Annals of Mathematics

On Certain Implications Which Characterize Hilbert Space

Author(s): E. R. Lorch
Source: Annals of Mathematics, Second Series, Vol. 49, No. 3 (Jul., 1948), pp. 523-532
Published by: Annals of Mathematics
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1969042 .
Accessed: 15/07/2013 11:32

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .
http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.
JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of
content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms
of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.

Annals of Mathematics is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Annals of
Mathematics.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
ANNALS OF MATHEMATICS
Vol. 49, No. 3, July, 1948

ON CERTAIN IMPLICATIONS WHICH CHARACTERIZE HILBERT SPACE

BY E. R. LORCH
(Received June 19, 1947)
I. Introduction
One is concernedherewiththe followingproblem: Let e3 be a normedlinear
vectorspace admittingrealscalars. What further conditionsplaced on thenorm
of the vectorsin e3 impliesthat the space is a Hilbertspace? The type of con-
ditionwhichis envisagedmustbe specifiedfurther. What is desiredis to invoke
as an additionalaxiom some elementarymetricpropertyof euclideangeometry.
In thisway, one obtainsinformation about the theoremsofthisgeometrywhich
characterizeit. Such theoremswillbe mentionedpresently.
It should be pointed out that many other approaches to this problemare
possible and that their formulationstronglyinvolves the norm of the space
thoughthe mannerof this involvementmay be somewhatcamouflaged. For
example,one may requirethatit be possibleto establishan isomorphism between
e3 and its conjugatespace * such that iff " f* underthe isomorphism, then
f*(f) = I f* -I If 1. Or one may demand that therebe a projectionof bound
one on everyclosedlinearmanifoldin B3.
Up to the present,two principalresultsof the specifictype whichconcernus
hereare known. The firstinvokesa propertyof parallelogramswhosesides are
representedby the vectorsf and g while the diagonals are f + g and f - g
Suppose that
A) fand g eimplies If + 9 I' + If - 912 = 2 1f2 + 12}.

Then it is knownthat e3 is a Hilbertspace. The proofis due to Jordanand von

Neumann'. The second resultmay be stated in implicationformas follows:
B) f and g e 58 and I f I = I g I implies
I af + 3g I = I f3f+ ag Ifor all scalars a and ,3.
Again,ifimplicationB) is valid in 2, thene is a Hilbertspace. This resultwas
firstprovedby Ficken. A verybriefproofofit has been givenby von Neumann
and Lorch2.
A list of implicationswhichcharacterizeHilbertspace is given below. It is
shown in Section III that the conditionsare necessary. Their sufficiency is
establishedin IV. It shouldbe stated that dimensionality plays no role in the
investigation. This is the case by virtueof the fact that a necessaryand suffi-
cient conditionthat a space be a Hilbert space is that every two-dimensional
1 P. JORDAN AND J. VON NEUMANN, Inner productsin linear metricspaces, Annals of
Math., 36 (1935), pp. 291-302.
2 F. A. FICKEN, Note on theexistenceof scalar productsin normedlinear spaces, Annals of
Math., 45 (1944), pp. 362-366.
523

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
524 E. R. LORCH

subspace be a euclideanplane. For that reason,it is seldomnecessaryto con-

siderdimensionsgreaterthan two.
If one translatesand reformulatesthese implicationsinto geometricallan-
guage, one obtains metric theoremswhich characterizeeuclidean geometry.
Some of theseare: 1. A triangleis isoscelesif and onlyif two of its mediansare
equal. 2. If the threesides of one triangleare equal respectivelyto the three
sides of another,theircorresponding medians are equal. It may be seen that
the latteris a greatlyweakenedformulation of A). For accordingto it we may
replaceA) by
C) There is a (non-trivial)functionalrelation
F(x, y,u, v) = 0 suchthatfand g e e3 implies
thatthisrelationis satisfiedby
x= ift, y= t91, u = tf+gI, v= tf-gg.
Indeed,thisstatesthat the lengthofthe median,If + g 1/2, is completelydeter-
minedby the lengthsof the threesides If I, I g I, and If - g I . 3. The impli-
cation I6) forn = 3 given below in Section II exhibitsa propertyof triangles
relativeto theircenterof gravity. As is thereshown,it may be deduced easily
fromA). The firsttwo oftheseexamplesare based upon the proofofimplication
IL) whose hypothesisconstitutesan essentialweakeningof B).
The above list suggeststhat the class of possible implicationsis quite large.
Indeed, one is ready to surmisethat almost any one of its strictlymetrical
classicaltheoremswill characterizeeuclideangeometry. The triangleinequality
is an outstandingexception. In this connection,it should be pointedout that
the Pythagoreantheoremis sufficient forthispurpose. This representsa weak-
eningofA) to the form
D) f and gE Qand If + g I=If-g I imply
+
If g12 = If +
12 I!12.
The proofof thisfacthas recentlybeen givenby von Neumann.
Finally it mightbe pointedout that implicationI5) is one of the most inter-
esting,involvingas it does an inequalityin the normsratherthan an equality.
The conjecturesalong this directionalso forma numerouscollection. It may
also be stated that all the proofsgivenbelow are elementary.

