# Math Help - What is a Norm? Norm of a vector? P-Norm?

1. ## What is a Norm? Norm of a vector? P-Norm?

so norm of a number gives out the length
norm of a vector gives out the magnitude
what is a p norm and what does it solve for?

2. This link may be of help to you

Matrix Norm -- from Wolfram MathWorld

3. Originally Posted by bnr34rb26dett
so norm of a number gives out the length
norm of a vector gives out the magnitude
what is a p norm and what does it solve for?
$\| \bold{x} \|_p = \left( \sum_i |x_i|^p \right)^{1/p}$

CB

4. In general, a "norm" on a vector space is a function that assigns to each vector a number, ||v||, satifying:
1) ||u+ v|| $\le$ ||u||+ ||v||.
2) ||v||= 0 if and only if v is the 0 vector.
3) ||av||= |a|||v|| for any scalar (number) a, and vector v.

The formula Captain Black gives defines the "p" norm, over $R^n$, for any positive number p (p is usually taken to be an integer but that is not necessary)- though I believe it should include an absolute value:
$||v||= \left(\sum |x_i|^p\right)^{1/p}$.

Of course, the p-norm for p= 2 is the usual "Euclidean norm" $||v||= \sqrt{\sum x_i^2}$.

If p= 1 we get the "one-norm" $||v||= \sum |x_i|$.

Sometimes, although it doesn't fit the formula above, we define the "0-norm" to be $||v||= max |x_i|$- that is, take the absolute value of all components, then select the largest to be the norm.