P-Product Metrics on Real Vector Space are Topologically Equivalent/Inequality for General Case

Theorem
For $n \in \N$, let $\R^n$ be a real vector Space.

Let $r, t \in \R_{\ge 1}$.

Let $d_r$ and $d_t$ be $p$-product metrics on $\R^n$.

Then $d_r$ and $d_t$ are topologically equivalent.

Proof
, assume that $r \le t$. We show that $\ds \map {d_r} {x, y} \ge \map {d_t} {x, y}$, which is equivalent to proving that:


 * $\ds \paren {\sum_{i \mathop = 1}^n \size {x_i - y_i}^r}^{1/r} \ge \paren {\sum_{i \mathop = 1}^n \size {x_i - y_i}^t}^{1/t}$

Let $\forall i \in \closedint 1 n: s_i = \size {x_i - y_i}$.

Suppose $s_k = 0$ for some $k \in \closedint 1 n$.

Then the problem reduces to the equivalent one of showing that:
 * $\ds \paren {\sum_{i \mathop = 1}^{n - 1} \size {x_i - y_i}^r}^{1/r} \ge \paren {\sum_{i \mathop = 1}^{n - 1} \size {x_i - y_i}^t}^{1/t}$

that is, of reducing the index by $1$.

Note that when $n = 1$, from simple algebra $\map {d_r} {x, y} = \map {d_t} {x, y}$.

So, let us start with the assumption that $\forall i \in \closedint 1 n: s_i > 0$.

Let $\ds u = \sum_{i \mathop = 1}^n \size {x_i - y_i}^r = \sum_{i \mathop = 1}^n s_i^r$, and $v = \dfrac 1 r$.

From Derivative of Function to Power of Function‎, $\map {D_r} {u^v} = v u^{v - 1} \map {D_r} u + u^v \ln u \map {D_r} v$.

Here:
 * $\ds \map {D_r} u = \sum_{i \mathop = 1}^n s_i^r \ln s_i$ from Derivative of Exponential Function and Sum Rule for Derivatives
 * $\map {D_r} v = - \dfrac 1 {r^2}$ from Power Rule for Derivatives

In the case where $r = 1$, we have:
 * $\map {D_r} {u^v} = 0$

When $r > 1$, we have:

where $K > 0$ because all of $s_i, r > 0$.

For the same reason, $\ds \dfrac{s_j^r} {\sum_{i \mathop = 1}^n s_i^r} < 1$ for all $j \in \set {1, \ldots, n}$.

From Logarithm of 1 is 0 and Logarithm is Strictly Increasing, their logarithms are therefore negative.

So for $r > 1$:


 * $\ds \map {D_r} {\paren {\sum_{i \mathop = 1}^n s_i^r}^{1 / r} } < 0$

So, from Derivative of Monotone Function, it follows that (given the conditions on $r$ and $s_i$) $\ds \paren {\sum_{i \mathop = 1}^n s_i^r}^{1 / r}$ is decreasing.

As we assumed $r \le t$, we have $\map {d_r} {x, y} \ge \map {d_t} {x, y}$.