The cross-polytope, the ball, and the cube

Jordan Bell
March 28, 2016

1 lq norms and volume of the unit ball

For x,y∈ℝn,

⟨x,y⟩=∑j=1nxj⁢yj.

Let e1,…,en be the standard basis for ℝn.

x=∑j=1nxj⁢ej=∑j=1n⟨x,ej⟩⁢ej.

For 1≤q<∞ let

|x|q=(∑j=1n|xj|q)1/q

and for q=∞ let

|x|∞=max1≤j≤n⁡|xj|.

Then for for 1≤q≤∞ let

Bqn={x∈ℝn:|x|q≤1}.

For 0≤k≤n let λk be k-dimensional Lebesgue measure on ℝn. We calculate the volume of the unit ball with the ℓq norm for 1≤q<∞.

Theorem 1.

For n≥1 and for 1≤q<∞,

λn⁢(Bqn)=(2⁢Γ⁢(1q+1))nΓ⁢(nq+1).
Proof.

For R≥0 let Vqn⁢(R)=λn⁢(R⋅Bqn). For n=1,

Vq1⁢(R)=λ1⁢(R⋅Bq1)=∫-R≤x1≤R𝑑λ1⁢(x1)=2⁢R.

By induction, suppose for some n that

Vqn⁢(R)=(2⁢R⁢Γ⁢(1q+1))nΓ⁢(nq+1).

Using Fubini’s theorem and the induction hypothesis and doing the change of variable xn+1=R⁢t we calculate

Vqn+1⁢(R) =∫|x1|q+⋯+|xn|q+|xn+1|q≤Rq𝑑λn+1⁢(x)
=∫-R≤xn+1≤R(∫|x1|q+⋯+|xn|q≤Rq-|xn+1|q𝑑λn⁢(x1,…,xn))⁢𝑑λ1⁢(xn+1)
=∫-R≤xn+1≤RVqn⁢((Rq-|xn+1|q)1/q)⁢𝑑λ1⁢(xn+1)
=∫-R≤xn+1≤R(2⁢(Rq-|xn+1|q)1/q⁢Γ⁢(1q+1))nΓ⁢(nq+1)⁢𝑑λ1⁢(xn+1)
=(2⁢Γ⁢(1q+1))nΓ⁢(nq+1)⁢∫-1≤t≤1(Rq-|R⁢t|q)n/q⋅R⁢𝑑λ1⁢(t)
=(2⁢Γ⁢(1q+1))nΓ⁢(nq+1)⋅Rn+1⋅2⁢∫0≤t≤1(1-tq)n/q⁢𝑑λ1⁢(t).

Now, doing the change of variable u=tq, namely t=u1/q with t′=1q⁢u1q-1 and using the beta function B⁢(a,b)=∫01ua-1⁢(1-u)b-1⁢𝑑λ1⁢(u),

∫0≤t≤1(1-tq)n/q⁢𝑑λ1⁢(t) =∫0≤u≤1(1-u)n/q⋅1q⁢u1q-1⁢𝑑λ1⁢(u)
=1q⁢B⁢(1q,nq+1).

But B⁢(a,b)=Γ⁢(a)⁢Γ⁢(b)Γ⁢(a+b), and using Γ⁢(a+1)=a⁢Γ⁢(a),

1q⁢B⁢(1q,nq+1)=1q⁢Γ⁢(1q)⁢Γ⁢(nq+1)Γ⁢(1q+nq+1)=Γ⁢(1q+1)⁢Γ⁢(nq+1)Γ⁢(n+1q+1).

Therefore

Vqn+1⁢(R) =(2⁢Γ⁢(1q+1))nΓ⁢(nq+1)⋅Rn+1⋅2⋅Γ⁢(1q+1)⁢Γ⁢(nq+1)Γ⁢(n+1q+1)
=(2⁢R⁢Γ⁢(1q+1))n+1Γ⁢(n+1q+1),

which proves the claim. ∎

B1n is an n-dimensional cross-polytope, B2n is an n-dimensional Euclidean ball, and B∞n is an n-dimensional cube.

λn⁢(B1n)=2nn!,λn⁢(B2n)=πn/2Γ⁢(n2+1),λn⁢(B∞n)=2n,

using Γ⁢(n+1)=n! and Γ⁢(32)=π2.

2 Intersection of a hyperplane and the cube

Let ξ∈Sn-1 and t∈ℝ, and define

Pξ,t={x∈ℝn:⟨x,ξ⟩=t}.

In particular,

ξ⟂=Pξ,0.

