On P. McMullen's conjecture on translation invariant valuations (Q1590056): Difference between revisions

A function \(\varphi: {\mathcal K}^n \to\mathbb{C}\) on the space \({\mathcal K}^n\) of convex bodies in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) is a valuation if \(\varphi(K_1\cup K_2)= \varphi(K_1) +\varphi(K_2)- \varphi(K_1 \cap K_2)\) whenever \(K_1,K_2,K_1\cup K_2 \in{\mathcal K}^n\). It was conjectured by \textit{P. McMullen} [Arch. Math. 34, 377-384 (1980; Zbl 0424.52003)] that a valuation which is translation invariant and continuous (with respect to the Hausdorff metric) can be approximated uniformly on compact sets in \({\mathcal K}^n\) by linear combinations of mixed volumes, that is, functions of the form \(K\mapsto V(K[j]\), \(A_1, \dots, A_{n-j})\) \((j\in\{1, \dots, n\}\), \(A_1,\dots, A_{n-j} \in{\mathcal K}^n)\). The author announces his general proof of this conjecture (to appear). In the present paper, he gives a proof for the case of even valuations in \(\mathbb{R}^4\) and obtains some additional results. Among these is a complete list of continuous translation invariant and unitarily invariant valuations in \(\mathbb{C}^2 (\simeq \mathbb{R}^4)\). It is also shown that the space of translation invariant continuous valuations on \({\mathcal K}^n\) which are in addition invariant with respect to a compact group acting transitively on the sphere of \(\mathbb{R}^n\) is finite-dimensional. The proofs use results from classical convex geometry combined with representation theory.