Intuition about L^p spaces

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I have read somewhere the following very nice intuition about $L^p(mathbbR)$ spaces.



enter image description here



This graphic shows a lot of nice relations:
1) There is no inclusion between $L^p$ and $L^q$
2) $L^p$ is the dual of $L^q$ for $frac1p + frac1q = 1$, since the boxes have the same shape, but just rotated
3) $L^2$ is self-dual
4) If $p<r<q$ and $fin L^pcap L^q$, then $fin L^r$.



Furthermore, the projections on the two distinct dimensions give us other cases. So while the full two-dimensional picture is the most abstract case $L^p(X,mathcalA,mu)$. The first dimension shows the case of finite measure spaces, the second dimension shows the case of measure spaces which do not have sets of arbitrarily small nonzero measure.



Now perhaps this is just a nice coincidence, and not more. But, and I'm sorry if this question is too vague, is there perhaps any deeper reason or theory which explains this picture?










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    Very roughly the picture you drew has some similarities with the picture I have of interpolation spaces in my head, especially with the real interpolation methods.
    – Willie Wong
    3 hours ago














up vote
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down vote

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I have read somewhere the following very nice intuition about $L^p(mathbbR)$ spaces.



enter image description here



This graphic shows a lot of nice relations:
1) There is no inclusion between $L^p$ and $L^q$
2) $L^p$ is the dual of $L^q$ for $frac1p + frac1q = 1$, since the boxes have the same shape, but just rotated
3) $L^2$ is self-dual
4) If $p<r<q$ and $fin L^pcap L^q$, then $fin L^r$.



Furthermore, the projections on the two distinct dimensions give us other cases. So while the full two-dimensional picture is the most abstract case $L^p(X,mathcalA,mu)$. The first dimension shows the case of finite measure spaces, the second dimension shows the case of measure spaces which do not have sets of arbitrarily small nonzero measure.



Now perhaps this is just a nice coincidence, and not more. But, and I'm sorry if this question is too vague, is there perhaps any deeper reason or theory which explains this picture?










share|cite|improve this question









New contributor




cccdi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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  • 1




    Very roughly the picture you drew has some similarities with the picture I have of interpolation spaces in my head, especially with the real interpolation methods.
    – Willie Wong
    3 hours ago












up vote
8
down vote

favorite
3









up vote
8
down vote

favorite
3






3





I have read somewhere the following very nice intuition about $L^p(mathbbR)$ spaces.



enter image description here



This graphic shows a lot of nice relations:
1) There is no inclusion between $L^p$ and $L^q$
2) $L^p$ is the dual of $L^q$ for $frac1p + frac1q = 1$, since the boxes have the same shape, but just rotated
3) $L^2$ is self-dual
4) If $p<r<q$ and $fin L^pcap L^q$, then $fin L^r$.



Furthermore, the projections on the two distinct dimensions give us other cases. So while the full two-dimensional picture is the most abstract case $L^p(X,mathcalA,mu)$. The first dimension shows the case of finite measure spaces, the second dimension shows the case of measure spaces which do not have sets of arbitrarily small nonzero measure.



Now perhaps this is just a nice coincidence, and not more. But, and I'm sorry if this question is too vague, is there perhaps any deeper reason or theory which explains this picture?










share|cite|improve this question









New contributor




cccdi is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











I have read somewhere the following very nice intuition about $L^p(mathbbR)$ spaces.



enter image description here



This graphic shows a lot of nice relations:
1) There is no inclusion between $L^p$ and $L^q$
2) $L^p$ is the dual of $L^q$ for $frac1p + frac1q = 1$, since the boxes have the same shape, but just rotated
3) $L^2$ is self-dual
4) If $p<r<q$ and $fin L^pcap L^q$, then $fin L^r$.



Furthermore, the projections on the two distinct dimensions give us other cases. So while the full two-dimensional picture is the most abstract case $L^p(X,mathcalA,mu)$. The first dimension shows the case of finite measure spaces, the second dimension shows the case of measure spaces which do not have sets of arbitrarily small nonzero measure.



Now perhaps this is just a nice coincidence, and not more. But, and I'm sorry if this question is too vague, is there perhaps any deeper reason or theory which explains this picture?







