Norm and normed vector space
A norm assigns lengths to vectors and induces a metric
Norm and normed vector space
Let be a vector space over (or ). A norm on is a function such that for all and scalars :
- Positive definiteness: iff .
- Absolute homogeneity: .
- Triangle inequality: .
A pair is called a normed vector space.
Context. Norms provide a quantitative notion of size. Via the induced metric , normed spaces are a fundamental class of metric spaces used to define convergence, continuity, and completeness.
Examples:
- On , is a norm (Euclidean norm).
- On , and are norms.
- On the space of continuous functions, defines a norm.