In this note we prove two results on the quantitative illumination parameter f(d) of the unit ball of a d-dimensional normed space introduced by K. Bezdek (1992). The first is that f(d) = O(2^d d^2 log d). The second involves Steiner minimal trees. Let v(d) be the maximum degree of a vertex, and s(d) of a Steiner point, in a Steiner minimal tree in a d-dimensional normed space, where both maxima are over all norms. F. Morgan (1992) conjectured that s(d) <= 2^d, and D. Cieslik (1990) conjectured v(d) <= 2(2^d-1). We prove that s(d) <= v(d) <= f(d) which, combined with the above estimate of f(d), improves the previously best known upper bound v(d) < 3^d.
We study the location and the size of the roots of Steiner polynomials of convex bodies in the Minkowski relative geometry. Based on a problem of Teissier on the intersection numbers of Cartier divisors of compact algebraic varieties it was conjectured that these roots have certain geometric properties related to the in- and circumradius of the convex body. We show that the roots of 1-tangential bodies fulfill the conjecture, but we also present convex bodies violating each of the conjectured properties.
We investigate structural properties of the cone of roots of relative Steiner polynomials of convex bodies. We prove that they are closed, monotonous with respect to the dimension, and that they cover the whole upper half-plane, except the positive real axis, when the dimension tends to infinity. In particular, it turns out that relative Steiner polynomials are stable polynomials if and only if the dimension is $\leq 9$. Moreover, pairs of convex bodies whose relative Steiner polynomial has a complex root on the boundary of such a cone have to satisfy some Aleksandrov-Fenchel inequality with e…
For any $I\subset\mathbb{R}$ finite with $0\in I$, we provide a characterization of those tuples $(ω_i)_{i\in I}$ of positive numbers which are dual quermaßintegrals of two star bodies. It turns out that this problem is related to the moment problem. Based on this relation we also get new inequalities for the dual quermaßintegrals. Moreover, the above characterization will be the key tool in order to investigate structural properties of the set of roots of dual Steiner polynomials of star bodies.
In this note we introduce the problem of illumination of convex bodies in spherical spaces and solve it for a large subfamily of convex bodies. We derive from it a combinatorial version of the classical illumination problem for convex bodies in Euclidean spaces as well as a solution to that for a large subfamily of convex bodies, which in dimension three leads to special Koebe polyhedra.
Covering numbers of convex bodies based on homothetical copies and related illumination numbers are well-known in combinatorial geometry and, for example, related to Hadwiger's famous covering problem. Similar numbers can be defined by using proper translates instead of homothets, and even more related concepts make sense. On these lines we introduce some new covering and illumination numbers of convex bodies, present their properties and compare them with each other as well as with already known numbers. Finally, some suggestive examples illustrate that these new illumination numbers are inte…
We investigate a duality relation between floating and illumination bodies. The definitions of these two bodies suggest that the polar of the floating body should be similar to the illumination body of the polar. We consider this question for the class of centrally symmetric convex bodies. We provide precise estimates for $(B_p^n)$ and for centrally symmetric convex bodies with everywhere positive Gauss curvature. Our estimates show that equality of the polar of the floating body and the illumination body of the polar can only be achieved in the case of ellipsoids.
Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Cité, CNRS, IMJ-PRG（索邦大学、巴黎西岱大学、法国国家科学研究中心、IMJ-PRG）；Technische Universität Wien（维也纳工业大学）；Case Western Reserve University（凯斯西储大学）
Let $n\geq C$ for a large universal constant $C>0$, and let $B$ be a convex body in $R^n$ such that for any $(x_1,x_2,\dots,x_n)\in B$, any choice of signs $\varepsilon_1,\varepsilon_2,\dots,\varepsilon_n\in\{-1,1\}$ and for any permutation $σ$ on $n$ elements we have $(\varepsilon_1x_{σ(1)},\varepsilon_2x_{σ(2)},\dots,\varepsilon_nx_{σ(n)})\in B$. We show that if $B$ is not a cube then $B$ can be illuminated by strictly less than $2^n$ sources of light. This confirms the Hadwiger--Gohberg--Markus illumination conjecture for unit balls of $1$-symmetric norms in $R^n$ for all sufficiently large…
We consider the question how well a floating body can be approximated by the polar of the illumination body of the polar. We establish precise convergence results in the case of centrally symmetric polytopes. This leads to a new affine invariant which is related to the cone measure of the polytope.
