Finitely starlike sets whose F-stars have positive measure

Let and assume that there is a countable collection of lines {L _i : 1 i} such that (int cl S) and ((int cl S) S) L _i has one-dimensional Lebesgue measure zero, 1 i. Then every 4 point subset ofS sees viaS a set of positive two-dimensional Lebesgue measure if and only if every finite subset ofS sees viaS such a set. Furthermore, a parallel result holds with two-dimensional replaced by one-dimensional. Finally, setS is finitely starlike if and only if every 5 points ofS see viaS a common point. In each case, the number 4 or 5 is best possible.Supported in part by NSF grant DMS-8705336.     

Krasnosel'skii numbers for bounded finitely starlike sets inR d

For eachk andd, 1kd, definef(d, d)=d+1 andf(d, k)=2d if 1kd–1. The following results are established:Let be a uniformly bounded collection of compact, convex sets inR ^d . For a fixedk, 1kd, dim {MM in }k if and only if for some > 0, everyf(d, k) members of contain a commonk-dimensional set of measure (volume) at least.LetS be a bounded subset ofR ^d . Assume that for some fixedk, 1kd, there exists a countable family of (k–l)-flats {H _i :i1} inR ^d such that clS S {H_i i 1 } and for eachi1, (clS S) H _i has (k–1) dimensional measure zero. Every finite subset ofS sees viaS a set of positivek-dimensional measure if and only if for some>0, everyf(d,k) points ofS see viaS a set ofk-dimensional measure at least .The numbers off(d,d) andf(d, 1) above are best possible.Supported in part by NSF grant DMS-8705336.     

Convex bodies with equiframed two-dimensional sections

We show that a centred, convex body in (d ≥ 3) all of whose two-dimensional sections through the origin are equiframed is an ellipsoid. Received: 20 July 2005 Revised: 16 May 2006     

On coverings of plane convex sets by translates of strips

In the euclidean planeE ² letS ₁,S ₂, ... be a sequence of strips of widthsw ₁,w ₂, .... It is shown thatE ² can be covered by translates of the stripsS _i if w ₁ ^3/2 = . Further results concern conditions in order that a compact convex domain inE ² can be covered by translates ofS ₁,S ₂, ....This research was supported by National Science Foundation Research Grant MCS 76-06111.     

Some Krasnosel'skii numbers for finitely starlike sets in the plane

Let S be a subset of the plane. In case (int cl S) S = , then S is finitely starlike if and only if every 4 points of S see via S a common point. In case (int cl S) S has at most countably many components, each a singleton set, then S is finitely starlike if and only if every 5 points of S see via S a common point. Each of the numbers 4 and 5 is best possible. Examples show that these results fail without suitable restrictions on (int cl S) S. Moreover, a final example shows that if a general Krasnosel'skii number . exists to characterize finitely starlike sets in the plane, then > 9.     

Points of local nonconvexity,clear visibility,and starshaped sets in Rd

Let S be a compact, connected, locally starshaped set in R^d, S not convex. For every point of local nonconvexity q of S, define A_q to be the subset of S from which q is clearly visible via S. Then ker S = {conv A_q: q lnc S}. Furthermore, if every d+1 points of local nonconvexity of S are clearly visible from a common d-dimensional subset of S, then dim ker S = d.     

On the nontrivial projection problem

The nontrivial projection problem asks whether every finite-dimensional normed space admits a well-bounded projection of nontrivial rank and corank or, equivalently, whether every centrally symmetric convex body (of arbitrary dimension) is approximately affinely equivalent to a direct product of two bodies of nontrivial dimensions. We show that this is true “up to a logarithmic factor.”     

A survey of Sylvester's problem and its generalizations

Summary LetP be a finite set of three or more noncollinear points in the plane. A line which contains two or more points ofP is called aconnecting line (determined byP), and we call a connecting lineordinary if it contains precisely two points ofP. Almost a century ago, Sylvester posed the disarmingly simple question:Must every set P determine at least one ordinary line? No solution was offered at that time and the problem seemed to have been forgotten. Forty years later it was independently rediscovered by Erdös, and solved by Gallai. In 1943 Erdös proposed the problem in the American Mathematical Monthly, still unaware that it had been asked fifty years earlier, and the following year Gallai's solution appeared in print. Since then there has appeared a substantial literature on the problem and its generalizations.In this survey we review, in the first two sections, Sylvester's problem and its generalization to higher dimension. Then we gather results about the connecting lines, that is, the lines containing two or more of the points. Following this we look at the generalization to finite collections of sets of points. Finally, the points will be colored and the search will be for monochromatic connecting lines.     