Let

Aξ⁢(t)=λn-1⁢(Pξ,t∩B∞n)=∫Pξ,t1B∞n⁢(x)⁢𝑑λn-1⁢(x).
Theorem 2.

For ξ∈Sn-1 and t∈ℝ,

Aξ⁢(t)=2nπ⁢∫0∞cos⁡t⁢r⋅∏i=1n2ξi⁢r⁢sin⁡ξi⁢r⁢d⁢r.
Proof.

Then by Fubini’s theorem,

A^ξ⁢(τ) =∫ℝAξ⁢(t)⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢t⁢τ⁢𝑑λ1⁢(t)
=∫ℝ(∫Pξ,t1B∞n⁢(x)⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢⟨x,ξ⟩⁢τ⁢𝑑λn-1⁢(x))⁢𝑑λ1⁢(t)
=∫ℝn1B∞n⁢(x)⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢⟨x,ξ⟩⁢τ⁢𝑑λn⁢(x).

Now,

1B∞n⁢(x)=(1B∞1⊗⋯⊗1B∞1)⁢(x)=∏i=1n1B∞1⁢(xi),

whence, by Fubini’s theorem,

∫ℝn1B∞n⁢(x)⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢⟨x,ξ⟩⁢τ⁢𝑑λn⁢(x) =∫ℝn(∏i=1n1B∞1⁢(xi)⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢xi⁢ξi⁢τ)⁢𝑑λn⁢(x)
=∏i=1n∫ℝ1B∞1⁢(xi)⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢xi⁢ξi⁢τ⁢𝑑λ1⁢(xi).

But, when ξi⁢τ≠0,

∫ℝ1B∞1⁢(xi)⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢xi⁢ξi⁢τ⁢𝑑λ1⁢(xi)=∫-11e-2⁢π⁢i⁢xi⁢ξi⁢τ⁢𝑑λ1⁢(xi)=1π⁢ξi⁢τ⁢sin⁡2⁢π⁢ξi⁢τ,

thus

A^ξ⁢(τ)=∏i=1n1π⁢ξi⁢τ⁢sin⁡2⁢π⁢ξi⁢τ.

By the Fourier inversion theorem, using that A^ξ is an even function,

Aξ⁢(t) =∫ℝA^ξ⁢(τ)⁢e2⁢π⁢i⁢t⁢τ⁢𝑑λ1⁢(τ)
=∫ℝA^ξ⁢(τ)⁢cos⁡2⁢π⁢t⁢τ⁢d⁢λ1⁢(τ)
=2⁢∫0∞A^ξ⁢(τ)⁢cos⁡2⁢π⁢t⁢τ⁢d⁢τ
=2⁢∫0∞cos⁡2⁢π⁢t⁢τ⋅∏i=1n1π⁢ξi⁢τ⁢sin⁡2⁢π⁢ξi⁢τ⁢d⁢τ
=2nπ⁢∫0∞cos⁡t⁢r⋅∏i=1n2ξi⁢r⁢sin⁡ξi⁢r⁢d⁢r.

∎

3 Schwartz functions

Let 𝒮 be the Fréchet space of Schwartz function ℝn→ℂ and let 𝒮′ be the locally convex space of tempered distributions 𝒮→ℂ. If f:ℝn→ℂ is locally integrable and there is some N such that

∫|x|2≤R|f⁢(x)|⁢𝑑λn⁢(x)=O⁢(RN),R→∞,

it is a fact that

ϕ↦⟨f,ϕ⟩=∫ℝnf⁢(x)⁢ϕ⁢(x)⁢𝑑λn⁢(x),ϕ∈𝒮,

is a tempered distribution.

Lemma 3.

For 1≤q≤∞ and for 0<h<n, |x|q-h is a tempered distribution.

Proof.

For 1≤q≤2,

|x|2≤|x|q≤n1q-12⁢|x|2,

and for 2≤q≤∞,

|x|q≤|x|2≤n12-1q⁢|x|q.

Then for 1≤q≤2 and for 0<h<n, using polar coordinates and as σ⁢(Sn-1)=2⁢π(n+1)/2Γ⁢(n+12),

∫|x|2≤R|x|q-h⁢𝑑λn⁢(x) ≤∫|x|2≤R|x|2-h⁢𝑑λn⁢(x)
=∫Sn-1(∫0∞r-h⋅rn-1⁢𝑑r)⁢𝑑σ
=2⁢π(n+1)/2Γ⁢(n+12)⋅∫0Rr-h+n-1⁢𝑑r
=2⁢π(n+1)/2Γ⁢(n+12)⋅r-h+n-h+n|0R
=2⁢π(n+1)/2Γ⁢(n+12)⋅R-h+n-h+n
=O⁢(R-h+n).

