Non-empty convex set in Euclidean space
A dodecahedron is a convex body.
In mathematics , a convex body in
n
{\displaystyle n}
-dimensional Euclidean space
R
n
{\displaystyle \mathbb {R} ^{n}}
is a compact convex set with non-empty interior . Some authors do not require a non-empty interior, merely that the set is non-empty.
A convex body
K
{\displaystyle K}
is called symmetric if it is centrally symmetric with respect to the origin; that is to say, a point
x
{\displaystyle x}
lies in
K
{\displaystyle K}
if and only if its antipode ,
− − -->
x
{\displaystyle -x}
also lies in
K
.
{\displaystyle K.}
Symmetric convex bodies are in a one-to-one correspondence with the unit balls of norms on
R
n
.
{\displaystyle \mathbb {R} ^{n}.}
Some commonly known examples of convex bodies are the Euclidean ball , the hypercube and the cross-polytope .
Metric space structure
Write
K
n
{\displaystyle {\mathcal {K}}^{n}}
for the set of convex bodies in
R
n
{\displaystyle \mathbb {R} ^{n}}
. Then
K
n
{\displaystyle {\mathcal {K}}^{n}}
is a complete metric space with metric
d
(
K
,
L
)
:=
inf
{
ϵ ϵ -->
≥ ≥ -->
0
:
K
⊂ ⊂ -->
L
+
B
n
(
ϵ ϵ -->
)
,
L
⊂ ⊂ -->
K
+
B
n
(
ϵ ϵ -->
)
}
{\displaystyle d(K,L):=\inf\{\epsilon \geq 0:K\subset L+B^{n}(\epsilon ),L\subset K+B^{n}(\epsilon )\}}
.[ 1]
Further, the Blaschke Selection Theorem says that every d -bounded sequence in
K
n
{\displaystyle {\mathcal {K}}^{n}}
has a convergent subsequence.[ 1]
Polar body
If
K
{\displaystyle K}
is a bounded convex body containing the origin
O
{\displaystyle O}
in its interior, the polar body
K
∗ ∗ -->
{\displaystyle K^{*}}
is
{
u
:
⟨ ⟨ -->
u
,
v
⟩ ⟩ -->
≤ ≤ -->
1
,
∀ ∀ -->
v
∈ ∈ -->
K
}
{\displaystyle \{u:\langle u,v\rangle \leq 1,\forall v\in K\}}
. The polar body has several nice properties including
(
K
∗ ∗ -->
)
∗ ∗ -->
=
K
{\displaystyle (K^{*})^{*}=K}
,
K
∗ ∗ -->
{\displaystyle K^{*}}
is bounded, and if
K
1
⊂ ⊂ -->
K
2
{\displaystyle K_{1}\subset K_{2}}
then
K
2
∗ ∗ -->
⊂ ⊂ -->
K
1
∗ ∗ -->
{\displaystyle K_{2}^{*}\subset K_{1}^{*}}
. The polar body is a type of duality relation.
See also
References