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edited 6 hours ago









Gerald Edgar

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  • 1




    Very roughly the picture you drew has some similarities with the picture I have of interpolation spaces in my head, especially with the real interpolation methods.
    – Willie Wong
    3 hours ago












  • 1




    Very roughly the picture you drew has some similarities with the picture I have of interpolation spaces in my head, especially with the real interpolation methods.
    – Willie Wong
    3 hours ago







1




1




Very roughly the picture you drew has some similarities with the picture I have of interpolation spaces in my head, especially with the real interpolation methods.
– Willie Wong
3 hours ago




Very roughly the picture you drew has some similarities with the picture I have of interpolation spaces in my head, especially with the real interpolation methods.
– Willie Wong
3 hours ago










2 Answers
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Perhaps this is more basic than what you're asking, but for me, the intuition for the relationships between $L^p$ spaces (which your diagram encapsulates) is as follows:



$fin L^p$ tells us two things: $f$ decays fast enough at infinity, and $f$ doesn't blow up too fast at any finite point. As $p$ increases, the first requirement gets less strict, and the second gets more strict. (Also, if $X$ is bounded, the first requirement is vacuous, and if $X$ is discrete, the second is vacuous.) That tells you why the inclusions work the way they do. For duality, the boundedness of a linear functional on $L^p$ comes down to whether $fg$ is in $L^1$ for some $f$ and $g$--the slower $f$ decays, the faster $g$ needs to decay, and the faster $f$ blows up, the more we need $g$ to not blow up. The previous sentence is equally true if we switch $f$ and $g$, which convinces us that $L^p$ spaces should be reflexive, and by considering $f=g$, we see that the restrictions on $f$ and $g$ should balance at exactly $p=2$, so $L^2$ should be self-dual. More generally, if $fin L^p$, then $fcdot f^p-1$ is in $L^1$, so $f^p-1$ acts as a linear functional on $f$, and since $fin L^p$, we have $f^p-1 in L^q$ with $q = p/(p-1)$, or in other words, $frac 1 p + frac 1 q = 1$. (One can also infer the right relationship between $p$ and $q$ by scaling Holder's inequality, but I like this better.)






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    Not an answer, but there are other pictures for the $L^p$-spaces that may be helpful. Hans Georg Feichtinger is known for his diagrams for various functions spaces - here are a few:



    enter image description here



    enter image description here



    oth from Feichtinger's talk "Function spaces for time-frequency analysis: the usefulness of a Banach Gelfand Triple", https://www.univie.ac.at/nuhag-php/dateien/talks/3397_Varan28JanFei.pdf If I remember correctly, $S^0$ is the Feichtinger algebra and $FL^1$ is the Fourier transform of $L^1$. $C^0$ is the space of continuous functions vanishing at infinity, "Schw" the space of Schwartz functions.



    enter image description here



    From Feichtinger's talk "The Vast Family of Fourier Standard Spaces (invariant function spaces between S0 and S′0)" https://www.univie.ac.at/nuhag-php/dateien/talks/3318_TrondheimMay17A.pdf






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      2 Answers
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      Perhaps this is more basic than what you're asking, but for me, the intuition for the relationships between $L^p$ spaces (which your diagram encapsulates) is as follows:



      $fin L^p$ tells us two things: $f$ decays fast enough at infinity, and $f$ doesn't blow up too fast at any finite point. As $p$ increases, the first requirement gets less strict, and the second gets more strict. (Also, if $X$ is bounded, the first requirement is vacuous, and if $X$ is discrete, the second is vacuous.) That tells you why the inclusions work the way they do. For duality, the boundedness of a linear functional on $L^p$ comes down to whether $fg$ is in $L^1$ for some $f$ and $g$--the slower $f$ decays, the faster $g$ needs to decay, and the faster $f$ blows up, the more we need $g$ to not blow up. The previous sentence is equally true if we switch $f$ and $g$, which convinces us that $L^p$ spaces should be reflexive, and by considering $f=g$, we see that the restrictions on $f$ and $g$ should balance at exactly $p=2$, so $L^2$ should be self-dual. More generally, if $fin L^p$, then $fcdot f^p-1$ is in $L^1$, so $f^p-1$ acts as a linear functional on $f$, and since $fin L^p$, we have $f^p-1 in L^q$ with $q = p/(p-1)$, or in other words, $frac 1 p + frac 1 q = 1$. (One can also infer the right relationship between $p$ and $q$ by scaling Holder's inequality, but I like this better.)






