Is $f(x)=\sqrt{x},x\geq 0$ Lipschitz at $[0,\infty]$?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around whether the function \( f(x) = \sqrt{x} \) for \( x \geq 0 \) is Lipschitz continuous on the interval \([0, \infty]\). Participants explore the conditions for Lipschitz continuity and seek to demonstrate that the function does not satisfy these conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest using the Lipschitz condition \( |f(x) - f(y)| \leq M |x - y| \) to show that \( f \) is not Lipschitz.
  • One participant proposes negating the Lipschitz condition to find \( x \) and \( y \) such that \( |\sqrt{x} - \sqrt{y}| > M |x - y| \) for any \( M > 0 \).
  • Another participant notes that the function has an unbounded derivative at \( x = 0 \), implying it does not satisfy the Lipschitz condition.
  • There are discussions about specific choices of \( x \) and \( y \) to demonstrate the failure of the Lipschitz condition, including examples like \( x = \frac{1}{4} \) and \( y = 0 \).
  • Some participants question whether the relation \( |\sqrt{x} - \sqrt{y}| > M |x - y| \) can be satisfied for all \( x, y \) in certain intervals, leading to further exploration of specific cases.
  • Participants discuss the implications of squaring both sides of the inequality derived from the Lipschitz condition and analyze the resulting expressions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the Lipschitz continuity of the function. There are competing views on how to demonstrate the failure of the Lipschitz condition, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding the specific choices of \( x \) and \( y \) that would satisfy the inequality.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the conditions under which the Lipschitz inequality holds and explore various mathematical manipulations to analyze the function's behavior. The discussion includes attempts to clarify the implications of specific choices of \( x \) and \( y \) and their relation to the Lipschitz condition.

evinda
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Hi! :rolleyes: I have also an other question...
Could you explain me why $f(x)=\sqrt{x},x\geq 0$ is not Lipschitz at $[0,\infty]$??How can I show this??Do I have to use the condition $|f(x)-f(y)| \leq M|x-y|,M>0$ ,to show this??
 
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Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

evinda said:
Hi! :rolleyes: I have also an other question...
Could you explain me why $f(x)=\sqrt{x},x\geq 0$ is not Lipschitz at $[0,\infty]$??How can I show this??Do I have to use the condition $|f(x)-f(y)| \leq M|x-y|,M>0$ ,to show this??

Hint : choose $y=0$.
 
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

evinda said:
Hi! :rolleyes: I have also an other question...
Could you explain me why $f(x)=\sqrt{x},x\geq 0$ is not Lipschitz at $[0,\infty]$??How can I show this??Do I have to use the condition $|f(x)-f(y)| \leq M|x-y|,M>0$ ,to show this??

If $f:[0,\infty)\to \mathbb{R}$ is Lipschitz it would mean that there is a positive $M>0$ so that for all $x,y\in [0,\infty)$ we have $|f(x)-f(y)|\leq M|x-y|$. Write it out in logic symbols:
$$ \exists M>0 ~ \forall x,y\in [0,\infty), ~ |f(x)-f(y)|\leq M|x-y| $$
When you negate this statement you get,
$$ \forall M>0, \exists x,y\in [0,\infty), ~ |f(x)-f(y)| > M|x-y| $$
You want to show the negated version as you are claiming $f$ is not Lipschitz.

Thus, given any $M>0$ you therefore need to find two non-negative numbers $x$ and $y$ so that $|\sqrt{x} - \sqrt{y}| > M|x-y|$.
 
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

evinda said:
Hi! :rolleyes: I have also an other question...
Could you explain me why $f(x)=\sqrt{x},x\geq 0$ is not Lipschitz at $[0,\infty]$??How can I show this??Do I have to use the condition $|f(x)-f(y)| \leq M|x-y|,M>0$ ,to show this??

We say that the function f(x) satisfies the Lipschitz condition on the interval [a,b] if there is a constant K, independent from f and from the interval [a,b] such that for all $x_{1}$ and $x_{2}$ in [a,b] with $x_{1} \ne x_{2}$ is...

