Extremality of convex sets with some applications

In this paper we introduce an enhanced notion of extremal systems for sets in locally convex topological vector spaces and obtain efficient conditions for set extremality in the convex case. Then we apply this machinery to deriving new calculus results on intersection rules for normal cones to convex sets and on infimal convolutions of support functions.     

Peak quasisymmetric functions and Eulerian enumeration

Via duality of Hopf algebras, there is a direct association between peak quasisymmetric functions and enumeration of chains in Eulerian posets. We study this association explicitly, showing that the notion of cd-index, long studied in the context of convex polytopes and Eulerian posets, arises as the dual basis to a natural basis of peak quasisymmetric functions introduced by Stembridge. Thus Eulerian posets having a nonnegative cd-index (for example, face lattices of convex polytopes) correspond to peak quasisymmetric functions having a nonnegative representation in terms of this basis. We diagonalize the operator that associates the basis of descent sets for all quasisymmetric functions to that of peak sets for the algebra of peak functions, and study the g-polynomial for Eulerian posets as an algebra homomorphism.     

Flat transversals to flats and convex sets of a fixed dimension

Helly and Hadwiger type theorems for transversal m-flats to families of flats and, respectively, convex sets of dimension n are proved in the case of general position. The proofs rely on Helly type theorems for “linear partitions” and “convex partitions,” so that a general theory of Helly numbers is also developed.     

Convex polarities over ordered fields

We use tools and methods from real algebraic geometry (spaces of ultrafilters, elimination of quantifiers) to formulate a theory of convexity in K^N over an arbitrary ordered field. By defining certain ideal points (which can be viewed as generalizations of recession cones) we obtain a generalized notion of polar set. These satisfy a form of polar duality that applies to general convex sets and does not reduce to classical duality if K is the field of real numbers. As an application we give a partial classification of total orderings of Artinian local rings and two applications to ordinary convex geometry over the real numbers.     

Even valuations on convex bodies

The notion of even valuation is introduced as a natural generalization of volume on compact convex subsets of Euclidean space. A recent characterization theorem for volume leads in turn to a connection between even valuations on compact convex sets and continuous functions on Grassmannians. This connection can be described in part using generating distributions for symmetric compact convex sets. We also explore some consequences of these characterization results in convex and integral geometry.

     

A characterization of smooth normed linear spaces

In this paper a new characterization of smooth normed linear spaces is discussed using the notion of proximal points of a pair of convex sets. It is proved that a normed linear space is smooth if and only if for each pair of convex sets, points which are mutually nearest to each other from the respective sets are proximal.     

Best proximity points,cyclic Kannan maps and geodesic metric spaces

We introduce the concept of cyclic Kannan orbital C-nonexpansive mappings and obtain the existence of a best proximity point on a pair of bounded, closed and convex subsets of a strictly convex metric space by using the geometric notion of seminormal structure. We also study the structure of minimal sets for cyclic Kannan C-nonexpansive mappings and show that results similar to the celebrated Goebel– Karlovitz lemma for nonexpansive self-mappings can be obtained for cyclic Kannan C-nonexpansive mappings.     

Characterization of best Chebyshev approximations with prescribed norm

In this paper a new characterization of smooth normed linear spaces is discussed using the notion of proximal points of a pair of convex sets. It is proved that a normed linear space is smooth if and only if for each pair of convex sets, points which are mutually nearest to each other from the respective sets are proximal.     

Strongly extreme points in Banach spaces

In this paper some properties of a special type of boundary point of convex sets in Banach spaces are studied. Specifically, a strongly extreme point x of a convex set S is a point of S such that for each real number r>0, segments of length 2r and centered x are not uniformly closer to S than some positive number d(x,r). Results are obtained comparing the notion of strongly extreme point to other known types of special boundary points of convex sets. Using the notion of strongly extreme point, a convexity condition is defined on the norm of the space under consideration, and this convexity condition makes possible a unified treatment of some previously studied convexity conditions. In addition, a sufficient condition is given on the norm of a separable conjugate space for every extreme point of the unit ball to be strongly extreme.     

