Point sets on the sphere \(\mathbb{S}^{2}\) with small spherical cap discrepancy (Q1930544)

This paper is concerned with uniformly distributed sequences of points on the unite sphere \({\mathbb S}^2\) in the Euclidean space \({\mathbb R}^3.\) The geometrical discrepancy of an explicit construction of uniformly distributed points on the unite sphere \({\mathbb S}^2\) is studied. The order of covergence \({\mathcal O}\left( N^{-{1 \over 2}}\right)\) of the spherical cap discrepancy of random point sets of spherical digital nets and spherical Fibonacci lattices is obtained. A detailed analysis of the level curves and sets of the pre-images of spherical caps is given. In the Introduction of the paper, the notion of a uniform distribution of sequences of points on the sphere \({\mathbb S}^2\) is given. The so-called spherical cap discrepancy of sequences on the sphere \({\mathbb S}^2\) and the related notion of asymptotically uniform distribution of sequences on the sphere \({\mathbb S}^2\) are defined. Also the notion of the spherical cap \({\mathbb L}_2\)-discrepancy is reminded. A brief review about the spherical cap discrepancy as a measure for the distribution of sequences on the sphere \({\mathbb S}^2\) is relized. In Section 2, the Lambert cylindrical equal-area projection \(\Phi\) as the main tool for the construction of sequences on the sphere \({\mathbb S}^2\) is presented and discussed. In Section 3, the authors introduce the notion of an isotropic discrepancy \(J_N(P_N)\) of a point set and a sequence in the unite square \([0,1]^2.\) In Theorem 6, the inequality which connects the isometric discrepancy \(J_N(P_N)\) of a net \(P_N\) in \([0,1]^2\) and the spherical cap discrepancy \(D(Z_N)\) of the net \(Z_N = \Phi(P_N)\) on \({\mathbb S}^2\) which is obtained by applying the Lambert projection on the net \(P_N\) is obtained. In Section 4, the spherical cap discrepancy of random points sets is investigated. In Theorem 9, the exact order \({\mathcal O}\left( N^{-{1 \over 2}}\right)\) of the expectation value of the spherical cap discrepancy of an arbitrary sequence on the sphere \({\mathbb S}^2\) is obtained. Theorem 10 shows that for an arbitrary \(\varepsilon > 0\) the spherical cap discrepancy of a net \(Z_N\) on \({\mathbb S}^2\) has an order \({\mathcal O}\left( N^{-{1 \over 2}}\right)\) with probability bigger than \(1 - \varepsilon,\) so the typical discrepancy of a ramdom set of \(N\) points is of order \({\mathcal O}\left( N^{-{1 \over 2}}\right).\) Theorem 11 gives the order \({\mathcal O}\left( {\sqrt{\log \log N} \over \sqrt{N}}\right)\) as \(N \to \infty\) of the spherical cap discrepancy of an arbitrary sequence on the sphere \({\mathbb S}^2\). In Section 5, the isometric discrepancy of \((0,m,2)\)-nets and Fibonacci lattices is investigated. The definitions of \((0,m,2)\)-nets and \((0,2)\)-sequences in base \(b\) are reminded. In Theorem 14, an upper bound of the isometric discrepancy \(J_N\) of a \((0,m,2)\)-net in base \(b\) is obtained. In Theorem 15, an estimation from above of the isometric discrepancy of an arbitrary \((0,2)\)-sequence is obtained. In Corollary 16, the spherical cap discrepancy of the net \(Z_N = \Phi(P_N),\) where \(P_N\) is a \((0,m,2)\)-net in base \(b\) is bounded from above. After then, \(P_N\) consists of the first \(N\) points of a \((0,2)\)-sequence in base \(b\) and \(Z_N = \Phi(P_N)\). The spherical cap discrepancy \(D(Z_N)\) is also bounded from above. The constructions of the Fibonacci lattice point set \({\mathcal F}_m\) and the spherical Fibonacci points \(Z_{F_m} = \Phi({\mathcal F}_m)\) are given. In Corollary 18, the spherical cap discrepancy of the net \(Z_{F_m}\) is estimated from above. In Section 6, the level curves of the distance function is investigated. In Section 7, the proofs of some results from the paper are presented.