View inside the complex Lp space . Fix . If a unit function satisfies for every continuous function , then the possible values at of norm-one extensions of point evaluation at form exactly the closed complex unit disc.
The estimate first excludes . On the direct sum , prescribe for . Scaling the estimate gives , and proves operator norm one. The complex Hahn-Banach theorem extends to the whole Lp space. No value outside the disc is possible because .
Past exam of the functional analysis I course of the University of Oxford 2023 3 b ii Solution 2026-10-25
Write ; its value at , if that point is in , may be assigned arbitrarily because Lp spaces identify functions equal almost everywhere. Its L-infinity norm is one.
The supplied estimate shows that cannot agree almost everywhere with any continuous function : choosing would give . Henceis a direct sum, so every element has a unique expression .
For any complex with , define the linear functionalIf , the supplied estimate, applied to , and absolute homogeneity of a norm giveFor , the same bound follows from point evaluation. Thus , and makes its operator norm exactly one. The complex Hahn-Banach theorem extends to a norm-one linear functional on all of , with value at .
Conversely every norm-one extension satisfies . We have therefore determined all possible values:In particular, taking and proves nonuniqueness of norm-preserving point evaluation extensions.
Past exam of the functional analysis I course of the University of Oxford 2023 3 b i Solution 2026-10-25
For a continuous function on , the L-infinity norm of its restriction to equals its supremum norm on . Indeed, values arbitrarily close to a maximum occur on an interval of positive Lebesgue measure, even if the maximum lies at an endpoint. Also, continuous functions equal almost everywhere on are equal everywhere on . Thus restriction embeds isometrically as a linear subspace of .
The point evaluation functional is complex-linear and satisfies . The constant function one attains equality, so . The complex Hahn-Banach theorem extends this bounded linear functional from that linear subspace to , preserving its operator norm. Therefore