A characterization of Blaschke addition (Q2445949)

The Blaschke addition \(K \sharp L \) of convex bodies \(K\) and \(L\), which goes back to Minkowski, is defined, up to translations, as the convex body whose surface area measure satisfies \(S(K\sharp L,\cdot)=S(K,\cdot)+S(L,\cdot)\). In this work the authors define \(K\sharp L\) to be the unique convex body having centroid at the origin which satisfies the above requirement. In the spirit of the successful program of research initiated by \textit{R. J. Gardner} et al. [J. Eur. Math. Soc. (JEMS) 15, No. 6, 2297--2352 (2013; Zbl 1282.52006)], where the authors characterize, among others, Minkowski addition and \(L_p\) addition, the aim of this paper is to characterize Blaschke addition as the only operation satisfying some fundamental properties. As proved in [loc. cit.; Theorem 5.3], Blaschke addition for \(n\geq 3\) cannot even be extended to a continuous operation in the Hausdorff metric between origin symmetric convex bodies. This lack of continuity, which was required in the techniques used in [loc. cit.], obliges to introduce new methods for the characterization of Blaschke addition. The authors prove that an operation \(*\) between origin symmetric convex bodies in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) is uniformly continuous in the Lévy-Prokhorov metric and \(GL(n)\) covariant if and only if \(K*L=aK\sharp bL\) for some \(a,b\geq 0\) and all \(K,L\) origin symmetric. It is also shown that none of the properties can be omitted, in particular, uniform continuity cannot be replaced by continuity. The projection body operator \(\Pi\) and Minkowski addition as an operation between origin symmetric zonoids are key ideas for this result, as, letting \(+\) denote the Minkowski addition, the well-known relation \(\Pi (K\sharp L)=\Pi K +\Pi L\) suggests. The authors prove also a new characterization of Minkowski addition where the assumptions are weaker than the ones cointained in [loc. cit.], namely, an operation between origin symmetric zonoids in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) is continuous in the Hausdorff metric and \(GL(n)\) covariant if and only if \(K*L=aK+bL\), \(a,b\geq 0\) and all origin symmetric zonoids \(K,L\).