What is the inner product of two piecewise-defined functions?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
5 replies · 3K views
Asuralm
Messages
35
Reaction score
0
Dear all:
I have a problem about the inner product of a function. Give a function

[tex] \begin{displaymath}<br /> f(x) = \left\{ \begin{array}{ll}<br /> x & \textrm{if $x \in [0,1]$}\\<br /> -x+2 & \textrm{if $x \in (1, 2]$}<br /> \end{array}<br /> \end{displaymath}<br /> \{[/tex]

What's the value of the inner product of the function itself over [0,2]?
[tex] \begin{displaymath}<br /> <f(x), f(x)> = \int_{x=0}^{x=2} f(x)f(x) d_x<br /> \end{displaymath}[/tex]]

If given another function
[tex] <br /> g(x) = \left\{ \begin{array}{ll}<br /> x-1 & \textrm{if $x \in [1,2]$}\\<br /> -x+3 & \textrm{if $x \in (2, 3]$}<br /> \end{array}<br /> <br /> \{[/tex]

What's the inner product of f(x) and g(x) please?

Thanks for answering.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
For you first question you have to separate integral into two
One of them is from 0 to 1, the other is from 1 to 2.

For the second you have to explain on which interval we take the inner product they are from different worlds.
 
I know the principle actually. Could you give me the whole details please? Because I can't get the correct answer.
 
For question1
You have to get from integral(0-1) =1/2 and from integral(1-2) =1/3
If you did not then write what you did .Maybe we can find the mistake
It would be yours or mine
 
Last edited:
for question 2 : I am still waiting an explanation
It can be only defined on [1,2] i think
 
Last edited:
It's possible that the intention is that f and g vanish wherever not explicitly defined. Then you would be right, it would be like on [1,2]...