II. The Implications

The implicationsare listed below. In certain cases a few comments are
appended.
I,) Thereexistsa fixedconstant-y$ 0, i 1 such thatf, g e e and I f + g I =
If-glimplylf+ygI = If-YgI
3 The resultwas communicatedin a letterto the authoron April15, 1946. I have been
informedthat thissame resulthas been provedby M. M. Day and recentlyhas been sub-
mittedby him to a mathematicaljournal.

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 CHARACTERIZATION OF HILBERT SPACE 525

This is obviouslyless demandingthan B). An alternativeformulationof I,)

is the following:
I,) Thereexistsa fixedconstant'y' $ 0, 1 such thatf', g' e e3 and f = Igg' I
imply If' + y'' = I y'f'+ g' I
are equivalentmay be seen by settingf'
That thesetwo formulations = f + g,
g' = f-g and y' = (1-y)/(1 + y).
I2) f, g, h e -3, f + g + h = O, and If I = I g I imply If-h I = I g-h h .
This is the theorem:A triangleis isosceles if and only if two medians are
equal. Note that the implicationis symmetric. That is,
(f - g) + (g - h) + (h -f) = 0 and! h - fI = Ig - hI imply If I = I g 1.
I3) f, g, h, k e, f + g + h + k = 0 and If I = I g I, I h I = I kI imply
If - hI = I g - k l and g - h I = If - k I .

This is a propertyof isoscelestrapezoidsin case f, g, h, k lie in a plane.

14) fl, f2, 9 e5 implies 0(fl, f2; 9)

Ifi +f2 + g12+ Ifi +f2 - g 12 _ I - f2 - g12 - If - f2 + 12

ofg.
is independent
Is) f,geQ- and IfI = 19 implyIaf + ac1I _ If+ g I forall real numbers
ax#O.
Note firstthat since Igj =I -g|, | af- a- g I _ If-ag I. Next,15) is im-
plied by B). For assume B). Let If I = I g I and suppose that for some a,
I af + a-' g I ' If + g |. One may assume that a > 0. Then by the triangle
inequalityand B)
(a + al) If + g I =I (a + ao )(f+ g) I
? ia f + a +Ii
lg -1f+ ag I < 2 If + g 1.
Thus assumingthatf + g # 0, a + aCk1 ? 2. This impliesthat a = 1. Hence
if one assumes B), then f3#=?41 impliesI Of+ ' 1g I > If + 9 I.
Finally,it should be noted that in IJ) the equality signis possible onlyin the
trivialcase a = i 1. In proofofthisassume the contrary,that foran a= # + 1,
If + g I = Iaf + a-' g I. Then by the triangleinequality
1 + af + 1 + a-'
2 2 q ?if +aI.
Now since (1 _ a)2 > 0 and assuming,as one may, that a > 0, one has for
the numberk2definedbelow
1 + -
k2 1 + a ( + a)2> 1
2 2 4a

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
526 E. R. LORCH

hence
+
2k f +
2k 2k
2k g <
<fqI
If +9 I

This contradictsthe assumptionin I5).

I6) For a fixedintegern _ 3, f, . ffn e- and f1 + + fn = 0 imply
E ifi-fj2 =
2nE If I.
If I6) is valid fora givenn, it is valid forn - 1. Thus it is necessaryto con-
sideronlythe case -i = 3 in the sufficiency proof.
PROOF: In the expressionabove, take fn = 0; then the sum E Ifi _ fj 12
containsthe quantity2E Ifi . I
It willbe shownthat L) forthe case n = 3 may be deducedfromA).
Givenf,g,h e Q3withf + a + h = 0, one obtainsfromA)
2{ I f 12 + I 9 12} = Ih 12 + If _ g 12