Determining starshaped sets and unions of starshaped sets by their sections

Let S be a compact set in R^d. Let p be a fixed point of S and let k be a fixed integer, 1 k <d. Then S is starshaped with p ker S if and only if for every k-dimensional flat F through p, F S is starshaped. Moreover, an analogue of this result holds for unions of starshaped sets as well.     

Continuity properties of the ball hull mapping

The ball hull mapping  β$\beta$ associates with each closed bounded convex set K$K$ in a Banach space its ball hull β(K)$\beta \left(K\right)$, defined as the intersection of all closed balls containing K$K$. We are concerned in this paper with continuity and Lipschitz continuity (with respect to the Hausdorff metric) of the ball hull mapping. It is proved that β$\beta$ is a Lipschitz map in finite dimensional polyhedral spaces. Both properties, finite dimension and polyhedral norm, are necessary for this result. Characterizing the ball hull mapping by means ofH$H$-convexity we show, with the help of a remarkable example from combinatorial geometry, that there exist norms with noncontinuous β$\beta$ map, even in finite dimensional spaces. Using this surprising result, we then show that there are infinite dimensional polyhedral spaces (in the usual sense of Klee) for which the map β$\beta$ is not continuous. A property known as ball stability implies that β$\beta$ has Lipschitz constant one. We prove that every Banach space of dimension greater than two can be renormed so that there is an intersection of closed balls for which none of its parallel bodies is an intersection of closed balls, thus lacking ball stability.     

A Banach space in which all compact sets, but not all bounded sets, admit Chebyshev centers

Given a Banach spaceX, letc ₀(X) be the space of all null sequences inX (equipped with the supremum norm). We show that: 1) each compact set inc ₀(X) admits a (Chebyshev) center iff each compact set inX admits a center; 2) forX satisfying a certain condition (Q), each bounded set inc ₀(X) admits a center iffX is quasi uniformly rotund. We construct a Banach spaceX such that the compact subsets ofX admit centers,X satisfies the condition (Q) andX is not quasi uniformly rotund. It follows that the Banach spaceE=c ₀(X) has the property from the title. Eine überarbeitete Fassung ging am 4. 7. 2001 ein     

Families of planar sets having starlike union

Let be a finite family of compact sets in the plane, and letk be a fixed natural number. If every three (not necessarily distinct) members of have a union which is simply connected and starshaped viak-paths, then and is starshaped viak-paths. Analogous results hold for paths of length at most , > 0, and for staircase paths, although not for staircasek-paths.Supported in part by NSF grant DMS-9504249     

On a characterization of the support functions

Letf:S ^n–1 be a support function. Then, for everya , if the functionu f(u)–a, u has a negative minimum, then a unique argument exists for which this minimum is attained. It is shown that the converse holds true under some obvious restrictions onf. A perturbation theorem for the space (S ^n–1) is given as an application.     

A construction of unitary linear systems

A construction is made of a unitary linear system whose transfer function is a given power seriesB(z) with operator coefficients such that multiplication byB(z) is an everywhere defined transformation in the space of square summable power series with vector coefficients. A condition is also given for the existence of an observable linear system with such a transfer function. For both constructions properties of the spaces are given which imply essential uniqueness of linear systems with given transfer functions. A canonical conjugate-isometric linear system is uniquely determined by its transfer function whenever the state space is a Pontryagin space.     

Hahn—Banach and Banach—Steinhaus theorems for convex processes

Our goal in this paper is to prove versions of the Hahn—Banach and Banach—Steinhaus theorems for convex processes. For the first theorem, we prove that each real convex process corresponds to a sublinear or superlinear functional and then we extend these. For the second theorem, we previously show that there is a seminorm naturally associated to the class of lower semi-continuous convex processes.     

Quantitative Steiner/Schwarz-type symmetrizations

We establish some new quantitative results on Steiner/Schwarz-type symmetrizations, continuing the line of results from [Bourgain et al. (Lecture Notes in Math. 1376 (1988), 44–66)] on Steiner symmetrizations. We show that if we symmetrize high-dimensional sections of convex bodies, then very few steps are required to bring such a body close to a Euclidean ball.