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+---
+title: "Legendre transform"
+date: 2021-02-22
+categories:
+- Mathematics
+- Physics
+layout: "concept"
+---
+
+The **Legendre transform** of a function $f(x)$ is a new function $L(f')$,
+which depends only on the derivative $f'(x)$ of $f(x)$, and from which
+the original function $f(x)$ can be reconstructed. The point is,
+analogously to other transforms (e.g. [Fourier](/know/concept/fourier-transform/)),
+that $L(f')$ contains the same information as $f(x)$, just in a different form.
+
+Let us choose an arbitrary point $x_0 \in [a, b]$ in the domain of
+$f(x)$. Consider a line $y(x)$ tangent to $f(x)$ at $x = x_0$, which has
+a slope $f'(x_0)$ and intersects the $y$-axis at $-C$:
+
+$$\begin{aligned}
+    y(x) = f'(x_0) (x - x_0) + f(x_0) = f'(x_0) x - C
+\end{aligned}$$
+
+The Legendre transform $L(f')$ is defined such that $L(f'(x_0)) = C$
+(or sometimes $-C$) for all $x_0 \in [a, b]$,
+where $C$ corresponds to the tangent line at $x = x_0$. This yields:
+
+$$\begin{aligned}
+    L(f'(x)) = f'(x) \: x - f(x)
+\end{aligned}$$
+
+We want this function to depend only on the derivative $f'$, but
+currently $x$ still appears here as a variable. We fix that problem in
+the easiest possible way: by assuming that $f'(x)$ is invertible for all
+$x \in [a, b]$. If $x(f')$ is the inverse of $f'(x)$, then $L(f')$ is
+given by:
+
+$$\begin{aligned}
+    \boxed{
+        L(f') = f' \: x(f') - f(x(f'))
+    }
+\end{aligned}$$
+
+The only requirement for the existence of the Legendre transform is thus
+the invertibility of $f'(x)$ in the target interval $[a,b]$, which can
+only be true if $f(x)$ is either convex or concave, i.e. its derivative
+$f'(x)$ is monotonic.
+
+Crucially, the derivative of $L(f')$ with respect to $f'$ is simply
+$x(f')$. In other words, the roles of $f'$ and $x$ are switched by the
+transformation: the coordinate becomes the derivative and vice versa.
+This is demonstrated here:
+
+$$\begin{aligned}
+    \boxed{
+        \dv{L}{f'} = \dv{x}{f'} \: f' + x(f') - \dv{f}{x} \dv{x}{f'} = x(f')
+    }
+\end{aligned}$$
+
+Furthermore, Legendre transformation is an *involution*, meaning it is
+its own inverse. Let $g(L')$ be the Legendre transform of $L(f')$:
+
+$$\begin{aligned}
+    g(L') = L' \: f'(L') - L(f'(L'))
+    = x(f') \: f' - f' \: x(f') + f(x(f')) = f(x)
+\end{aligned}$$
+
+Moreover, the inverse of a (forward) transform always exists, because
+the Legendre transform of a convex function is itself convex. Convexity
+of $f(x)$ means that $f''(x) > 0$ for all $x \in [a, b]$, which yields
+the following proof:
+
+$$\begin{aligned}
+    L''(f')
+    = \dv{x(f')}{f'}
+    = \dv{x}{f'(x)}
+    = \frac{1}{f''(x)}
+    > 0
+\end{aligned}$$
+
+Legendre transformation is important in physics,
+since it connects [Lagrangian](/know/concept/lagrangian-mechanics/)
+and [Hamiltonian](/know/concept/hamiltonian-mechanics/) mechanics to each other.
+It is also used to convert between [thermodynamic potentials](/know/concept/thermodynamic-potential/).
+
+
+
+## References
+1.  H. Gould, J. Tobochnik,
+    *Statistical and thermal physics*, 2nd edition,
+    Princeton.
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