and two similarexpressionsinvolvingI a - h 12and Ih _ f 12. Adding these

threeequations,one has
(1) 3{ 1f 12+ 91a + I h121= If _ a 12+ I g - h 12+ h _fl 12
whichis the identityof I6) forthe case n = 3.
III. The Necessityof the Implications
In provingthenecessity,we make use oftheinnerproductoftwo vectorsf and
g, denotedby (f,a). The relationbetweenthe innerproductand the normis,
of course, (f,f)= If 12.
IL). Suppose IfI = lal. Then If+7g12 = If 12 + 2y(f g) +721Ig12
I g 12+ 2'y(g, f) + 72 If 12= I yf + a 12. This establishesthe necessityof IL) in
its secondformulation.
I2). Sincef + 9 + h = and I f I = I g I, thenIf-h 12+ If _ g 12=
1 I h 12 +
21f12 + I h12 + 12 - 2(fg + h) = 4 12+ I g12.

Also
Ig - h 12 + If _ a 12 = 41 12+ I h 12 + If 12.

Hence If-hI =Ig -hi.

I3). For this case, one has
if- h12+ If -a12= 2 If12+ IA12+ I g12 - 2(f,h + a),
12
Iag- k + If
_ 12= 2a1 12 + I k 12 + I f 12- 2(92 f + k).
Subtractingand usingthe hypothesis,thisgives
if-h12-I-k 12 = 2(axf+ k)-2(fh+ a)
-
2(gxf+ k) + 2(f f + k) = 2(f + gf + k).

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 CHARACTERIZATION OF HILBERT SPACE 527

Now
(f + 9 f) = ifI2+ (g, ) = IuI2+ (f,g) (f + g'g)
and
(f+ g, k) =-(h + k, k) =-(h + k,h) =(f + gh).
Therefore
(f+ ,f+ k) = (f+ g,g+ h) =-(f+ g, f+ k) =0.
Hence if-h i = I 9-k I. Similarly, I 9-h i = If - ki.
I4). If one expandsthe fourtermsthat appear in the expressionfor4(fi, f2 ; g)
one obtainsthe result: 4(fK,f2 ; g) = 8(fi, f2). This is independentof g.
I5). Note that forany a # 0, a2+ a-2 ? 2 since (a- a')2 > 0. Usingthe
factthat If i = , one has
l af + ac-g 12= a2 If 2 + 2(f, g) + a-2 19 12
(a 2 + a-2) (if 12 + I g 12)/2+ 2(f,g) > If 12 + I g 12 + 2(f g)

= If+I12.

I6).Since E fj = 0, thenfora fixedindexi, (fi,I fj) = 0. Thus summing

with respectto i,
Ifti12+ (fifi) = 0
wherethe second summationextends over all unequal indices i and j. Now
I I -I 12= i hi12+ I fj 12-2(fi, fj) hence

E If - i 2 = (n - 1)Z Ifi 2 + (n - 1)
i j
Ifi 2 -2,(fifj).
i,'i iri

Substitutingforthe innerproductthe value obtainedabove, one has

ZI -ifj 12= 2nE
Ifi 12.
ip'i

This concludesthe proofof the necessityof theseimplications.

IV. The Sufficiency
of the Implications
of the implicationsI2), 13),
I,). It will appear presentlythat the sufficiency
and I4) dependsdirectlyupon that of I,). The sufficiency of IO) is provedwith
the help of some lemmas. In the statementof these lemmasthe hypothesisof
the implicationwill not be repeated.
LEMMA 1: If If + g If - I thenI = If - ng 1, for n = 0,
1, ?2, 2..

PROOF: If + g I = If - g I impliesIf + g I = If - rg I whichimpliesin

turnIf + 72g = if _ 729I , etc. This gives the lemma forpositiveintegers.
Next, If + g = if - gI impliesiTf+ g I = h'f-g I whichin turnimplies
If + z719 I = If - 19I . This gives the lemmafornegativeintegers.

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
528 E. R. LORCH

It is clear fromthis that one may specifythat y satisfiesthe inequality0 <

7 < 1.
LEMMA2: Overtherange-oo < t < oo, thefunction +(t) =I f + 4gI is convex
down.
PROOF: Choose constants4j, 42with 4j < 6 and t with 0 < t < 1. Let
= t62 + (1 - t) . Then by the triangleinequality

if + {g I= I t(f+ 629) + (1 - t) (f + 69) I_ t I f + 629 1+ (1 - t) I f + 6g

LEMMA3: Thefunction+(t) = If + fg I is notconstanton any interval.

