What assumptions must be made about f for this limit and integral to be correct?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the assumptions necessary for the correctness of a limit involving an integral of a function \( f \) and the sinc function. Participants explore the conditions under which the limit and integral can be evaluated correctly, particularly focusing on the integrability of the function and the implications of various inequalities.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions what assumptions must be made about the function \( f \) for the limit \( \lim_{L\to\infty} \int_{-L}^L f(\frac{x}{L}) \frac{\sin(x)}{x} dx \) to equal \( \pi f(0) \).
  • Another participant introduces an inequality involving the supremum norm of \( f \) and expresses uncertainty about its validity in this context.
  • A later post challenges the correctness of the inequality proposed, providing a counterexample with \( g(x) = \cos(x^2) \) and a specific form of \( f(x) \).
  • Further discussion reveals that the integrability of \( f \) is crucial, with participants noting that the inequality may hold if \( f \) is integrable.
  • Participants express frustration over returning to initial uncertainties regarding the assumptions needed for the limit and integral to be valid.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the assumptions required for the limit and integral to be correct. Multiple competing views and uncertainties about the validity of proposed inequalities remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the unclear status of the inequalities proposed, the dependence on the integrability of \( f \), and the unresolved nature of the mathematical steps involved in proving the correctness of the assumptions.

jostpuur
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What do we have to assume of the function f so that following limit is correct,

[tex] \lim_{L\to\infty} \int\limits_{-L}^L f(\frac{x}{L}) \frac{\sin(x)}{x} dx = f(0)\int\limits_{-\infty}^{\infty} \frac{\sin(x)}{x} dx = \pi f(0)[/tex]

If we first fix the integration domain like this

[tex] \lim_{L\to\infty} \int\limits_{-\infty}^{\infty} f(\frac{x}{L})\frac{\sin(x)}{x} \chi_{[-L,L]}(x)dx[/tex]

the problem is that the limit of the integrand is not Lebesgue integrable over [itex]\mathbb{R}[/itex], so the standard convergence results do not settle this immediately.
 
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I figured out one way to do this, but I had to use one inequality that's correctness is not clear to me. The triangle inequality

[tex] |\int dx\; g(x)| \leq \int dx\;|g(x)|[/tex]

is not suitable here. This instead,

[tex] |\int dx\; f(x)g(x)| \leq \|f\|_{\textrm{sup}} |\int dx\; g(x)|[/tex]

becomes useful. But is this correct? I don't know how to prove this. I wouldn't want to do much assumptions about g, but f can be assumed to be as nice as necessary.
 
jostpuur said:
[tex] |\int dx\; f(x)g(x)| \leq \|f\|_{\textrm{sup}} |\int dx\; g(x)|[/tex]

Argh! Not even correct!

[tex] g(x) = \cos(x^2)[/tex]

[tex] \int\limits_0^{\infty} \cos(x^2)dx = \frac{1}{2}\sqrt{\frac{\pi}{2}}[/tex]

[tex] f(x)=\left\{\begin{array}{ll}<br /> 1, \quad & \cos(x^2)\geq 0\\<br /> 0,\quad &\cos(x^2) < 0 \\<br /> \end{array}\right.[/tex]

[tex] |\int dx\; f(x)g(x)| = \infty > \frac{1}{2}\sqrt{\frac{\pi}{2}} = \|f\|_{\textrm{sup}} |\int dx\; g(x)|[/tex]

hmhmh... but here f is not integrable itself. It could be that the inequality is true if f's integral exists...
 
Last edited:
jostpuur said:
hmhmh... but here f is not integrable itself. It could be that the inequality is true if f's integral exists...

Even this is not true. By fixing sufficiently large M, we obtain an integrable [itex]f\chi_{[0,M]}[/itex] such that

[tex] |\int dx\; (f\chi_{[0,M]})(x) g(x)| > \|f\chi_{[0,M]}\|_{\textrm{sup}} |\int dx\; g(x)|[/tex]

I'm back in the starting point :frown:
 

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