# Math Help - Norm of a sequence of functions

1. ## Norm of a sequence of functions

Let $||-||_{1}$ and $||-||_{2}$ be the $L^1$-norm and the $L^2$-norm on $C[a,b]$ the space of continuous real valued functions on the closed interval $[a,b]$: explicitly
$||f||_{1}=\int_{a}^{b} |f|$, $||f||_{2}=\sqrt{\int_{a}^{b} |f|^2}$.

For $n \geq 1$, define $f_{n}:[0,1] \to \mathbb{R}$ by

$f_{n}(x)= \begin{matrix} n & if 0 \leq x \leq \frac{1}{n} \\ & \\ 2n-n^{2}x & if \frac{1}{n} \leq x \leq \frac{2}{n} \\ & \\ 0 & if \frac{2}{n} \leq x \leq 1\end{matrix}$

Caculate $||f_{n}||_{1}$ and $||f_{n}||_{2}$.

So the thing is that I've been ill for over a week now and couldn't go to lectures resulting in me not having lecture notes and no notion of norms.

I am confused by the sequence of functions which I don't really know how to interpret (what is it geometrically?) or plug into $||f||_{1}=\int_{a}^{b} |f|$, $||f||_{2}=\sqrt{\int_{a}^{b} |f|^2}$. Do I find the limit of the sequence or what do I do to compute $||f_{n}||_{1}=\int_{a}^{b} |f_{n}|$ and $||f_{n}||_{2}=\sqrt{\int_{a}^{b} |f_{n}|^2}$?

2. Hello,

$||f_{n}||_{1}=\int_{a}^{b} |f_{n}|$ and $||f_{n}||_{2}=\sqrt{\int_{a}^{b} |f_{n}|^2}$?
Just calculate these.

For example :

$\|f_n\|_1=\int_0^1 |f_n(x)| ~dx=\int_0^{1/n} |n| ~dx$

$\|g_n\|_1=\int_0^1 |g_n(x)| ~dx=\int_{1/n}^{2/n} |2n-n^2x| ~dx+\int_{2/n}^1 |0| ~dx$

(check they're indeed continuous)