Monday, 30 July 2018

real analysis - Is there a function which is "midpoint linear" but not linear?




Let a function f:RR be midpoint linear if for all x,yR, f(x+y2)=f(x)+f(y)2. If a midpoint linear function f is continuous, then I believe you can show through a density argument that f is also linear. However, if we drop the assumption of continuity, I wonder if we can construct (or at least describe) a counterexample that is midpoint linear function but is not in fact linear. Because midpoint convexity does not imply convexity without the additional assumption of continuity, I believe that such a counterexample should exist, and that it will likely be through a Vitali set sort of argument that involves taking a basis for R over Q. I am not sure of the details though.


Answer



I think you're exactly right: take a Hamel basis for R over Q, and then you can define f arbitrarily on each basis element and extend it linearly to all of R.



For example, if π is a member of your Hamel basis, then every real number x can be written uniquely as x=rπ+(a rational linear combination of finitely many other basis elements), where r is rational (possibly 0). Then you can define f(x)=r. This function is midpoint-linear (indeed, rational-linear) but not linear: it takes the value 0 on a whole lot of real numbers, including some between π and 2π for instance.


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