      share|cite|improve this answer
























        up vote
        4
        down vote













        Perhaps this is more basic than what you're asking, but for me, the intuition for the relationships between $L^p$ spaces (which your diagram encapsulates) is as follows:



        $fin L^p$ tells us two things: $f$ decays fast enough at infinity, and $f$ doesn't blow up too fast at any finite point. As $p$ increases, the first requirement gets less strict, and the second gets more strict. (Also, if $X$ is bounded, the first requirement is vacuous, and if $X$ is discrete, the second is vacuous.) That tells you why the inclusions work the way they do. For duality, the boundedness of a linear functional on $L^p$ comes down to whether $fg$ is in $L^1$ for some $f$ and $g$--the slower $f$ decays, the faster $g$ needs to decay, and the faster $f$ blows up, the more we need $g$ to not blow up. The previous sentence is equally true if we switch $f$ and $g$, which convinces us that $L^p$ spaces should be reflexive, and by considering $f=g$, we see that the restrictions on $f$ and $g$ should balance at exactly $p=2$, so $L^2$ should be self-dual. More generally, if $fin L^p$, then $fcdot f^p-1$ is in $L^1$, so $f^p-1$ acts as a linear functional on $f$, and since $fin L^p$, we have $f^p-1 in L^q$ with $q = p/(p-1)$, or in other words, $frac 1 p + frac 1 q = 1$. (One can also infer the right relationship between $p$ and $q$ by scaling Holder's inequality, but I like this better.)






        share|cite|improve this answer






















          up vote
          4
          down vote










          up vote
          4
          down vote









          Perhaps this is more basic than what you're asking, but for me, the intuition for the relationships between $L^p$ spaces (which your diagram encapsulates) is as follows:



          $fin L^p$ tells us two things: $f$ decays fast enough at infinity, and $f$ doesn't blow up too fast at any finite point. As $p$ increases, the first requirement gets less strict, and the second gets more strict. (Also, if $X$ is bounded, the first requirement is vacuous, and if $X$ is discrete, the second is vacuous.) That tells you why the inclusions work the way they do. For duality, the boundedness of a linear functional on $L^p$ comes down to whether $fg$ is in $L^1$ for some $f$ and $g$--the slower $f$ decays, the faster $g$ needs to decay, and the faster $f$ blows up, the more we need $g$ to not blow up. The previous sentence is equally true if we switch $f$ and $g$, which convinces us that $L^p$ spaces should be reflexive, and by considering $f=g$, we see that the restrictions on $f$ and $g$ should balance at exactly $p=2$, so $L^2$ should be self-dual. More generally, if $fin L^p$, then $fcdot f^p-1$ is in $L^1$, so $f^p-1$ acts as a linear functional on $f$, and since $fin L^p$, we have $f^p-1 in L^q$ with $q = p/(p-1)$, or in other words, $frac 1 p + frac 1 q = 1$. (One can also infer the right relationship between $p$ and $q$ by scaling Holder's inequality, but I like this better.)






          share|cite|improve this answer












          Perhaps this is more basic than what you're asking, but for me, the intuition for the relationships between $L^p$ spaces (which your diagram encapsulates) is as follows:



          $fin L^p$ tells us two things: $f$ decays fast enough at infinity, and $f$ doesn't blow up too fast at any finite point. As $p$ increases, the first requirement gets less strict, and the second gets more strict. (Also, if $X$ is bounded, the first requirement is vacuous, and if $X$ is discrete, the second is vacuous.) That tells you why the inclusions work the way they do. For duality, the boundedness of a linear functional on $L^p$ comes down to whether $fg$ is in $L^1$ for some $f$ and $g$--the slower $f$ decays, the faster $g$ needs to decay, and the faster $f$ blows up, the more we need $g$ to not blow up. The previous sentence is equally true if we switch $f$ and $g$, which convinces us that $L^p$ spaces should be reflexive, and by considering $f=g$, we see that the restrictions on $f$ and $g$ should balance at exactly $p=2$, so $L^2$ should be self-dual. More generally, if $fin L^p$, then $fcdot f^p-1$ is in $L^1$, so $f^p-1$ acts as a linear functional on $f$, and since $fin L^p$, we have $f^p-1 in L^q$ with $q = p/(p-1)$, or in other words, $frac 1 p + frac 1 q = 1$. (One can also infer the right relationship between $p$ and $q$ by scaling Holder's inequality, but I like this better.)