Sorbonne Université（索邦大学）；Université Paris Cité（巴黎西岱大学）；CNRS（法国国家科学研究中心）；IMJ-PRG（让·勒朗德达朗贝尔数学与研究所）；University of Kiel（基尔大学）；Case Western Reserve University（凯斯西储大学）
The convex hull of a ball with an exterior point is called a spike (or cap). A union of finitely many spikes of a ball is called a spiky ball. If a spiky ball is convex, then we call it a cap body. In this note we upper bound the illumination numbers of $2$-illuminable spiky balls as well as centrally symmetric cap bodies. In particular, we prove the Illumination Conjecture for centrally symmetric cap bodies in sufficiently large dimensions by showing that any $d$-dimensional centrally symmetric cap body can be illuminated by $<2^d$ directions in Euclidean $d$-space for all $d\geq 20$. Further…
The X-ray numbers of some classes of convex bodies are investigated. In particular, we give a proof of the X-ray Conjecture as well as of the Illumination Conjecture for almost smooth convex bodies of any dimension and for convex bodies of constant width of dimensions 3, 4, 5 and 6.
We study translation invariant, real-valued valuations on the class of convex polytopes in Euclidean space and discuss which continuity properties are sufficient for an extension of such valuations to all convex bodies. For this purpose, we introduce flag support measures of convex bodies via a local Steiner formula and derive some of the properties of these measures.
We investigate the weighted $L_p$ affine surface areas which appear in the recently established $L_p$ Steiner formula of the $L_p$ Brunn Minkowski theory. We show that they are valuations on the set of convex bodies and prove isoperimetric inequalities for them. We show that they are related to $f$ divergences of the cone measures of the convex body and its polar, namely the Kullback-Leibler divergence and the Rényi-divergence.
A stability version of the Blaschke-Santaló inequality and the affine isoperimetric inequality for convex bodies of dimension n>2 is proved. The first step is the reduction to the case when the convex body is o-symmetric and has axial rotational symmetry. This step works for related inequalities compatible with Steiner symmetrization. Secondly, for these convex bodies, a stability version of the characterization of ellipsoids by the fact that each hyperplane section is centrally symmetric is established.
In the chasing convex bodies problem, an online player receives a request sequence of $N$ convex sets $K_1,\dots, K_N$ contained in a normed space $\mathbb R^d$. The player starts at $x_0\in \mathbb R^d$, and after observing each $K_n$ picks a new point $x_n\in K_n$. At each step the player pays a movement cost of $||x_n-x_{n-1}||$. The player aims to maintain a constant competitive ratio against the minimum cost possible in hindsight, i.e. knowing all requests in advance. The existence of a finite competitive ratio for convex body chasing was first conjectured in 1991 by Friedman and Linial. …
The convex body chasing problem, introduced by Friedman and Linial, is a competitive analysis problem on any normed vector space. In convex body chasing, for each timestep $t\in\mathbb N$, a convex body $K_t\subseteq \mathbb R^d$ is given as a request, and the player picks a point $x_t\in K_t$. The player aims to ensure that the total distance $\sum_{t=0}^{T-1}||x_t-x_{t+1}||$ is within a bounded ratio of the smallest possible offline solution. In this work, we consider the nested version of the problem, in which the sequence $(K_t)$ must be decreasing. For Euclidean spaces, we consider a memo…
Let $K$ be a convex body in $\Bbb R^{d}$ and $K_{t}$ its floating bodies. There is a polytope with at most $n$ vertices that satisfies $$ K_{t} \subset P_{n} \subset K $$ where $$ n \leq e^{16d} \frac{vol_{d}(K \setminus K_{t})}{t\ vol_{d}(B_{2}^{d})} $$ Let $K^{t}$ be the illumination bodies of $K$ and $Q_{n}$ a polytope that contains $K$ and has at most $n$ $d-1$-dimensional faces. Then $$ vol_{d}(K^{t} \setminus K) \leq cd^{4} vol_{d}(Q_{n} \setminus K) $$ where $$ n \leq \frac{c}{dt} \ vol_{d}(K^{t} \setminus K) $$
Covering a convex body by its homothets is a classical notion in discrete geometry that has resulted in a number of interesting and long-standing problems. Swanepoel introduced the covering parameter of a convex body as a means of quantifying its covering properties. In this paper, we introduce two relatives of the covering parameter called covering index and weak covering index, which upper bound well-studied quantities like the illumination number, the illumination parameter and the covering parameter of a convex body. Intuitively, the two indices measure how well a convex body can be covere…
Using previous results about shadow systems and Steiner symmetrization, we prove that the local maximizers of the volume product of convex bodies are actually the global maximizers, that is: ellipsoids.
