Questions tagged [triangle-inequality]

The triangle inequality tells us that given points $x,y,z$ in a Euclidean space (or more generally, in a metric space), $d(x,z)\leq d(x,y)+d(y,z)$ ($d(a,b)$ refers to the distance between points $a$ and $b$).

Use this tag on questions that rely on the triangle inequality in either a geometric or a metric space.

In Euclidean Geometry, the triangle inequality governs the sorts of lengths that can form the sides of a triangle. It says that given non-negative reals $a$ $b$ and $c$, there exists a triangle with side lengths $a$, $b$ and $c$ if $$a\leq b+c,$$ $$b\leq a+c,$$ and $$c\leq a+b.$$ Note that the triangle inequality permits the existence of degenerate triangles.

Mathematicians later realized that this inequality was quite useful in constructing a rigorous notion of distance between points, since in the Euclidean plane, $3$ points form a triangle, and the distances between them serve as the side lengths of the triangle. Hence, in the definition of a metric space, mathematicians introduce a distance function $d:X\times X\to \mathbb R$, where the final condition on the function is that for any $x,y,z\in X$, $$d(x,z)\leq d(x,y)+d(y,z)$$

Use this tag, when either referring to the triangle inequality in a standard Euclidean space or in a more general metric space. Make sure to use the corresponding tags for either metric spaces or Euclidean geometry to indicate what usage of the triangle inequality is relevant.

341 questions
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Prove the triangle inequality involving complex numbers.

Our eventual goal in this problem is to prove the triangle inequality involving complex numbers. (a) Show that for every $z ∈ C$, $|Re(z)| ≤ |z|$ and $|Im(z)| ≤ |z|$. (b) Given $z$, $w ∈ C$, show that $|z+w|^2 =|z|^2 +|w|^2 +2Re(zw')$. (c) Using…
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When does equality hold in the Minkowski's inequality $\|f+g\|_p\leq\|f\|_p+\|g\|_p$?

I would like to see a proof of when equality holds in Minkowski's inequality. Minkowski's inequality. If $1\le p<\infty$ and $f,g\in L^p$, then $$\|f+g\|_p \le \|f\|_p + \|g\|_p.$$ The proof is quite different for when $p=1$ and when $1
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The theoretical importance of the half-angle formulas

Unlike the laws of sines, cosines and tangents, which are very well known, the half-angle formulas seem (although they appear timidly in the mathematical literature) not to enjoy the same popularity. Thus, while there are entire chapters devoted to…
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Prove that $\measuredangle\gamma= 90^{\circ}$

Given a triangle, if $\sin^{2}\alpha+ \sin^{2}\beta=\!\sin\gamma, \max\!\left ( \measuredangle\alpha- l\measuredangle\beta, \measuredangle\beta- l\measuredangle\alpha \right )\leq 90^{\circ}, \left | l \right |\leq 3$ so $$\measuredangle\gamma=…
user822157
10
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3 answers

For $a$, $b$, $c$ the sides of a triangle, show $ 7(a+b+c)^3-9(a+b+c)\left(a^2+b^2+c^2\right)-108abc\ge0$

If $a$, $b$, and $c$ are the three sidelengths of an arbitrary triangle, prove that the following inequality is true, with equality for equilateral triangles. $$ 7\left(a+b+c\right)^3-9\left(a+b+c\right)\left(a^2+b^2+c^2\right)-108abc\ge0…
YNK
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Is the proof $|d(x, A) - d(y, A) |\le d(x, y) $ in $(X, d) $ and $\emptyset \neq A \subset X$ and $x, y\in X$ logically perfect?

