LOG DISTANCE

AN HOA VU

(Survit Sra, MIT 2013) Prove that

s
a+b
dL (a, b) = log √
2 ab
is a distance function on R+ .
Proof. Obviously, dL (a, b) = 0 ⇐⇒ a = b by AM-GM inequality. Also, dL (a, b) =
dL (b, a) is clear. It remains to show that
(1) dL (a, b) ≤ dL (a, c) + dL (b, c)
for all a, b, c > 0. First, let us rewrite
v
u r r !
u 1 a b
dL (a, b) = log
t +
2 b a
s r 
a
= log f
b
a  
b
=g =g
b a
where  
1 1
f (x) = x+
2 x
and q √
g(x) = log f ( x).
Observe that the√functions f (x) is increasing on the interval (1, +∞) and√the
√ log x and x are increasing on (0, +∞). Since g is a composition x ◦
functions
log ◦f ◦ x of functions increasing on (1, +∞), g must be increasing on (1, +∞) as
well. In other words, if 1 < x < y then 0 < g(x) < g(y).
To prove (1), we can assume a < b without loss of generality. (If a = b then the
inequality is obvious since the left hand side is 0 and right hand side is obviously
≥ 0.)
There are several possibilities for c:
• c = a or c = b: (1) is obvious for then one of the term on the RHS equals
to the LHS.
• c < a so c is the smallest number amongst the a, b, c; i.e. c < a < b: then
a b b
c , c , a > 1 and
   
b a b
(1) ⇐⇒ g ≤g +g
a c c
1
2 AN HOA VU

which is true because then

b b
1< <
a c
so we even have a stronger inequality
   
b b
g <g .
a c
• c > b so c is the largest number amongst the a, b, c; in other words, a < b <
c: Then  
b c c
(1) ⇐⇒ g ≤g +g
a a b
which is similarly true because
b c
1< < .
a a
• Finally, a < c < b or c is the middle number amongst the a, b, c: Then
   
b c b
(1) ⇐⇒ g ≤g +g
a a c
Unfortunately, we cannot yet make any conclusion. But observe that it
suffices to show that
(2) g(X 2 Y 2 ) ≤ g(X 2 ) + g(Y 2 )
pc
for all real numbers X, Y > 1. For then, we can plug in X = a and
q q
Y = cb whence XY = ab to get (1). Conversely, if the original inequality
(1) is true for all a, b, c > 0 then it must be true for a = X12 , b = Y 2 , c = 1
which gives us (2). By doing this, we eliminate one variable AND also
the inner square-root as
q √ p
2
g(X ) = log f ( X 2 ) = log f (X).

Let G(x) = g(x2 ).

For a fixed value of Y > 1, consider the function
h(X) = g(X 2 ) + g(Y 2 ) − g(X 2 Y 2 ) = G(X) + G(Y ) − G(XY )
as a function of X only. We claim that this function is increasing on [1, ∞)
and so
h(X) ≥ h(1) = g(1) + g(Y ) − g(Y ) = g(1) = 0
which proves our inequality (2).
To prove our claim, we show that h0 (X) > 0 on (1, ∞). One has
h0 (X) = G0 (X) − Y G0 (XY )
and
x2 − 1
G0 (x) =
2x(x2 + 1)G(x)
 LOG DISTANCE 3

so
h0 (X) > 0 ⇐⇒ G0 (X) > Y G0 (XY )
X2 − 1 (XY )2 − 1
⇐⇒ > Y
2X(X 2 + 1)G(X) 2XY ((XY )2 + 1)G(XY )
2
X −1 (XY )2 − 1
⇐⇒ >
(X 2 + 1)G(X) ((XY )2 + 1)G(XY )
2
(X + 1)G(X) ((XY )2 + 1)G(XY )
⇐⇒ <
X2 − 1 (XY )2 − 1
⇐⇒ k(X) < k(XY )
where the function
(x2 + 1)G(x)
 
2
k(x) = = 1+ G(x).
x2 − 1 2
x −1
The final inequality is true because X < XY (from assumption Y > 1)
and k(x) is an increasing function on (1, +∞) since
 
−4x 2
k 0 (x) = 2 G(x) + 1 + G0 (x)
(x − 1)2 x2 − 1
and so
k 0 (x) > 0 ⇐⇒ −4xG(x) + (x4 − 1)G0 (x) > 0
x2 − 1
⇐⇒ (x4 − 1) > 4xG(x)
2x(x2 + 1)G(x)
(x2 − 1)2
⇐⇒ > 8G(x)2 = 8 log f (x)
x2
⇐⇒ K(x) > 0
where the function
(x2 − 1)2
K(x) = − 8 log f (x).
x2
One has
2(x2 − 1)3
K 0 (x) =
x3 (x2 + 1)
which is evidently positive on (1, +∞). Hence, K(x) is increasing on
(1, +∞) and so K(x) ≥ K(1) = 0 with equality only achieved when x = 1.