On the embedding between the variable Lebesgue space $L^{p(\cdot)}(\Omega)$ and the Orlicz space $L(\log L)^{\alpha}(\Omega)$

We give a sharp sufficient condition on the distribution function, $|\{x\in \Omega :\,p(x)\leq 1+\lambda\}|$, $\lambda>0$, of the exponent function $p(\cdot): \Omega \to [1,\infty)$ that implies the embedding of the variable Lebesgue space $L^{p(\cdot)}(\Omega)$ into the Orlicz space $L(\log L)^{\alpha}(\Omega)$, $\alpha>0$, where $\Omega$ is an open set with finite Lebesgue measure. As applications of our results, we first give conditions that imply the strong differentiation of integrals of functions in $L^{p(\cdot)}((0,1)^{n})$, $n>1$. We then consider the integrability of the maximal function on variable Lebesgue spaces, where the exponent function $p(\cdot)$ approaches $1$ in value on some part of the domain. This result is an improvement of the result in~\cite{CUF2}.