$(X, d) $ be a metric space and $\emptyset \neq A \subset X$ and $x, y\in X$. To show: $|d(x, A) - d(y, A)| \le d(x, y)$ My attempt: \begin{align} &d(x, A) = \inf \{ d(x, a) : a\in A \}\\ &d(x, A) \le d(x, a) \le d(x, y) +d(y, a) \forall a\in…
7
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4 answers

Prove that if $a,b,c$ are sides of a triangle and $s$ is the semi-perimeter, then $a^2+b^2+c^2 \geq \dfrac{36}{35}\bigg(s^2 + \dfrac{abc}{s}\bigg)$

Prove that, if $a,b,c$ are the sides of a triangle and $s$ is the semi-perimeter, then $a^2+b^2+c^2 \geq \dfrac{36}{35}\bigg(s^2 + \dfrac{abc}{s}\bigg)$. What I Tried:- Nothing special really came in my mind. I did not find a way to use Triangle…
7
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1 answer

Inequality inspired by Bernhard Leeb's solution

Let $a, b, c$ be the side lengths of a triangle. Prove that $$a^{2}b\left ( a- b \right )+ b^{2}c\left ( b- c \right )+ c^{2}a\left ( c- a \right )\geq 3\left ( a+ b- c \right )c\left ( a- b \right )\left ( b- c \right )$$ It can be shown that the…
user822157
7
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2 answers

General Proof for the triangle inequality

I am trying to prove: $P(n): |x_1| + \cdots + |x_n| \leq |x_1 + \cdots +x_n|$ for all natural numbers $n$. The $x_i$ are real numbers. Base: Let $n =1$: we have $|x_1| \leq |x_1|$ which is clearly true Step: Let $k$ exist in the integers such…
6
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1 answer

$\ \forall x_1,x_2,...,x_n \in \mathbb{R} (x_i\not=x_j)$ in the range of $[-1,1]$ prove:$\sum_{i=1}^{n}\frac{1}{\Pi_{k\not=i}|x_k-x_i|}\ge2^{n-2}$

$\ \forall$ $x_1,x_2,...,x_n$ $\in \mathbb{R}$ $(x_i\not=x_j)$ in the range of $[-1,1]$ prove : $$\sum_{i=1}^{n}\frac{1}{\Pi_{k\not=i}|x_k-x_i|}\ge2^{n-2}$$ my attempt : $$p(x) =…
6
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3 answers

Range of $|z_1+z_2|$ for some $z_1,z_2\in\Bbb C$

So if we have 2 complex numbers $z_1$ and $z_2$, then the following inequality holds : $$||z_1|-|z_2||\leq|z_1+z_2|\leq|z_1|+|z_2|$$ We did a question in class that went "Find the range of $|z|$ if $\left|z-\dfrac4z\right|=2$" The solution began…
6
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3 answers

Show that if $a,b \in \mathbb{R}^n$, then $|||a|| - ||b||| \leqslant ||a+b||$

Show that if $a,b \in \mathbb{R}^n$, then $$|\|a\| - \|b\|| \leqslant \|a+b\|$$ We have that $$||a|| = ||a+b-b||\leqslant||a+b||+||-b|| = ||a+b||+||b||$$ and that $$||b|| = ||b+a-a||\leqslant||b+a||+||-a|| = ||b+a||+||a||$$ however I don't see how…
user745970
5
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3 answers

Prove or disprove an elementary inequality: $\sin\frac1n>\sin\frac1{2n+1}+\sin\frac1{2n+2},\quad \forall n=1,2,3,\cdots.$

It is easy to prove that $$\frac{1}{n+1}<\frac{1}{2n+1}+\frac{1}{2n+2}<\frac1{n},\quad \forall n=1,2,3,\cdots.$$ Inspired by this inequality, I want to know the following…
Riemann
  • 11,801
5
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0 answers

Necessary and sufficient conditions for a product of norms to be the square of a norm

Let $(E,N)$ be a normed space, and $M$ be another norm. Can you find a necessary and sufficient condition on $M$ so that $\sqrt{NM}$ is also a norm on $E$? I hink the condition is that $M$ is proportional to $N$. Of course, the only thing to…
J.Mayol
  • 842
5
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1 answer

Prove that $d(X,Y) = |X\setminus Y| + |Y\setminus X|$ is a distance

I was trying to prove that, for $S$ the power set of $\{1,2,\dots,n\}$, the following function $$d(X,Y) = |X\setminus Y| + |Y\setminus X|$$ is a distance function. I managed to prove positivity and symmetry easily, but I am stuck in how to prove the…
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