Notes about the Carathéodory number (Q714989): Difference between revisions

Let \(X\) be a compact set in \(\mathbb{R}^n\). The Carathéodory number of \(X\) is the smallest integer \(k\) such that every point \(x\in\text{conv}X\) can be expressed as a convex combination of at most \(k\) points from \(X\). The set \(X\) is said to be \(k\)-convex if every linear image of \(X\) to \(\mathbb{R}^k\) is convex. First, the authors show that the Carathéodory number is at most \(k + 1\) for \((n - k\))-convex sets. Next, the following version of the colorful Carathéodory theorem is established: If \(X_1, \dots, X_{k + 1}\) \((0 \leq k \leq n)\) are \((n - k)\)-convex compacta in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) and \(x\) is a point in the intersection of their convex hulls, then there are \(x_1\in X_1, \dots, x_{k + 1} \in X_{k + 1}\) such that \(x \in \text{conv} \{ x_1, \dots, x_{k+1}\}\). Finally a Tverberg-type theorem for families of convex compacta is given.