Geometric permutations of disjoint unit spheres (Q1776899)

A line transversal for a sequence \({\mathcal K}=K_1,\ldots, K_n\) of pair-wise disjoint convex bodies in \(R^d\) is a line \(p\) such that \(p\cap K_i\neq\emptyset\) for each \(i=1,\ldots,n\). Each line transversal \(p\) determines two (opposite) linear orders on \({\mathcal K}\) or equivalently two permutations of \([n]=\{1,\ldots,n\}\) referred to as a (single) geometric permutation of \({\mathcal K}\). The authors study the problem of estimating the number of geometric permutations for the case of families of pair-wise disjoint unit balls in \(R^d\). They show that in general there exist at most \(3\) geometric permutations and not more than \(2\) if \(n\geq 9\). The proof is based on the fact that some geometric permutations are incompatible in the sense that they cannot both appear in the same family \({\mathcal K}\). The key observation is that the permutations \((ABCD, BADC)\) are incompatible for unit balls, although they may appear together in a family of pair-wise disjoint balls of different radii.