Math Problem Statement

Show that S is a convex set.

Show that S is a convex set.

Solution

To show that SS is a convex set, we need to demonstrate that if x=(x1,x2,,xn)x = (x_1, x_2, \ldots, x_n) and y=(y1,y2,,yn)y = (y_1, y_2, \ldots, y_n) are two points in SS, then for any λ[0,1]\lambda \in [0, 1], the point z=λx+(1λ)yz = \lambda x + (1-\lambda)y also belongs to SS.

Proof:

  1. Definition of SS:
    SS is defined as the set of all points xRnx \in \mathbb{R}^n satisfying the mm inequalities: a11x1+a12x2++a1nxnb1,a_{11}x_1 + a_{12}x_2 + \cdots + a_{1n}x_n \leq b_1, a21x1+a22x2++a2nxnb2,a_{21}x_1 + a_{22}x_2 + \cdots + a_{2n}x_n \leq b_2, \vdots am1x1+am2x2++amnxnbm.a_{m1}x_1 + a_{m2}x_2 + \cdots + a_{mn}x_n \leq b_m.

    Alternatively, we can express these inequalities as: Axb,A x \leq b, where AA is an m×nm \times n matrix with coefficients aija_{ij}, xx is a vector in Rn\mathbb{R}^n, and bb is a vector in Rm\mathbb{R}^m.

  2. Take two points in SS:
    Let x,ySx, y \in S. By definition of SS, they satisfy: AxbandAyb.A x \leq b \quad \text{and} \quad A y \leq b.

  3. Form a convex combination:
    Let z=λx+(1λ)yz = \lambda x + (1-\lambda)y, where λ[0,1]\lambda \in [0, 1]. We will show that zSz \in S, i.e., AzbA z \leq b.

  4. Apply linearity of AA:
    Substituting z=λx+(1λ)yz = \lambda x + (1-\lambda)y into AzA z, we have: Az=A(λx+(1λ)y)=λAx+(1λ)Ay.A z = A (\lambda x + (1-\lambda)y) = \lambda A x + (1-\lambda) A y.

  5. Use the inequalities for xx and yy:
    Since xSx \in S, AxbA x \leq b, and since ySy \in S, AybA y \leq b. Therefore: λAx+(1λ)Ayλb+(1λ)b=b,\lambda A x + (1-\lambda) A y \leq \lambda b + (1-\lambda) b = b, because λ[0,1]\lambda \in [0, 1] and the inequality holds component-wise.

  6. Conclusion:
    We have shown that AzbA z \leq b, which means zSz \in S. Therefore, SS is a convex set.

Summary:

The convex combination z=λx+(1λ)yz = \lambda x + (1-\lambda)y satisfies all the inequalities defining SS, so SS is convex.

Would you like further clarification or a graphical illustration of this proof?
Here are some related questions to consider:

  1. Can you describe the geometric interpretation of convexity in Rn\mathbb{R}^n?
  2. What conditions on the matrix AA and vector bb might affect the shape of SS?
  3. How would the proof change if the inequalities were strict (<< instead of \leq)?
  4. What is an example of a convex set defined by such inequalities in R2\mathbb{R}^2?
  5. How is this result used in optimization problems?

Tip: Convex sets are fundamental in optimization because local minima in convex sets are also global minima.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Convex Sets
Linear Inequalities
Matrix Operations
Convex Combinations

Formulas

A * x ≤ b (System of Linear Inequalities)
z = λx + (1 - λ)y (Convex Combination)

Theorems

Definition of Convex Sets
Properties of Linear Transformations

Suitable Grade Level

Undergraduate (Mathematics/Optimization Courses)