Dot Product Notation Clarification

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SUMMARY

The notation \(|\langle f,g\rangle|^{2}\) represents the square of the absolute value of the dot product of vectors \(f\) and \(g\) in \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\). This is defined as \(\left(\sum^{n}_{i=1}f_{i} g_{i}\right)^{2}\) when the dot product is complex, necessitating the absolute value. In contrast, the norm of a vector \(f\) is represented as \(\langle f, f\rangle = \|f\|^{2}\), which does not require further squaring. The distinction lies in the treatment of complex versus real dot products, where the absolute value is redundant for real results.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of vector notation in \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\)
  • Familiarity with the concept of dot products
  • Knowledge of complex numbers and their properties
  • Basic grasp of norms and their mathematical representations
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the properties of complex dot products in linear algebra
  • Learn about vector norms and their applications in \(\mathbb{R}^{n}\)
  • Explore the implications of absolute values in complex analysis
  • Review the notation and definitions in "Frames and Bases" for deeper insights
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Mathematicians, physics students, and anyone studying linear algebra or vector calculus who seeks clarity on dot product notation and its implications in both real and complex spaces.

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The following notation is from the book "Frames and Bases."

Let f and g be vectors in [tex]R^{n}[/tex] with the usual dot product <,>.

Then, what does the notation [tex]\left|\left\langle f,g\right\rangle\right|^{2}[/tex] mean?

Specifically, does it mean [tex]\left|\sum^{n}_{i=1}f_{i} g_{i}\right|[/tex]

or does it mean [tex]\left(\sum^{n}_{i=1}f_{i} g_{i}\right)^{2}[/tex]
 
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so in such notation <f,g> is the dot product of f and g.
|<f,g>|^2 is the square of the absolute value of that dot product.
Some dot products are always real and the absolute value is redundent.
Other dot products can be complex and the absolute value is needed.
 
lurflurf said:
so in such notation <f,g> is the dot product of f and g.
|<f,g>|^2 is the square of the absolute value of that dot product.
Some dot products are always real and the absolute value is redundent.
Other dot products can be complex and the absolute value is needed.

Thanks for responding. I was thinking that too. But it just seems inconsistent with the notation for the norm of a vector f in [tex]R^{n}[/tex].

For example, [tex]\left\langle \right f, f\rangle = \left\right\|f\|^{2}[/tex]

In this case, f dot f without further squaring is equal to [tex]\left\right\|f\|^{2}[/tex].

But in |<f,g>|^2, you need compute f dot g, and THEN you still square its absolute value.

Is that correct?
 

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