$\displaystyle |f(x_{1}) - f(x_{2})| < K\ |x_{1} - x_{2}|\ (1)$The function $\displaystyle f(x) = \sqrt{x}$ has an umbounded derivative in x=0, so that it doesn.t satisfy the Lipschitz condition in $[0,\infty]$...

Kind regards $\chi$ $\sigma$​
 
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

ThePerfectHacker said:
If $f:[0,\infty)\to \mathbb{R}$ is Lipschitz it would mean that there is a positive $M>0$ so that for all $x,y\in [0,\infty)$ we have $|f(x)-f(y)|\leq M|x-y|$. Write it out in logic symbols:
$$ \exists M>0 ~ \forall x,y\in [0,\infty), ~ |f(x)-f(y)|\leq M|x-y| $$
When you negate this statement you get,
$$ \forall M>0, \exists x,y\in [0,\infty), ~ |f(x)-f(y)| > M|x-y| $$
You want to show the negated version as you are claiming $f$ is not Lipschitz.

Thus, given any $M>0$ you therefore need to find two non-negative numbers $x$ and $y$ so that $|\sqrt{x} - \sqrt{y}| > M|x-y|$.

I understand... :) But..is this relation $|\sqrt{x} - \sqrt{y}| > M|x-y|$ always satisfied? :confused:
 
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

evinda said:
I understand... :) But..is this relation $|\sqrt{x} - \sqrt{y}| > M|x-y|$ always satisfied? :confused:

No. It is not always satisfied. For example, $x=0,y=0$ will make it false. You need to show it is sometimes satisfied. You need to find some $x$ and $y$ that will do it for you.
 
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

ThePerfectHacker said:
No. It is not always satisfied. For example, $x=0,y=0$ will make it false. You need to show it is sometimes satisfied. You need to find some $x$ and $y$ that will do it for you.

Isn't this relation just satisfied for $x,y \in (0,1)$??
 
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

evinda said:
Isn't this relation just satisfied for $x,y \in (0,1)$??

No. Say $M=2$ so we are saying $|\sqrt{x}-\sqrt{y}| > 2|x-y|$ for all $x,y\in(0,1)$. But that is not true, just pick $x,y=1/2$.
 
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

ThePerfectHacker said:
No. Say $M=2$ so we are saying $|\sqrt{x}-\sqrt{y}| > 2|x-y|$ for all $x,y\in(0,1)$. But that is not true, just pick $x,y=1/2$.

Aha!But..to show the negated version,don't we have to find a condition that is satisfied for each x,y?Or am I wrong?
 
  • #10
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

The typical way to disprove it, is a proof by contradiction.
First assume it is Lipschitz. That is, there is some M such that the inequality holds for every x and y.
And then find an x and y, such that the Lipschitz condition is not satisfied after all.
(Hint: pick one of the 2 as zero and the other "small enough" depending on M.)
 
  • #11
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

evinda said:
Aha!But..to show the negated version,don't we have to find a condition that is satisfied for each x,y?Or am I wrong?

No. You just need to find one $x$ and one $y$. That is all.
 
  • #12
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

ThePerfectHacker said:
No. You just need to find one $x$ and one $y$. That is all.

So,I could pick for example $x=\frac{1}{2},y=0$ and $M=1$..Right??

- - - Updated - - -

I like Serena said:
The typical way to disprove it, is a proof by contradiction.
First assume it is Lipschitz. That is, there is some M such that the inequality holds for every x and y.
And then find an x and y, such that the Lipschitz condition is not satisfied after all.
(Hint: pick one of the 2 as zero and the other "small enough" depending on M.)