PROOF: Firstnotethatexceptforthe trivialcase g = 0, +(t) -+ oo as Q -i d oo;
also that +(t) is continuousby virtueof the triangleinequality. Now suppose
that +(t) is constanton some closed interval[3, e] with 5 < e. Then by the
previouslemma +(t) is monotonenon-decreasing fort > e. Similarly,+(t) is
monotonenon-increasing for t < 5. Thus there is a maximumfiniteclosed
intervalcontaining[5,e] in which+(t) is constant. To make mattersofnotation
simple,let that maximumintervalbe denotedby [5,e].
Choose t in such a mannerthat e < t < 2e - 5. Then forthe numbery of
Lemma 1, 0 < y < 1, and forsufficiently large values of the integern, 7 =
y'( - 5)/2 is arbitrarilysmall in absolute value. Also the two numbers
(t + 5)/2 :i- lie withinthe interval[5, e]. Hence by thehypothesisofconstancy
in [5, e], f([t+ 5]/2 + n) = f([t+ 5]/2- q). Or, writingf' = f + [+ 5]/2g
and g' = fg, one has If' + g' = If' - 9' I Thus by the implicationIJ),
If' + 78u'I = I f _ 789 i forany integers. Choosings = -n wheren is the
integergivenabove, one obtains
f, + -nygf + [t + 5]/2g+ [ - 5S]/2g= f + 4g,
=

and similarlyf' - yg' = f + Sg. Thus+() = +(5). Since t > e,thisviolates

the assumptionthat the intervalof constancy[5, e] is maximal.
LEm 4: If If + g I = If-g , thenforall a, If + 4g I = If-9-g.
PROOF: For +() = If + 9gI , one has c(y') = 4(y7n), n = 0, ?1, i2, ...
with 0 < y < 1. Since +(t) is convex down, it has an absolute minimumat
{ = 0. Suppose now that it is false that +(t) = +-t) forall A. Then there
existtwo numbersa, ,3with a $ 0 and ,3 # 0 such that 0(a + 3l) = 0(a - i).
Thus applyingthe hypothesisand the previousreasoning,+(t) has an absolute
minimumat t = a in additionto that at t = 0. This is impossiblesince+(t) is
a convexfunctionwhichis not constantin any interval.
This concludesthe proofof the sufficiency of IL).
I2). Sincef+ g + h = 0,f - h = 2f+ gand g - h = f+ 2g. Thus the
implicationis: For anyf and g such that If I = I g i then I 2f + g I = If + 2g .
This showsthat I2) impliesI,) in its secondformulation withy' = 2.
Is). Given thatf + g + h + k = 0, If I = I gland I hI = Ik . Writef' =
f- k, g' = g -h, h' = k - g, and k' = h-f. Then note that f' + g' +
h' + k' = Oand that since If k - g h Iand I g - k I = If - hI byI3),
-
then I f' = I g' I and I h' I = I k' [. Thus applyingIs) once more,one obtains

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 CHARACTERIZATION OF HILBERT SPACE 529

