Differentiable Quasiconvex Function

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Theorem

Let S be a non empty convex set in $\mathbb{R}^n$ and $f:S \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ be differentiable on S, then f is quasiconvex if and only if for any $x_1,x_2 \in S$ and $f\left ( x_1 \right )\leq f\left ( x_2 \right )$, we have $\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_2 \right )^T\left ( x_2-x_1 \right )\leq 0$

Proof

Let f be a quasiconvex function.

Let $x_1,x_2 \in S$ such that $f\left ( x_1 \right ) \leq f\left ( x_2 \right )$

By differentiability of f at $x_2, \lambda \in \left ( 0, 1 \right )$

$f\left ( \lambda x_1+\left ( 1-\lambda \right )x_2 \right )=f\left ( x_2+\lambda \left (x_1-x_2 \right ) \right )=f\left ( x_2 \right )+\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_2 \right )^T\left ( x_1-x_2 \right )$

$+\lambda \left \| x_1-x_2 \right \|\alpha \left ( x_2,\lambda \left ( x_1-x_2 \right ) \right )$

$\Rightarrow f\left ( \lambda x_1+\left ( 1-\lambda \right )x_2 \right )-f\left ( x_2 \right )-f\left ( x_2 \right )=\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_2 \right )^T\left ( x_1-x_2 \right )$

$+\lambda \left \| x_1-x_2 \right \|\alpha \left ( x2, \lambda\left ( x_1-x_2 \right )\right )$

But since f is quasiconvex, $f \left ( \lambda x_1+ \left ( 1- \lambda \right )x_2 \right )\leq f \left (x_2 \right )$

$\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_2 \right )^T\left ( x_1-x_2 \right )+\lambda \left \| x_1-x_2 \right \|\alpha \left ( x_2,\lambda \left ( x_1,x_2 \right ) \right )\leq 0$

But $\alpha \left ( x_2,\lambda \left ( x_1,x_2 \right )\right )\rightarrow 0$ as $\lambda \rightarrow 0$

Therefore, $\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_2 \right )^T\left ( x_1-x_2 \right ) \leq 0$

Converse

let for $x_1,x_2 \in S$ and $f\left ( x_1 \right )\leq f\left ( x_2 \right )$, $\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_2 \right )^T \left ( x_1,x_2 \right ) \leq 0$

To show that f is quasiconvex,ie, $f\left ( \lambda x_1+\left ( 1-\lambda \right )x_2 \right )\leq f\left ( x_2 \right )$

Proof by contradiction

Suppose there exists an $x_3= \lambda x_1+\left ( 1-\lambda \right )x_2$ such that $f\left ( x_2 \right )< f \left ( x_3 \right )$ for some $ \lambda \in \left ( 0, 1 \right )$

For $x_2$ and $x_3,\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_3 \right )^T \left ( x_2-x_3 \right ) \leq 0$

$\Rightarrow -\lambda \bigtriangledown f\left ( x_3 \right )^T\left ( x_2-x_3 \right )\leq 0$

$\Rightarrow \bigtriangledown f\left ( x_3 \right )^T \left ( x_1-x_2 \right )\geq 0$

For $x_1$ and $x_3,\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_3 \right )^T \left ( x_1-x_3 \right ) \leq 0$

$\Rightarrow \left ( 1- \lambda \right )\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_3 \right )^T\left ( x_1-x_2 \right )\leq 0$

$\Rightarrow \bigtriangledown f\left ( x_3 \right )^T \left ( x_1-x_2 \right )\leq 0$

thus, from the above equations, $\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_3 \right )^T \left ( x_1-x_2 \right )=0$

Define $U=\left \{ x:f\left ( x \right )\leq f\left ( x_2 \right ),x=\mu x_2+\left ( 1-\mu \right )x_3, \mu \in \left ( 0,1 \right ) \right \}$

Thus we can find $x_0 \in U$ such that $x_0 = \mu_0 x_2= \mu x_2+\left ( 1- \mu \right )x_3$ for some $\mu _0 \in \left ( 0,1 \right )$ which is nearest to $x_3$ and $\hat{x} \in \left ( x_0,x_1 \right )$ such that by mean value theorem,

$$\frac{f\left ( x_3\right )-f\left ( x_0\right )}{x_3-x_0}= \bigtriangledown f\left ( \hat{x}\right )$$

$$\Rightarrow f\left ( x_3 \right )=f\left ( x_0 \right )+\bigtriangledown f\left ( \hat{x} \right )^T\left ( x_3-x_0 \right )$$

$$\Rightarrow f\left ( x_3 \right )=f\left ( x_0 \right )+\mu_0 \lambda f\left ( \hat{x}\right )^T \left ( x_1-x_2 \right )$$

Since $x_0$ is a combination of $x_1$ and $x_2$ and $f\left (x_2 \right )< f\left ( \hat{x}\right )$

By repeating the starting procedure, $\bigtriangledown f \left ( \hat{x}\right )^T \left ( x_1-x_2\right )=0$

Thus, combining the above equations, we get:

$$f\left ( x_3\right )=f\left ( x_0 \right ) \leq f\left ( x_2\right )$$

$$\Rightarrow f\left ( x_3\right )\leq f\left ( x_2\right )$$

Hence, it is contradiction.

Examples

Step 1 − $f\left ( x\right )=X^3$

$Let f \left ( x_1\right )\leq f\left ( x_2\right )$

$\Rightarrow x_{1}^{3}\leq x_{2}^{3}\Rightarrow x_1\leq x_2$

$\bigtriangledown f\left ( x_2 \right )\left ( x_1-x_2 \right )=3x_{2}^{2}\left ( x_1-x_2 \right )\leq 0$

Thus, $f\left ( x\right )$ is quasiconvex.

Step 2 − $f\left ( x\right )=x_{1}^{3}+x_{2}^{3}$

Let $\hat{x_1}=\left ( 2, -2\right )$ and $\hat{x_2}=\left ( 1, 0\right )$

thus, $f\left ( \hat{x_1}\right )=0,f\left ( \hat{x_2}\right )=1 \Rightarrow f\left ( \hat{x_1}\right )\setminus < f \left ( \hat{x_2}\right )$

Thus, $\bigtriangledown f \left ( \hat{x_2}\right )^T \left ( \hat{x_1}- \hat{x_2}\right )= \left ( 3, 0\right )^T \left ( 1, -2\right )=3 >0$

Hence $f\left ( x\right )$ is not quasiconvex.

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