I picked $y=0,x=\frac{1}{M}$ and I got $M \geq 1$.Would this be a contradiction? :confused:
 
  • #13
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

evinda said:
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I picked $y=0,x=\frac{1}{M}$ and I got $M \geq 1$.Would this be a contradiction? :confused:

Sorry, but no, that is not a contradiction. :eek:

Let's see what we have.
The Lipschitz condition is:
$$|f(x)-f(y)| \le M|x-y|$$

With $f(x)=\sqrt x$ and with $y=0$ this becomes:
$$|\sqrt x - \sqrt 0| \le M|x-0|$$
Since the domain is restricted to $x \ge 0$, we can simplify this to:
$$\sqrt x \le Mx$$

Can you solve it for x?

And if so, can you also find an x for which it is not true?
 
  • #14
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

I like Serena said:
Let's see what we have.
The Lipschitz condition is:
$$|f(x)-f(y)| \le M|x-y|$$

With $f(x)=\sqrt x$ and with $y=0$ this becomes:
$$|\sqrt x - \sqrt 0| \le M|x-0|$$
Since the domain is restricted to $x \ge 0$, we can simplify this to:
$$\sqrt x \le Mx$$

Can you solve it for x?

And if so, can you also find an x for which it is not true?

Can we square this: $\sqrt x \le Mx$ ??

If yes,then we have: $x \le M^2x^2$ and for $x=\frac{1}{4}$,we get: $\frac{1}{4} \le \frac{M^2}{16}$..This relation does not hold for $M>2$..Could we say it like that? :confused:
 
  • #15
Remember what you need to show. Given an $M>0$ you can find $x,y\geq 0$ such that $|\sqrt{x}-\sqrt{y}| > M|x-y|$.

I will do it for $M=1$. Choose $x=\tfrac{1}{4}$ and $y=0$, then we get,
$$ \left| \sqrt{\frac{1}{4}} - \sqrt{0} \right| > 1\cdot \left| \tfrac{1}{4} - 0 \right | $$
Which is true.

Now say that $M=2$, how would you choose $x$ and $y$?
 
  • #16
Re: f not Lipschitz at [0,oo]!

evinda said:
Can we square this: $\sqrt x \le Mx$ ??

Yes, you can square this, since both sides are $\ge 0$.

If yes,then we have: $x \le M^2x^2$ and for $x=\frac{1}{4}$,we get: $\frac{1}{4} \le \frac{M^2}{16}$..This relation does not hold for $M>2$..Could we say it like that? :confused:

Wel... you still didn't solve for $x$ did you... can you?
 
  • #17
ThePerfectHacker said:
Remember what you need to show. Given an $M>0$ you can find $x,y\geq 0$ such that $|\sqrt{x}-\sqrt{y}| > M|x-y|$.

I will do it for $M=1$. Choose $x=\tfrac{1}{4}$ and $y=0$, then we get,
$$ \left| \sqrt{\frac{1}{4}} - \sqrt{0} \right| > 1\cdot \left| \tfrac{1}{4} - 0 \right | $$
Which is true.

Now say that $M=2$, how would you choose $x$ and $y$?

For $M=2$ I would pick $x=\sqrt{1}{5},y=0$ ..

- - - Updated - - -

I like Serena said:
Yes, you can square this, since both sides are $\ge 0$.
Wel... you still didn't solve for $x$ did you... can you?

$x^2M^2-x \ge 0 \Rightarrow x(xM^2-1) \ge 0$
 
  • #18
evinda said:
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$x^2M^2-x \ge 0 \Rightarrow x(xM^2-1) \ge 0$

Let's try it like this:
\begin{array}{}
x &\le& M^2x^2 \\
\frac 1 {M^2} &\le& x \\
x &\ge& \frac 1 {M^2}
\end{array}

So let's pick $$x = \frac 1 {M^3}$$ (Evilgrin)
 
  • #19
I like Serena said:
Let's try it like this:
\begin{array}{}
x &\le& M^2x^2 \\
\frac 1 {M^2} &\le& x \\
x &\ge& \frac 1 {M^2}
\end{array}

So let's pick $$x = \frac 1 {M^3}$$ (Evilgrin)

Oh yes! This is a contradiction! (Nod)
 

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