On the uniform convexity of \(L^ p\) spaces, \(1<p\leq 2\) (Q1056869)

The modulus of convexity \(\delta_ p(\epsilon)\) of the real or complex Lebesgue space \(L_ p\) is defined as \[ \delta_ p(\epsilon)=\inf \{1- \| x+y\|_ p/2:\| x\|_ p\leq 1,\quad \| y\|_ p\leq 1,\quad \| x-y\|_ p\geq \epsilon \}, \] where \(\| \cdot \|_ p\) denotes the usual \(L_ p\)-norm. Clarkson in 1936 showed that all the \(L_ p\), \(1<p<+\infty\) are uniformly convex, that is, that \((\delta_ p(\epsilon)>0\) whenever \(0<\epsilon <2\). In 1956 Hanner improved this result by obtaining explicit asymptotic formulas for \(\delta_ p(\epsilon)\). While the proof of it for \(p\geq 2\) is quite easy, the situation for \(1<p<2\) is more delicate. The paper under review proposes a very simple and elementary proof of the inequality \[ \| | f| /2+| g| /2\|_ p^{2-p}\{\| f\|^ p_ p/2+\| g\|^ p_ p/2-\| (f+g)/2\|^ p_ p\}\geq p(p- 1)\| f-g\|^ 2_ p/8,\quad 1<p<2. \] The result of Hanner, that is, the estimate \(\delta_ p(\epsilon)\geq (p-1)\epsilon^ 2/8\) then immediately follows. The above inequality with p(p-1)/8 replaced by an unknown constant has been found by [\textit{. S. Jakimovski} and \textit{D. C. Russell}, C. R. Math. Acad. Sci., Soc. R. Can. 3, 23-27 (1981; Zbl 0458.46012)].