Concept guide
Convex function: a complete certificate via the Jensen gap of a quadratic, and a single Jensen counterexample
(1) Prove that f(x)=2x²−3x+1 is convex on the interval I=[−1,4]: first confirm that I is convex, then prove f(λx+(1−λ)y)≤λf(x)+(1−λ)f(y) for all x,y∈I and all λ∈[0,1], by showing that the Jensen gap of a quadratic equals aλ(1−λ)(x−y)². (2) From the same identity, the affine function ℓ(x)=3x−5 gives equality on I. (3) Refute the convexity of g(x)=−x²+x on J=[0,2] with one exact Jensen violation, and explain why a few passing samples cannot prove convexity.