The space $(E, |\cdot|)$ is strictly convex if and only if the map $\varphi(x) := |x|^{2}$ is strictly convex

functional-analysisnormed-spacessolution-verification

I'm doing Ex 1.26 in Brezis's book of Functional Analysis.

Let $(E, |\cdot|)$ be an n.v.s.

  • One says that $|\cdot|$ is strictly convex (or that the space $E$ is strictly convex) if $|t x+(1-t) y|<1$ for all $x, y \in E$ with $x \neq y,|x|=|y|=1$ and for all $t \in(0,1)$.

  • One says that a map $\varphi: E \to (-\infty, +\infty]$ is strictly convex if $\varphi(t x+(1-t) y)<t \varphi(x)+(1-t) \varphi(y)$ for all $x, y \in E$ with $x \neq y$ and for all $t \in(0,1)$.

Then the norm $|\cdot|$ is strictly convex if and only if the map $\varphi(x) := |x|^{2}$ is strictly convex.

Could you have a check on my attempt?

I post my proof separately as an answer below. This allows me to subsequently remove this question from unanswered list.

Best Answer

We fix $t \in(0,1)$ and $x, y \in E$.

  • Assume that $\varphi$ is strictly convex.

Let $x \neq y,|x|=|y|=1$. Then $$ |t x+(1-t) y|^2 = \varphi(tx + (1-t)y < t\varphi(x) + (1-t) \varphi(y) = t|x|^2 + (1-t)|y|^2 = 1. $$ Hence $|t x+(1-t) y| < 1$.

  • Assume that $E$ is strictly convex.

Let $x \neq y, x' := x/|x|$, and $y' := y/|y|$. Then $|x'|=|y'|=1$. Let $t' := t|x|/(t|x|+(1-t)|y|)$. Then $$ \left |\frac{t x+(1-t) y}{t|x|+(1-t)|y|} \right |^2 = \left | \frac{t|x| x'+(1-t) |y| y'}{t|x|+(1-t)|y|} \right |^2 = |t'x' + (1-t')y'|^2 < 1. $$

It follows that $|t x+(1-t) y|^2 < (t|x|+(1-t)|y|)^2$. Because $\mathbb R\to \mathbb R, x \mapsto x^2$ is strongly (and thus strictly) convex, we get $(t|x|+(1-t)|y|)^2 < t|x|^2 + (1-t)|y|^2$. This completes the proof.