If'-k' I = I g'-h' I or I 2f-h-k I=1 2g-h-k i. Since f + g=

-(h + kc),thisgives I 3f + g = If + 3g I.
The proofis broughtto completionby applyingimplicationJ1)in its second
formulation. That is, I f I = gI I impliesI3f + g I = If + 3g I. However,in
orderto apply I,), it mustbe shownthat any pairf, g withI f I = I g I can be ex-
tendedto a quadrupletf, g, h, k withf + g + h + k = 0 and with I h I = i k I
This is done simplyby takingh = -f and k = -g.
I4). In the expressionfor4(fi ,f2 ; g), firstset g = 0 then g = f2 . Since the
value of 4 is independentof g, the resultsmay be equated. This gives
2I+ f212 -2f -f2 12= Ifl +22 12-If- 2 12
Thus If,+ f2 I = I f - f2 I impliesIf' + 2f2 = if -2f2 I. Hence the proof
of 14)restson that of I)).
I5). The proofof this implicationis based on some lemmaswhichfollow. It
willbe seen that it and its converseimplicationimplyeach other. The converse
may be stated as follows:
I') +
f,g e e and i afaf'g I > If + g i forall real a $ O imply If=i gI
I5) is validin a space 58,thenI') is also validin Qa.
LEMMA5: Whenever
PROOF: The validityof I5) is assumed. Suppose that for a given pair f, g,
Iaf+ X19g>-I If+ glforalla 0O. Itwillbeshownthat If I = I .
Iff + g = 0,thenf = -gandhence If I = I gI. Supposethatf + g 5 0;
supposethenthatf 5 0. The hypothesismakesit clearthat also g - O. Write
K = IgI/ If Iandg = Kg'. ThenlIg' I IfI .
Now using Is), one has
If + gI= If + Kg' = Ki K f + Kg' I> K If+ g'
As was seen in Section II in the discussionof I5) the equality signabove is pos-
sible onlyifKi = 1 and in this case i f I= I . Now by hypothesis,
K I f+ I = IK
Kif + K '| = IKif + KIg I _ IK + g I .
These two inequalitiesshow that K = 1, and hencethat I') is valid in S.
LEMMA6: Whenever I') is validin a space a, thenI5) is also validin d.
PROOF: The validityofI') is assumed. Suppose thatforf,g, # 0, If I = g 9.
The function of a, j af + a -'g 1, is continuous and assumes a minimum value,
say at a = ao; one may assume that ao > . Then I oxf+ aTx9 >
|of + ac-0gI or (aaco)aof + (alo a'gog I >I aof + c<01'gI for all values of
aao HencebyI'), laofI I acg
= IorcOIfI = |gi Since Ifi = |9| #0?
ao = 1 and the lemma is proved.
The sufficiencyof I5) will now be established. Assumethat If I = I I. It
will be shownthat forany given real 0, I eef+ e-egI = I e ef+ eegI . This
meansthat I5) impliesB). In turn,B) impliesthat the space is a Hilbertspace.
For an arbitraryreal 4,
I e'(eef+ eeg) + e-(ef + eeg) = I (e@+++ e-e-")f+ (e@ + e-e+")g

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
530 E. R. LORCH

Write
a = e@+++ e9,0 = e0,0 + eC+.

Then

ca3= e + e + e2 + e-2 ? (e6 + e)2

Thus, writing a2 = an, one obtainswiththe help of 15)
Iaf+ Cg I y I a7lf + Ai'Fg I> a, If + g I > (e + eC) If + g
= I (elf+ erg) + (e-'f + e'g) I .
The proofis concludedby applyingLemma 5.
to considerimplication1s) for
I6). As indicatedin Section II, it is sufficient
the case ofthreevectorsf, g,h withf + g + h = 0. The implicationthenleads
to equation (1) in SectionII. Since h =-(f + g), equation (1) may be rewrit-
ten in the form
(2) if 12+ 1g12= _If+g12+ { IfI12+ I2f+g12+ f+2g12
whichis valid forarbitraryvectorsf and g in A. The plan forestablishingthe
sufficiencyofI) is thefollowing: It willbe shownthatby successiveapplication
of (2) one may deriveby limitingproceduresimplicationA). Since A) is suffi-
cientto establishthe euclideancharacterofthe space the proofis thencomplete.
First the iterativeprocesswill be given. It leads to formulaswhichwill be
establishedby mathematicalinduction. Afterthisthe questionoflimitswillbe
investigated. The proofhere depends on the existencein generalof two-sided
derivativesof convexfunctions.
In equation (2) write2f + g and f + 2g forf and g respectively. This gives
2f+ g912+ If+ 2g12 = -13f+ 3g12
+ { Ifg12+ I5f+4g12+ 14f+5q12}.

The latterexpressionis to be substitutedin (2). This yieldsan identityinvolv-

+ 49 I and 1w4f
ing i fI X I g I If + g I and If-g I as well as 1o5f N
+ 59I . Now
one writes(2) with 5f+ 4g and 4f+ 5q substitutedforf and g respectively.
The resultis used in the nextstep oftheiterativeprocess. At the nth stage one
obtainsan expressionof the form
If + I
(3) If12+ anI f - II anf+ Eng12?
12+ _Y.
2
12+ +
It is now assertedthat the coefficients
are the following:
(4) Cin = 2(1 - 3 -n); Oin 2(3 - 1);

lyn= 3 ; A I(3n + 1); n= 2(3'1)n

-

The proofof this assertionis based upon mathematicalinduction. Equation (2)

representsthe case n = 1 and the formulasabove are certainlycorrectforthat

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
 CHARACTERIZATION OF HILBERT SPACE 531

case. Now suppose that the formulashave been establishedfor the values
n = 1, 2, , k. They will be establishedforn = k + 1.
It is clear that
1 12
I bk-f+ sk |2 + I ef? 6kg2 - (k + Ik) (f + a) 12

