemann integrable, but $|f|$ is. So it's not all about the size for the Riemann integral.

Nonetheless you have nice properties of the Riemann integral such as: If $f,g$ are Riemann integrable, then so is $f\cdot g$. One way to see this is to write $2f\cdot g= (f+g)^2-f^2-g^2$, and then prove the result for $f=g$. Once we have this the result you want is immediate since $g(x)=e^{-inx}$ is continuous (in particular integrable).

So to answer your questions:

  1. Yes, this is true. This follows from the definition of integral as the limit of upper and lower sums and the triangle inequality.

  2. Yes, and as I mentioned above, your proof goes through in that case.

  3. Again see my first paragraph.

  4. No, see above for a counterexample.