Category Archives: Mathematics

Properties of n-dimensional Euclidean Space Rn and Distance


I have summarized information about the n-dimensional Euclidean space Rn and its distance below.

(n)-Dimensional Euclidean Space Rn

When we define distance as shown below for the direct product set Rn, we call Rn an n-dimensional Euclidean space. The elements of Rn are referred to as points.

Distance

For elements x=(x1,,xn) and y=(y1,,yn) in Rn (where xi,yiR(i=1,,n)), their distance d(x,y) is defined by the following equation:

d(x,y)=ni=1(xiyi)2

In 1-dimensional space, d(x,y)=|xy|, and in 2-dimensional space, d(x,y)=(x1y1)2+(x2y2)2.

Properties of Distance

The distance in Rn has the following properties:

  • For any x,yRn, d(x,y) is a non-negative real number.
  • For x,yRn, d(x,y)=0 if and only if x=y.
  • For any x,yRn, d(x,y)=d(y,x).
  • For any x,y,zRn, d(x,z)d(x,y)+d(y,z) (Triangle Inequality).

The first three properties are evident from the definition of the distance d(x,y).

Let’s prove the last property, the Triangle Inequality.

Proof

Let x=(x1,,xn), y=(y1,,yn), and z=(z1,,zn). Define ai=xiyi and bi=yizi. Then, d(x,z)d(x,y)+d(y,z) can be expressed as follows:

ni=1(ai+bi)2ni=1a2i+ni=1b2i

This equation is equivalent to squaring both sides, eliminating the terms a2i and b2i, and dividing both sides by 2:

ni=1aibi(ni=1a2i)(ni=1b2i)

Furthermore, this proof is sufficient if we can establish that the squared inequality below is valid:

(ni=1aibi)2(ni=1a2i)(ni=1b2i)

This last inequality is known as the Schwarz(シュワルツ) inequality, and various proofs are known. When n=1, equality holds.

Solution 1

Let’s consider the case where n is greater than or equal to 2. We calculate by subtracting the right side from the left side:

(ni=1a2i)(ni=1b2i)(ni=1aibi)2=1in,1jn,ija2ib2j21i<jnaibiajbj=1i<jna2ib2j+1iltjna2jb2i21i<jnaibiajbj=1i<jn(aibjajbi)2

Since it is the sum of squares, it is clear that it is non-negative.

The condition for equality to hold is that aibjajbi=0 holds for all distinct i,j.

Consideration of the Condition for Equality

The equation aibjajbi=0 means that when considering 2-dimensional vector spaces R2, a=(ai,aj) and b=(bi,bj), one is a scalar multiple of the other.

This implies that three points x,y,z lie on the same line. Using vector operations, we can write c(xy)=d(yz), where c and d are scalar values.

Let’s solve the equation aibjajbi=0 step by step.

Case ai=0

This leads to aj=0 or bi=0.

If bi0, then for all j, aj=0, which means \( x = y \

If bi=0, then ai=bi can be written.

Case ai0

Let c=biai.

If aj0, then biai=bjaj=c. For all i where ai0, we have \( c a_i = b_i \ ).

If aj=0, then bj=0, and caj=bj holds.

It is now clear that the equality holds when x,y,z are collinear. This also includes the case when x=y.

Solution 2

When x=y, all ai=0, and the inequality holds (equality).

For the case xy, consider t as a real variable and the quadratic function f(t):

f(t)=ni=1(ait+bi)2=(ni=1a2i)t2+2(ni=1aibi)t+(ni=1b2i)

From the definition of f(t) (the first equation), it is clear that f(t)0 for any t. This implies that the discriminant is non-negative, leading to the following inequality:

(ni=1aibi)2(ni=1a2i)(ni=1b2i)0

By rearranging, it becomes the Schwarz inequality.

Consideration of the Condition for Equality

The condition for equality is when f(t)=0 has a double root. Let \( t = t_0 \ ) be that root.

0=ni=1(ait0+bi)2

At that moment, for all i, ait0+bi=0. This implies that x,y,z are vectors and t0(xy)=(yz), meaning that three points x,y,z are collinear (including the case x=y).