For 2≤q≤∞ and for 0<r<n,

∫|x|2≤R|x|q-h⁢𝑑λn⁢(x) ≤∫|x|2≤R(n-12+1q⁢|x|2)-h⁢𝑑λn⁢(x)
=nh2-hq⁢∫|x|2≤R|x|2-h⁢𝑑λn⁢(x)
=nh2-hq⋅2⁢π(n+1)/2Γ⁢(n+12)⋅R-h+n-h+n
=O⁢(R-h+n).

∎

For ϕ∈𝒮 let

ϕ^⁢(ξ)=∫ℝnϕ⁢(x)⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢⟨x,ξ⟩⁢𝑑λn⁢(x).

For 1≤q<∞ define cq:ℝ→ℝ by

cq⁢(z)=e-|z|q,z∈ℝ,

which belongs to 𝒮⁢(ℝ), and let γq=c^q.

For a tempered distribution T,

⟨T^,ϕ⟩=⟨T,ϕ^⟩,ϕ∈𝒮.

Define fq,h⁢(x)=|x|q-h. We calculate the Fourier transform of the tempered distribution fq,h.11 1 Alexander Koldobsky and Vladyslav Yaskin, The Interface between Convex Geometry and Harmonic Analysis, p. 9, Lemma 2.1.

Theorem 4.

Let 0<h<n. For 1≤q<∞,

f^q,h⁢(ξ)=qΓ⁢(h/q)⁢∫0∞tn-h-1⁢∏j=1nγq⁢(t⁢ξj)⁢d⁢t,

and for q=∞,

f^∞,h⁢(ξ)=2n⁢h⁢∫0∞tn-h-1⁢∏j=1nsin⁡t⁢ξjt⁢ξj⁢d⁢t
Proof.

Suppose that 1≤q<∞. For x≠0, doing the change of variable z=t1/q⁢|x|q-1,

∫0∞zh-1⁢e-zq⁢|x|qq⁢𝑑z =∫0∞(t1/q⁢|x|q-1)h-1⁢e-t⁢|x|q-1⁢1q⁢t1q-1⁢𝑑t
=|x|q-hq⁢∫0∞thq-1⁢e-t⁢𝑑t
=|x|q-hq⋅Γ⁢(h/q),

i.e. fq,h⁢(x)=qΓ⁢(h/q)⁢∫0∞zh-1⁢e-zq⁢|x|qq⁢𝑑z.

For z>0 define Fq,z:ℝn→ℝ by

Fq,z⁢(x)=e-|z⁢x|qq,x∈ℝn,

which is a Schwartz function. Doing the change of variable y=z⋅x and using Fubini’s theorem,

F^q,z⁢(ξ) =∫ℝne-|z⁢x|qq⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢⟨x,ξ⟩⁢𝑑λn⁢(x)
=∫ℝne-|y1|q-⋯-|yn|q⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢⟨y,z-1⁢ξ⟩⋅z-n⁢𝑑λn⁢(y)
=z-n⁢∏j=1n∫ℝe-|yj|q⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢yj⋅z-1⁢ξj⁢𝑑λ1⁢(yj)
=z-n⁢∏j=1nγq⁢(z-1⁢ξj).

Then for ϕ∈𝒮,

⟨f^q,h,ϕ⟩ =∫ℝnfq,h⁢(ξ)⁢ϕ^⁢(ξ)⁢𝑑λn⁢(ξ)
=∫ℝn(qΓ⁢(h/q)⁢∫0∞zh-1⁢e-zq⁢|ξ|qq⁢𝑑z)⁢ϕ^⁢(ξ)⁢𝑑λn⁢(ξ)
=qΓ⁢(h/q)⁢∫0∞zh-1⁢(∫ℝne-|z⁢ξ|qq⁢ϕ^⁢(ξ)⁢𝑑λn⁢(ξ))⁢𝑑z
=qΓ⁢(h/q)⁢∫0∞zh-1⁢⟨Fq,z,ϕ^⟩⁢𝑑z
=qΓ⁢(h/q)⁢∫0∞zh-1⁢⟨F^q,z,ϕ⟩⁢𝑑z
=qΓ⁢(h/q)⁢∫0∞zh-1-n⁢(∫ℝn∏j=1nγq⁢(z-1⁢ξj)⋅ϕ⁢(ξ)⁢d⁢λn⁢(ξ))⁢𝑑z
=∫ℝn(qΓ⁢(h/q)⁢∫0∞zh-1-n⁢∏j=1nγq⁢(z-1⁢ξj)⁢d⁢z)⁢ϕ⁢(ξ)⁢𝑑λn⁢(ξ).