On the multiple Borsuk numbers of sets

The Borsuk number of a set S of diameter d > 0 in Euclidean n-space is the smallest value of m such that S can be partitioned into m sets of diameters less than d. Our aim is to generalize this notion in the following way: The k -fold Borsuk number of such a set S is the smallest value of m such that there is a k-fold cover of S with m sets of diameters less than d. In this paper we characterize the k-fold Borsuk numbers of sets in the Euclidean plane, give bounds for those of centrally symmetric sets, smooth bodies and convex bodies of constant width, and examine them for finite point sets in the Euclidean 3-space.     

Join-semidistributive lattices and convex geometries

We introduce the notion of a convex geometry extending the notion of a finite closure system with the anti-exchange property known in combinatorics. This notion becomes essential for the different embedding results in the class of join-semidistributive lattices. In particular, we prove that every finite join-semidistributive lattice can be embedded into a lattice S_P(A) of algebraic subsets of a suitable algebraic lattice A. This latter construction, S_P(A), is a key example of a convex geometry that plays an analogous role in hierarchy of join-semidistributive lattices as a lattice of equivalence relations does in the class of modular lattices. We give numerous examples of convex geometries that emerge in different branches of mathematics from geometry to graph theory. We also discuss the introduced notion of a strong convex geometry that might promise the development of rich structural theory of convex geometries.     

On Some Properties of Convex Matrix Sets Characterized by P -Matrices and Block P -Matrices

In this paper, we consider convex sets of real matrices and establish criteria characterizing these sets with respect to certain matrix properties of their elements. In particular, we deal with convex sets of P-matrices, block P-matrices and M-matrices, nonsingular and full rank matrices, as well as stable and Schur stable matrices. Our results are essentially based on the notion of a block P-matrix and extend and generalize some recently published results on this topic.     

New results on q-positivity

In this paper we discuss symmetrically self-dual spaces, which are simply real vector spaces with a symmetric bilinear form. Certain subsets of the space will be called q-positive, where q is the quadratic form induced by the original bilinear form. The notion of q-positivity generalizes the classical notion of the monotonicity of a subset of a product of a Banach space and its dual. Maximal q-positivity then generalizes maximal monotonicity. We discuss concepts generalizing the representations of monotone sets by convex functions, as well as the number of maximally q -positive extensions of a q-positive set. We also discuss symmetrically self-dual Banach spaces, in which we add a Banach space structure, giving new characterizations of maximal q-positivity. The paper finishes with two new examples.     

Uniform convexity and the splitting problem for selections

We continue to investigate cases when the Repovš–Semenov splitting problem for selections has an affirmative solution for continuous set-valued mappings. We consider the situation in infinite-dimensional uniformly convex Banach spaces. We use the notion of Polyak of uniform convexity and modulus of uniform convexity for arbitrary convex sets (not necessary balls). We study general geometric properties of uniformly convex sets. We also obtain an affirmative solution of the splitting problem for selections of certain set-valued mappings with uniformly convex images.     

On Some Properties of Convex Matrix Sets Characterized by P -Matrices and Block P -Matrices

In this paper, we consider convex sets of real matrices and establish criteria characterizing these sets with respect to certain matrix properties of their elements. In particular, we deal with convex sets of P-matrices, block P-matrices and M-matrices, nonsingular and full rank matrices, as well as stable and Schur stable matrices. Our results are essentially based on the notion of a block P-matrix and extend and generalize some recently published results on this topic.     

On best restricted range approximation in continuous complex-valued function spaces

To provide a Kolmogorov-type condition for characterizing a best approximation in a continuous complex-valued function space, it is usually assumed that the family of closed convex sets in the complex plane used to restrict the range satisfies a strong interior-point condition, and this excludes the interesting case when some Ω_t is a line-segment or a singleton. The main aim of the present paper is to remove this restriction by virtue of a study of the notion of the strong CHIP for an infinite system of closed convex sets in a continuous complex-valued function space.     

Constructible Convex Sets

We investigate when closed convex sets can be written as countable intersections of closed half-spaces in Banach spaces. It is reasonable to consider this class to comprise the constructible convex sets since such sets are precisely those that can be defined by a countable number of linear inequalities, hence are accessible to techniques of semi-infinite convex programming. We also explore some model theoretic implications. Applications to set convergence are given as limiting examples.     

A characterization of the support map

In this short note we give a characterization of the support map from classical convexity. We show it is the unique additive transformation from the class of closed convex sets in Rn which include 0 to the class of positive 1-homogeneous functions on Rn. This will be a consequence of a theorem about transforms from the class of convex sets to itself which preserve Minkowski addition.