Radical convex functions (Q2039626)

The authors define and explore radical convex functions. Let \(f:[0,\infty) \rightarrow [0,\infty)\) be a continuous function with \(f(0)=0\) and let \(p\geq 1\) be a fixed number. If the function \(g(x)=f\left(x^{\frac 1p}\right)\) is convex on \([0,\infty)\), we say that \(f\) is \(p\)-radical convex. Some basic properties of \(p\)-radical convex functions (\(p\geq 1\)) are the following: (i) \(f\) is increasing and convex, (ii) \(f\) is \(q\)-radical convex for all \(1\leq q \leq p\), (iii) If \(g\) is \(q\)-radical convex for some \(q\geq 1\), then \(f+g\) is \(\min\{ p,q\}\)-radical convex. (iv) If \(g\) is increasing convex, then the composite function \(g\circ f\) is \(p\)-radical convex. Furthermore, if \(f\) has the Maclaurin series \(\displaystyle f(x)=\sum_{n=0}^{\infty} a_nx^n\), \(\alpha_n >0\), then the function \(\displaystyle g(x)=f(x)- \sum_{n=0}^{p*} a_nx^n\) is \(p\)-radical convex if \(p*\) is the greatest integer less than \(p\). The second section of the paper is devoted to the \(2\)-radical convex functions. A refinement of the Jensen inequality and a superadditivity property are given. Theorem. (The refinement of the Jensen inequality) Let \(f\) be \(2\)-radical convex. If \(x_1, \ldots , x_n \geq 0\) and \(w_1, \ldots , w_n \geq 0\) are such that \(\sum_{i=1}^n w_i=1\), then \[ f\left( \sum_{i=1}^n w_ix_i \right) \leq \sum_{i=1}^n w_i \left\{ f\left(\frac{\sum_{j=1}^n w_jx_j +x_i}{2}\right) + f\left(\frac{|\sum_{j=1}^n w_jx_j -x_i|}{2}\right) \right\} \leq \sum_{i=1}^n w_if(x_i).\] Theorem. Let \(f\) be \(2\)-radical convex and let \(a,b \geq 0\). Then \[ f(a)+f(b) +f(\sqrt{2ab}) \leq f(a+b).\] The following Hermite-Hadamard-type inequalities are also obtained. Theorem. Let \(f\) be \(2\)-radical convex and let \(b>a> 0\). Then \[ f\left( \frac{a+b}{2} \right) +\frac{2}{b-a} \int_0^{\frac{b-a}{2}} f(x)dx \leq \frac{1}{b-a} \int_a^b f(x) dx,\] and \[ \frac{1}{b-a} \int_a^b f(x) dx + \frac{1}{b-a} \int_0^{\frac{b-a}{2}} \frac{4xf(x)}{\sqrt{(b-a)^2-4x^2}} dx \leq \frac{f(a)+f(b)}{2}. \] Moreover, \[ f\left( \frac{a+b}{2} \right) \leq \frac{1}{b-a} \int_a^b \left\{ f \left( \frac{x+\frac{a+b}{2}}{2} \right) +f \left( \frac{|x-\frac{a+b}{2}|}{2} \right) \right\} \leq \frac{1}{b-a} \int_a^b f(x) dx.\] In the third section, the results connected with the Hardy inequality are given. Theorem. Let \(f\) be \(p\)-radical convex for some \(p\geq 1\). Then for every \(x\geq 0\) \[ \int_0^x f(t) dt \leq \frac{x}{p+1} f(x) .\] Equality in the above inequality holds for all \(x>0\) if and only if \(f(x)=cx^p\) for some constant \(c\). Furthermore, if \(b>a>0\), then \[ \int_a^b \left( \frac 1x \int_0^x f(t) dt \right)^p dx \leq \left( \frac{1}{p+1} \right)^p \int_a^b f(x)^p dx.\]