Universal Polynomial Majorants on Convex Bodies

Let K be a convex body in ^d (d2), and denote by B_n(K) the set of all polynomials p_n in ^d of total degree n such that |p_n|1 on K. In this paper we consider the following question: does there exist a p*_nB_n(K) which majorates every element of B_n(K) outside of K? In other words can we find a minimal γ1 and p*_nB_n(K) so that |p_n(x)|γ |p*_n(x)| for every p_nB_n(K) and x ^d\K? We discuss the magnitude of γ and construct the universal majorants p*_n for evenn. It is shown that γ can be 1 only on ellipsoids. Moreover, γ=O(1) on polytopes and has at most polynomial growth with respect to n, in general, for every convex body K.