We introduce the vertex index, vein(K), of a given centrally symmetric convex body K, which, in a sense, measures how well K can be inscribed into a convex polytope with small number of vertices. This index is closely connected to the illumination parameter of a body, introduced earlier by the first named author, and, thus, related to the famous conjecture in Convex Geometry about covering of a d-dimensional body by 2^d smaller positively homothetic copies. We provide asymptotically sharp estimates (up to a logarithmic term) of this index in the general case. Also, we provide sharp estimates i…
The paper is devoted to coverings by translative homothets and illuminations of convex bodies. For a given positive number $α$ and a convex body $B$, $g_α(B)$ is the infimum of $α$-powers of finitely many homothety coefficients less than 1 such that there is a covering of $B$ by translative homothets with these coefficients. $h_α(B)$ is the minimal number of directions such that the boundary of $B$ can be illuminated by this number of directions except for a subset whose Hausdorff dimension is less than $α$. In this paper, we prove that $g_α(B)\leq h_α(B)$, find upper and lower bounds for both…
The aim of this note is to investigate the properties of the convex hull and the homothetic convex hull functions of a convex body $K$ in Euclidean $n$-space, defined as the volume of the union of $K$ and one of its translates, and the volume of $K$ and a translate of a homothetic copy of $K$, respectively, as functions of the translation vector. In particular, we prove that the convex hull function of the body $K$ does not determine $K$. Furthermore, we prove the equivalence of the polar projection body problem raised by Petty, and a conjecture of G.Horváth and Lángi about translative constan…
We survey problems and results from combinatorial geometry in normed spaces, concentrating on problems that involve distances. These include various properties of unit-distance graphs, minimum-distance graphs, diameter graphs, as well as minimum spanning trees and Steiner minimum trees. In particular, we discuss translative kissing (or Hadwiger) numbers, equilateral sets, and the Borsuk problem in normed spaces. We show how to use the angular measure of Peter Brass to prove various statements about Hadwiger and blocking numbers of convex bodies in the plane, including some new results. We also…
A subset of a convex body $B$ containing the origin in a Euclidean space is {\it parkable in $B$} if it can be translated inside $B$ in such a manner that the translate the origin. We provide characterizations of ellipsoids and of centrally symmetric convex bodies in Euclidean spaces of dimension $\ge 3$ based on the notion of parkability, answering several questions posed by G. Bergman. The techniques used, which are based on characterizations of Hilbert spaces among finite-dimensional Banach spaces in terms of their lattices of subspaces and algebras of endomorphisms, also apply to improve a…
Extending the celebrated results of Alexandrov (1958) and Korevaar-Ros (1988) for smooth sets, as well as the results of Schneider (1979) and the first author (1999) for arbitrary convex bodies, we obtain for the first time the characterization of the isoperimetric sets of a uniformly convex smooth finite-dimensional normed space (i.e. Wulff shapes) in the non-smooth and non-convex setting, based on the natural geometric condition involving the curvature measures. More specifically we show, under a natural mean-convexity assumption, that finite unions of disjoint Wulff shapes are the only sets…
