Equality of convex functions from equal minimal subgradient norms

Let H\mathcal{H} be the underlying Hilbert space, and let ψ1,ψ2:HR\psi_1,\psi_2:\mathcal{H}\rightarrow\mathbb{R} be finite convex functions bounded from below. For each xHx\in\mathcal{H}, let ψi(x)\partial\psi_i(x) denote the subdifferential of ψi\psi_i at xx.

Equal minimal subgradient norm conjecture. If

infpψ1(x)p=infqψ2(x)qfor all xH,\inf_{p\in\partial\psi_1(x)}\|p\|=\inf_{q\in\partial\psi_2(x)}\|q\|\quad\text{for all }x\in\mathcal{H},

then ψ1=ψ2+c\psi_1=\psi_2+c for some constant c>0c>0.

This conjecture would extend the preceding uniqueness theorem for twice continuously differentiable convex functions to finite, possibly nonsmooth convex functions. The source presents it as plausible but does not provide a resolution.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Tahar Boulmezaoud, Philippe Cieutat and Aris Daniilidis, “Gradient flows, second order gradient systems and convexity”, arXiv:1710.07858 (2018).

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