+ 3{ |f - a ?1 1(28k + Ek)f +(26k + ak) 2 +I (2k + k)f+ (26k + Ek)g |

Using this forsubstitutionin (3) wheren is replacedby k one obtains (3) for
n = k + 1. This givesforthe variouscoefficients:
ak/+i = ak + 3VIk = 2(1 3-(k+l));
/3k+1 = Ok - Yk(Qk + 6k) = - 3 k32k = 2(3k+1 )
A,1 -k +1)
Yk+l = 3'yk = 3- ;
5k+1 = 23k + 6k = 1(3k+1 + 1);
6k+1 = 26k + k =- (3 - 1)
This establishesthe validityof the formulas(4). Now the questionof limits
will be considered. It is clear that limn-,.an = 2 and that limn-ofn/8,n =

li~n-ooin/fn = 1. Examination of 3) would suggest the following procedure:

Write I6nf+ +na I = AnIf + 6n/bnaland IE(f+ Ana I = enI f + bn/n6, I. Thus
since En/n -* 1, thelast threetermsof3) consistessentiallyof the factorIf + a I
withthe coefficientn+ -Yn(bn + en). The limitofthe lattercoefficient is easily
calculated to be 2. This means that as n -* o, equation (3) yieldsA). The
above analysisis not completeas will be apparentimmediately.
For the termsof 3) whichare of interestin the presentargumentone may
write
(5) AnIf + g 12? I &n+ fna121
+If+ a 121= n+ n(+?6e)] If + g 2

+ { If + 1n/&a2 - If + aI21
}+ vne{ If + 1n/2n2 If + g 121
An examinationmustbe made of the termswiththe coefficients anbn and Ynfn.
It will be seen that these terms have limits as n -* o whose sum is "usually"
zero.
In what follows,f and g are arbitrarybut fixed. Let k be a variable real
numberand considerthe function+(t) If + X9I . Accordingto Lemma 2,
thisfunctionis convex, - o < t < o. Therefore it possessesa derivativefor
every value oft except at most on a denumerable set. The leftand rightderiva-
tives existat every point. They will be indicated by D_ and D+ respectively.
Now sincefn/bn = 1 - 2(3 + 1)-' and Yn n = 4-1(3f + 2 + 3-f) it is readily
seen that
(6) limnx.nb{ If + n6n/ 2 If+ a 21 = - _D( If + kg 12)for = 1.

Similarcomputationsshowthat the last termin 5) is equal to 2-'D+( kg 12)

If +
at t = 1. Thus in case the derivativeexistsfort = 1 (that is, in case the left
and rightderivativescoincide),equation (5) leads to A) and the proofofthe suf-
ficiencyof 16) is complete.

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
532 E. R. LORCH

Suppose now that in the argumentstartingwith equation (3) the quantity9

be replacedby 79gwhere77is real and positive. Then it is readilyseen that the
limitin (6) is now - 7 2-'D(I f + tg 12) at t = q. In thiscase the last termin
(5) has a limitas n -X o whichis t7* 2-'D+(I f + tg 12)at t = q. Thus in case the
two-sidedderivativeexists,the sufficiency of 16) is establishedforthe pair f, -q.
In case q < 0, a similarargumentholds.
Now the derivativeof If + 4g I existsforall values of t except at most on a
denumerableset. Thus exceptforsuch a set it is establishedthat
(7) If 12+ I 4g 12= , I{If + g2 + If- g 12}
Now choose a sequence of values {l, 6, *- - forwhich(7) holds and such that
lim,.ot = 1. Taking the limitof the termsin (7) as n -* oo,one obtainsA).
This completesthe proofof the sufficiencyof 16).

V. Addendum
Very shortlyaftersubmittingthis paper to the Annals, it was noticed that
because of an oversightthe proof of the sufficiencyof implicationC) in the
introduction is nowhereto be foundin the paper. This proofis givenherewith.
It is based on the implicationJ1)and properlybelongsdirectlyafterthe latter.
Considerany vectorsf and g with f = I g I . Writef = f,f" = 9, g' =
9" f + g;then g' -f = gand9" -f = f. Thus one has If'I = If"I,
19'I = I9"I, Ig' - f' I " -f I . ApplyingC) this gives Ig' + f I =
9" +f"I or I2f g I
+ I= f + 2g1. Thus If lI = I Iimplies I2f + gjI =
If + 29 I. By the secondformulationof I,) the space is euclidean.
BARNARD COLLEGE
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

This content downloaded from 128.119.168.112 on Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:32:11 AM

All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions