TITLE: Convex functions in integral inequality
QUESTION [11 upvotes]: Let $\mu,\sigma>0$ and define the function $f$ as follows:
$$
f(x) = \frac{1}{\sigma\sqrt{2\pi}}\mathrm \exp\left(-\frac{(x-\mu)^2}{2\sigma ^2}\right)
$$
How can I show that
$$
\int\limits_{-\infty}^\infty x\log|x|f(x)\mathrm dx\geq \underbrace{\left(\int\limits_{-\infty}^\infty x f(x)\mathrm dx\right)}_\mu\cdot\left(\int\limits_{-\infty}^\infty \log|x| f(x)\mathrm dx\right)
$$
which is also equivalent to $\mathsf E[ X\log|X|]\geq \underbrace{\mathsf EX}_\mu\cdot\mathsf E\log|X|$ for a random variable $X\sim\mathscr N(\mu,\sigma^2).$

REPLY [3 votes]: Below is a probabilistic and somewhat noncomputational proof.
We ignore the restriction to the normal distribution in what follows below. Instead, we consider a mean-zero random variable $Z$ with a distribution symmetric about zero and set $X = \mu + Z$ for $\mu \in \mathbb R$.
Claim: Let $X$ be described as above such that $\mathbb E X\log|X|$ is finite for every $\mu$. Then, for $\mu \geq 0$, 
$$
\mathbb E X \log |X| \geq \mu \mathbb E \log |X| \>
$$ 
and for $\mu < 0$, 
$$\mathbb E X \log |X| \leq \mu \mathbb E \log |X| \>.$$
Proof. Since $X = \mu + Z$, we observe that
$$
\mathbb E X \log |X| = \mu \mathbb E \log |X| + \mathbb E Z \log |\mu + Z| \>,
$$
and so it suffices to analyze the second term on the right-hand side.
Define 
$$
f(\mu) := \mathbb E Z \log|\mu+Z| \>. 
$$
Then, by symmetry of $Z$, we have
$$
f(-\mu) = \mathbb E Z \log|{-\mu}+Z| = \mathbb E Z \log|\mu-Z| = - \mathbb E \tilde Z \log|\mu + \tilde Z| = - f(\mu) \>,
$$
where $\tilde Z = - Z$ has the same distribution as $Z$ and the last equality follows from this fact. This shows the $f$ is odd as a function of $\mu$.
Now, for $\mu \neq 0$,
$$
\frac{f(\mu) - f(-\mu)}{\mu} = \mathbb E \frac{Z}{\mu} \log \left|\frac{1+ Z/\mu}{1- Z/\mu}\right| \geq 0\>,
$$
since $x \log\left|\frac{1+x}{1-x}\right| \geq 0$, from which we conclude that $f(\mu) \geq 0$ for all $\mu > 0$.
Thus, for $\mu > 0$, $\mu \mathbb E \log |X|$ is a lower bound on the quantity of interest and for $\mu < 0$, it is an upper bound.
NB. In the particular case of a normal distribution, $X \sim \mathcal N(\mu,\sigma^2)$ and $Z \sim N(0,\sigma^2)$. The moment condition stated in the claim is satisfied.