🧮 Brain Teaser
analysis
Lp Norm → L∞
2026-03-09
✏︎

LpL^p Norm \to LL^\infty


Let (X,M,μ)(X, \mathcal{M}, \mu) be a measure space with μ(X)<\mu(X) < \infty, and let fL(μ)f \in L^\infty(\mu).

Show that:

limpfp=f\lim_{p \to \infty} \|f\|_p = \|f\|_\infty

where

fp=(Xfpdμ)1/p,f=ess supxXf(x).\|f\|_p = \left(\int_X |f|^p \, d\mu\right)^{1/p}, \qquad \|f\|_\infty = \operatorname{ess\,sup}_{x \in X} |f(x)|.

Lp normLimitSqueeze Theorem

Answer: LpL^p Norm \to LL^\infty

Key Idea

Use the Squeeze Theorem: find upper and lower bounds for fp\|f\|_p that both converge to f\|f\|_\infty as pp \to \infty.


Proof

Let M=fM = \|f\|_\infty.

Upper Bound

Since f(x)M|f(x)| \leq M a.e., we have:

fp=(Xfpdμ)1/p(XMpdμ)1/p=Mμ(X)1/p\|f\|_p = \left(\int_X |f|^p \, d\mu\right)^{1/p} \leq \left(\int_X M^p \, d\mu\right)^{1/p} = M \cdot \mu(X)^{1/p}

Since μ(X)<\mu(X) < \infty, as pp \to \infty:

μ(X)1/p=e1plnμ(X)e0=1\mu(X)^{1/p} = e^{\frac{1}{p}\ln \mu(X)} \to e^0 = 1

Therefore lim suppfpM\displaystyle\limsup_{p \to \infty} \|f\|_p \leq M.


Lower Bound

For any ε>0\varepsilon > 0, define:

Eε={xX:f(x)>Mε}E_\varepsilon = \{x \in X : |f(x)| > M - \varepsilon\}

By definition of essential supremum, μ(Eε)>0\mu(E_\varepsilon) > 0. Then:

fp(Eεfpdμ)1/p(Mε)μ(Eε)1/p\|f\|_p \geq \left(\int_{E_\varepsilon} |f|^p \, d\mu\right)^{1/p} \geq (M - \varepsilon) \cdot \mu(E_\varepsilon)^{1/p}

As pp \to \infty, again μ(Eε)1/p1\mu(E_\varepsilon)^{1/p} \to 1, so:

lim infpfpMε\liminf_{p \to \infty} \|f\|_p \geq M - \varepsilon

Since ε>0\varepsilon > 0 was arbitrary:

lim infpfpM\liminf_{p \to \infty} \|f\|_p \geq M


Conclusion

Combining both bounds:

Mlim infpfplim suppfpMM \leq \liminf_{p \to \infty} \|f\|_p \leq \limsup_{p \to \infty} \|f\|_p \leq M

Therefore:

limpfp=M=f\lim_{p \to \infty} \|f\|_p = M = \|f\|_\infty \qquad \blacksquare


Why μ(X)<\mu(X) < \infty is needed

If μ(X)=\mu(X) = \infty, the upper bound step fails — μ(X)1/p\mu(X)^{1/p} \to \infty and the argument breaks. (Counterexample: f1f \equiv 1 on R\mathbb{R} with Lebesgue measure gives fp=\|f\|_p = \infty for all p<p < \infty but f=1\|f\|_\infty = 1.)

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