Recall a function $f:[-a,a] \rightarrow R$ is said to be even if $f(x)=f(-x)$.
Let $f$ be an integrable, even function.
Prove that: $ \int_{-a}^a f\,$ = $2 \int_0^a f\,$.
.
I'm trying to prove this using Darboux/Riemann Integrals, as stated in the title.
I'm unsure how to interpret $f(x)=f(-x)$. My best guess was to say that $U(f,P)=U(f,-P)$ after I define a partition but, even if that's right, I can't see how that works.
My proof so far is as follows:
As $f$ is integrable, $\exists$ a sequence of partitions $P_n$ on $[-a,a]$ : $\lim\limits_{n \to \infty} (U(f,P_n)-L(f,P_n))=0$ and $\lim\limits_{n \to \infty} (U(f,P_n))=$ $\int_{-a}^a f\,$.
Now, let ${Q_n}$ be a refinement of $P_n$ such that $Q_n=P_n \cup (-P_n)$. Then, $Q_n$ is symmetric about the origin and:
(i.) $\lim\limits_{n \to \infty} (U(f,Q_n)-L(f,Q_n)=0$ (see ***).
(ii.) $L(f,P_n) \le L(f,Q_n) \le U(f,Q_n) \le U(f,P_n)$, by refinement.
(iii.) $\lim\limits_{n \to \infty} (U(f,Q_n))=$ $\int_{-a}^a f\,$, by (i.).
***$\lim\limits_{n \to \infty} (U(f,Q_n)-L(f,Q_n))=$ $\lim\limits_{n \to \infty} ([U(f,P_n)+U(f,-P_n)]-[L(f,P_n)+L(f,-P_n)])=0$
Here is where I get stuck...
As $f$ is even, $U(f,P_n)=U(f,-P_n)$ and $L(f,P_n)=L(f,-P_n)$.
And that's it.. I believe the final lines look like this:
Thus, $U(f,Q_n)=U(f,P_n \cup (-P_n))=U(f,P_n)+U(f,-P_n)=U(f,-P_n)+U(f,-P_n)=2U(f,-P_n)$.
And, as $ \int_{-a}^a f\,$ = $\int_{-a}^0 f\,$ $+$ $\int_0^a f\,$,
$\lim\limits_{n \to \infty} (2U(f,-P_n)=$ $\lim\limits_{n \to \infty} (U(f,Q_n)$
Hence, $ \int_{-a}^a f\,$ $=$ $\int_{-a}^0 f\,$ $+$ $\int_0^a f\,$ $=$ $\int_0^a f\,$ $+$ $\int_0^a f\,$ $=$ $2\int_0^a f\,$.
End Proof
Any help would be extremely helpful. As you can see, I get pretty lost at the end there. Thank you.
Since $f$ is Riemann integrable on $[-a,a]$, by the Riemann criterion, for any $\epsilon > 0$ there exists a partition $P'$ of $[-a,a]$ such that $U(f,P') - L(f,P') < \epsilon.$
If the point $x=0$ is not included in $P'$, we can add it to obtain a partition $P$ which refines $P'$. Otherwise take $P = P'$ when it includes $x = 0$. Since $P' \subset P$ we have $$L(f,P') \leqslant L(f,P) \leqslant U(f,P) \leqslant U(f,P')$$ and $$U(f,P) - L(f,P) \leqslant U(f,P') - L(f,P') < \epsilon.$$
Let us denote the points in $P$ as
$$-a = y_0 < y_1 < \ldots < y_n = 0 = x_0 < x_1< \ldots x_m = a,$$
where we take into consideration the fact that there may be a different number of points in the partition below and above $0$. Note that $P^- = (y_0,y_1, \ldots,y_n)$ is a partition of $[-a,0]$ and $P^+ = (x_0,x_1, \ldots,x_n)$ is a partition of $[0,a]$.
We can write
$$U(f,P) = U(f,P^-) + U(f,P^+), \,\,\, L(f,P) = L(f,P^-) + L(f,P^+), $$
and it follows that
$$U(f,P^-) - L(f,P^-) + U(f,P^+) - U(f,P^+) = U(f,P) - L(f,P) < \epsilon.$$
Hence, since the upper sum minus the lower sum is positive, we have
$$U(f,P^+) - L(f,P^+) < \epsilon,$$
and the integral of $f$ over $[0,a]$ exists and is squeezed between the lower and upper sums as
$$\tag{1}L(f,P^+) \leqslant \int_0^a f \leqslant U(f,P^+).$$
Since $f(x) = f(-x)$, we have by the definition of upper and lower sums
$$\tag{2}U(f,P^-) = \sum_{j=1}^n \sup_{x \in [y_{j-1},y_j]}f(x) \,(y_j- y_{j-1}) = \sum_{j=1}^n \sup_{-x \in [-y_j,-y_{j-1}]}f(-x) \,(-y_{j-1}- (-y_j)), \\ L(f,P^-) = \sum_{j=1}^n \inf_{x \in [y_{j-1},y_j]}f(x) \,(y_j- y_{j-1}) = \sum_{j=1}^n \inf_{-x \in [-y_j,-y_{j-1}]}f(-x) \,(-y_{j-1}- (-y_j)) $$
Notice that the sums appearing on the right-hand sides of the two equations in (2) are themselves upper and lower sums with respect to a partition of $[0,a]$ since $-y_j \in [0,a]$.
Consequently,
$$\tag{3}L(f,P^-) \leqslant \int_0^a f \leqslant U(f,P^-).$$
Adding (1) and (3) we get
$$\tag{4}L(f,P) \leqslant 2\int_0^a f \leqslant U(P,f).$$
But $f$ is integrable over $[-a,a]$ and we must also have
$$\tag{4}L(f,P) \leqslant \int_{-a}^a f \leqslant U(P,f).$$
Thus, for any $\epsilon > 0$,
$$\left|\int_{-a}^af - 2\int_0^a f \right| < U(f,P) - L(f,P) < \epsilon,$$
and it follows that
$$\int_{-a}^af = 2\int_0^a f.$$