In mathematics, a normed vector space or normed space is a vector space, typically over the real or complex numbers, on which a norm is defined. A norm is a generalization of the intuitive notion of "length" in the physical world. If
is a vector space over
, where
is a field equal to
or to
, then a norm on
is a map
, typically denoted by
, satisfying the following four axioms:
- Non-negativity: for every
,
. - Positive definiteness: for every
,
if and only if
is the zero vector. - Absolute homogeneity: for every
and
,
- Triangle inequality: for every
and
,
If
is a real or complex vector space as above, and
is a norm on
, then the ordered pair
is called a normed vector space. If it is clear from context which norm is intended, then it is common to denote the normed vector space simply by
.