Identifing a vector from all Lp norms ?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the identification of a vector or function based on its Lp norms, specifically exploring whether knowing all Lp norms for natural numbers or positive reals can uniquely determine the function or vector up to some equivalence relation, such as permutation. The context includes both discrete and continuous cases.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that knowing all Lp norms can at most identify the absolute values of the vector elements.
  • Another participant visualizes the surfaces of constant norms, noting that L1 norm gives hyperplanes, L2 norm gives hyperspheres, and L∞ gives a box, proposing that these surfaces suggest the absolute values can be determined up to permutation.
  • A similar viewpoint is expressed, emphasizing the geometric interpretation in low dimensions but acknowledging difficulties in higher dimensions.
  • A counterexample is presented in the continuous case, where an exponential function and a piecewise-patched Laplacian distribution function share the same L-alpha norm, indicating that they can be indistinguishable under certain conditions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the identification of vectors based on Lp norms, with some believing it is possible to determine absolute values up to permutation, while others present counterexamples that challenge this notion. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the extent to which identification is possible.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations in identifying functions or vectors solely based on Lp norms, particularly in the continuous case where counterexamples exist. The assumptions regarding the nature of the functions and the implications of finite L0 norms are also not fully explored.

memming
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identifing a vector from all Lp norms...?

Hey fellows,

If I have all the [tex]L_p[/tex] norms for all p in natural numbers or positive reals of a function from real to real, can I identify the function up to some equivalence relation (such as permutation of the ) assuming the function has a finite [tex]L_0[/tex] norm?

The discrete version of this question would be: can I identify a vector [tex]x \in \mathbb{R}^N[/tex] given all the [tex]l_p[/tex] norms defined as follows:
[tex] l_p(x) = \left(\sum_i^N |x_i|^p \right)^{\frac{1}{p}}[/tex]
It is apparent from the equation that the permutation of a vector will result in the same norm.

Any ideas?
 
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It would seem that you can at most hope to identify the absolute values of the vector elements.
 
For the discrete case at least you can try visualising surfaces of constant norm. Constant L_1 norm gives hyperplanes. Constant L_2 norm gives hyperspheres. Constant L_inf gives a box. So increasing p gradually pushes the surface outwards. Notice that the surfaces all have a line of symmetry going through x_0=x_1=x_2=... I'm not entirely sure, but my intuition says that yes, you can work out the absolute value of the components up to a permutation of them.
 
genneth said:
For the discrete case at least you can try visualising surfaces of constant norm. Constant L_1 norm gives hyperplanes. Constant L_2 norm gives hyperspheres. Constant L_inf gives a box. So increasing p gradually pushes the surface outwards. Notice that the surfaces all have a line of symmetry going through x_0=x_1=x_2=... I'm not entirely sure, but my intuition says that yes, you can work out the absolute value of the components up to a permutation of them.

Yes, my intuition also says so. But I cannot prove it!
The geometric picture helps in low dimensions, but I am having great trouble imagining N-1 hyperstructures intersecting with each other...

If you have any reference to the literature, it would be very helpful.
 
Counter example

I found a counter example in the continuous case.
A exponential function and a piecewise-patched Laplacian distribution function has the same L-alpha norm, and you can make them have the same range [0, [tex]\infty[/tex]].
 

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