          share|cite|improve this answer












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          answered 55 mins ago









          Stanley Snelson

          1314




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              up vote
              3
              down vote













              Not an answer, but there are other pictures for the $L^p$-spaces that may be helpful. Hans Georg Feichtinger is known for his diagrams for various functions spaces - here are a few:



              enter image description here



              enter image description here



              oth from Feichtinger's talk "Function spaces for time-frequency analysis: the usefulness of a Banach Gelfand Triple", https://www.univie.ac.at/nuhag-php/dateien/talks/3397_Varan28JanFei.pdf If I remember correctly, $S^0$ is the Feichtinger algebra and $FL^1$ is the Fourier transform of $L^1$. $C^0$ is the space of continuous functions vanishing at infinity, "Schw" the space of Schwartz functions.



              enter image description here



              From Feichtinger's talk "The Vast Family of Fourier Standard Spaces (invariant function spaces between S0 and S′0)" https://www.univie.ac.at/nuhag-php/dateien/talks/3318_TrondheimMay17A.pdf






              share|cite|improve this answer
























                up vote
                3
                down vote













                Not an answer, but there are other pictures for the $L^p$-spaces that may be helpful. Hans Georg Feichtinger is known for his diagrams for various functions spaces - here are a few:



                enter image description here



                enter image description here



                oth from Feichtinger's talk "Function spaces for time-frequency analysis: the usefulness of a Banach Gelfand Triple", https://www.univie.ac.at/nuhag-php/dateien/talks/3397_Varan28JanFei.pdf If I remember correctly, $S^0$ is the Feichtinger algebra and $FL^1$ is the Fourier transform of $L^1$. $C^0$ is the space of continuous functions vanishing at infinity, "Schw" the space of Schwartz functions.



                enter image description here



                From Feichtinger's talk "The Vast Family of Fourier Standard Spaces (invariant function spaces between S0 and S′0)" https://www.univie.ac.at/nuhag-php/dateien/talks/3318_TrondheimMay17A.pdf






                share|cite|improve this answer






















                  up vote
                  3
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  3
                  down vote









                  Not an answer, but there are other pictures for the $L^p$-spaces that may be helpful. Hans Georg Feichtinger is known for his diagrams for various functions spaces - here are a few:



                  enter image description here



                  enter image description here



                  oth from Feichtinger's talk "Function spaces for time-frequency analysis: the usefulness of a Banach Gelfand Triple", https://www.univie.ac.at/nuhag-php/dateien/talks/3397_Varan28JanFei.pdf If I remember correctly, $S^0$ is the Feichtinger algebra and $FL^1$ is the Fourier transform of $L^1$. $C^0$ is the space of continuous functions vanishing at infinity, "Schw" the space of Schwartz functions.



                  enter image description here



                  From Feichtinger's talk "The Vast Family of Fourier Standard Spaces (invariant function spaces between S0 and S′0)" https://www.univie.ac.at/nuhag-php/dateien/talks/3318_TrondheimMay17A.pdf






                  share|cite|improve this answer












                  Not an answer, but there are other pictures for the $L^p$-spaces that may be helpful. Hans Georg Feichtinger is known for his diagrams for various functions spaces - here are a few:



                  enter image description here



                  enter image description here



                  oth from Feichtinger's talk "Function spaces for time-frequency analysis: the usefulness of a Banach Gelfand Triple", https://www.univie.ac.at/nuhag-php/dateien/talks/3397_Varan28JanFei.pdf If I remember correctly, $S^0$ is the Feichtinger algebra and $FL^1$ is the Fourier transform of $L^1$. $C^0$ is the space of continuous functions vanishing at infinity, "Schw" the space of Schwartz functions.



                  enter image description here



                  From Feichtinger's talk "The Vast Family of Fourier Standard Spaces (invariant function spaces between S0 and S′0)" https://www.univie.ac.at/nuhag-php/dateien/talks/3318_TrondheimMay17A.pdf







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                  share|cite|improve this answer



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                  answered 5 hours ago









                  Dirk

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