Why isn't it true that $|z|\sqrt{2} \leq |Re(z)| + |Im(z)|$?

501 Views Asked by At

I know that $|z|\sqrt{2} \geq |Re(z)| + |Im(z)|$.

When I tried to prove it I did this:

$|z| = |Re(z) + iIm(z)|$

By the triangle inequality:

$|Re(z) + iIm(z)| \leq |Re(z)| + |iIm(z)|$

$ |Re(z)| + |iIm(z)| = |Re(z)| + |i||Im(z)| = |Re(z)| + |Im(z)|$

So far:

$|z| \leq |Re(z)| + |Im(z)|$

Multiplying by $\sqrt{2}$ on both sides:

$|z|\sqrt{2} \leq (|Re(z)| + |Im(z)|)\sqrt{2}$

Since $|Re(z)| + |Im(z)| \leq \sqrt{2}(|Re(z)| + |Im(z)|)$:

$|z|\sqrt{2} \leq |Re(z)| + |Im(z)|$

What's wrong with this?

1

There are 1 best solutions below

0
On BEST ANSWER

We finally obtain

$$|z| \leq |Re(z)| + |Im(z)| \iff \sqrt{x^2+y^2}\le |x|+|y|\iff x^2+y^2\le x^2+y^2+2|xy|\iff |xy|\ge 0$$

which is true and therefore it is also true that

$$\sqrt 2|z| \leq \sqrt 2(|Re(z)| + |Im(z)|)$$

as noticed the wrong step is in the claim

$$|z| \leq |Re(z)| + |Im(z)| \quad \land \quad |Re(z)| + |Im(z)| \leq \sqrt{2}(|Re(z)| + |Im(z)|)\\\implies \sqrt 2|z| \leq |Re(z)| + |Im(z)|$$

which is not true in general, indeed note that

$$|z|\sqrt{2} \leq |Re(z)| + |Im(z)| \iff \sqrt 2 \sqrt{x^2+y^2}\le |x|+|y|\iff \sqrt{\frac{x^2+y^2}2}\le \frac{|x|+|y|}2$$

which is clearly false in general for RMS-AM inequality and only equality holds if and only if $x=y$.