This implies, doing the change of variable z=t-1,

f^q,h⁢(ξ) =qΓ⁢(h/q)⁢∫0∞zh-1-n⁢∏j=1nγq⁢(z-1⁢ξj)⁢d⁢z
=qΓ⁢(h/q)⁢∫0∞tn-h-1⁢∏j=1nγq⁢(t⁢ξj)⁢d⁢t.

∎

4 Fourier transform

We remind ourselves that cq⁢(z)=e-|z|q, z∈ℝ, and γq=c^q. We prove that γq is positive and logconvex.22 2 Alexander Koldobsky and Vladyslav Yaskin, The Interface between Convex Geometry and Harmonic Analysis, p. 4, Lemma 1.4.

Theorem 5.

For 1≤q≤2, γq⁢(z)>0, and z↦log⁡γq⁢(z) is convex on ℝ≥0.

Proof.

Let 0<α≤1, and for z∈[0,∞) let f⁢(z)=exp⁡z and g⁢(z)=-zα. Then for k∈ℤ≥0 and z∈(0,∞),

g(k)⁢(z)=-k!⁢(αk)⁢zα-k,sgn⁢g(k)⁢(z)=(-1)k.

For n≥1, Faà di Bruno’s formula tells us

(f∘g)(n)⁢(z) =∑(m1,…,mn),1⋅m1+⋯+n⋅mn=nn!m1!⁢⋯⁢mn!⁢(f(m1+⋯+mn)∘g)⁢(z)
⋅∏k=1n(g(k)⁢(z)k!)mk.

Then

(-1)n⁢(f∘g)(n)⁢(z) =∑(m1,…,mn),1⋅m1+⋯+n⋅mn=nn!m1!⁢⋯⁢mn!⁢(exp∘g)⁢(z)
⋅∏k=1n((-1)kg(k)⁢(z)k!)mk
≥0.

This shows that f∘g is completely monotone. Furthermore, (f∘g)⁢(0)=1, so by the Bernstein-Widder theorem there is a Borel probability measure μ on [0,∞) such that

(f∘g)⁢(z)=∫[0,∞)e-z⁢t⁢𝑑μ⁢(t),z∈[0,∞).

With α=q2, there is thus a Borel probability measure μq on [0,∞) such that

exp⁡(-zq/2)=∫[0,∞)e-z⁢t⁢𝑑μq⁢(t),z∈[0,∞).

Then for z∈ℝ,

cq⁢(z)=exp⁡(-|z|q)=exp⁡(-(z2)q/2)=∫[0,∞)e-z2⁢t⁢𝑑μq/2⁢(t).

For w∈ℝ we calculate, using the Fourier transform of a Gaussian,

γq⁢(w) =∫ℝe-2⁢π⁢i⁢w⁢z⁢cq⁢(z)⁢𝑑λ1⁢(z)
=∫ℝe-2⁢π⁢i⁢w⁢z⁢(∫[0,∞)e-z2⁢t⁢𝑑μq/2⁢(t))⁢𝑑λ1⁢(z)
=∫[0,∞)(∫ℝe-t⁢z2⁢e-2⁢π⁢i⁢w⁢z⁢𝑑λ1⁢(z))⁢𝑑μq/2⁢(t)
=∫[0,∞)πt⁢exp⁡(-(π⁢w)2t)⁢𝑑μq/2⁢(t)
=π1/2⁢∫[0,∞)t-1/2⁢e-π2⁢w2/t⁢𝑑μq/2⁢(t).

From the final expression it is evident that γk⁢(w)>0. Furthermore, for w1,w2∈(0,∞), using the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality,

log⁡γq⁢(w1+w22) =12log(π1/2∫[0,∞)t-1/4e-π2⋅w12⁢t⋅t-1/4e-π2⋅w22⁢tdμq/2(t))2
≤12log(π∫[0,∞)t-1/2e-π2⋅w1tdμq/2(t)
⋅∫[0,∞)t-1/2e-π2⋅w2tdμq/2(t))
=12⁢log⁡(π1/2⁢∫[0,∞)t-1/2⁢e-π2⋅w1t⁢𝑑μq/2⁢(t))
+12⁢log⁡(π1/2⁢∫[0,∞)t-1/2⁢e-π2⋅w2t⁢𝑑μq/2⁢(t))
=12⁢log⁡γq⁢(w1)+12⁢log⁡γq⁢(w2).

Because w↦log⁡γq⁢(w) is continuous, this suffices to prove that it is convex. ∎