On the derivatives of X-ray functions

We show that for every n \geqq 4, 0 \leqq k \leqq n - 3, p ? (0, 3] n \geqq 4, 0 \leqq k \leqq n - 3, p \in (0, 3] and every origin-symmetric convex body K in \mathbbRⁿ \mathbb{R}^n , the function ||x ||^-k₂ ||x ||^-n+k+p_K \parallel x \parallel^{-k}_{2} \parallel x \parallel^{-n+k+p}_{K} represents a positive definite distribution on \mathbbRⁿ \mathbb{R}^n , where ||·||₂ \parallel \cdot \parallel_{2} is the Euclidean norm and ||·||_K \parallel \cdot \parallel_{K} is the Minkowski functional of K. We apply this fact to prove a result of Busemann-Petty type that the inequalities for the derivatives of order (n - 4) at zero of X-ray functions of two convex bodies imply the inequalities for the volume of average m-dimensional sections of these bodies for all 3 \leqq m \leqq n 3 \leqq m \leqq n . We also prove a sharp lower estimate for the maximal derivative of X-ray functions of the order (n - 4) at zero.