Volumes of tubular neighbourhoods of real algebraic varieties (Q1314987)

The degree of an algebraic subset \(V\) of \(\mathbb{R}^ n\) is defined as the least integer \(d = d (V)\) such that there exist polynomials in \(\mathbb{R} [T_ 1, \dots, T_ n]\) of degree \(\leq d\) whose set of common zeros is \(V\). For every subset \(X\) of \(\mathbb{R}^ n\) and every positive real number \(\rho\), the tubular neighbourhood of radius \(\rho\) of \(X\) is defined as the set \(T_ \rho (X) = \{x \in \mathbb{R}^ n : \text{dist} (x,X) < \rho\}\). The \(n\)-ball in \(\mathbb{R}^ n\) of radius \(r\) centered at the origin is denoted by \(S_ r\) and \(\text{Vol}_ n (.)\) means the \(n\)- dimensional measure of \(n\)-manifolds. In this paper it is proved the existence of a family of polynomials \(\{P^ n_ m (T):\) \(1 \leq m \leq n\}\) in one variable with positive real coefficients such that \(P^ n_ m\) has degree \(n\) and order \(\geq m\) and \[ \text{Vol}_ n \bigl( T_ \rho (V \cap S_ r) \bigr) \leq r^ n. P^ n_ m \left( {d \rho \over r} \right) \tag{1} \] for all positive real numbers \(\rho\) and \(r\) and all algebraic subsets \(V\) of \(\mathbb{R}^ n\) of degree \(d\) and codimension \(m\). This formula was first incorrectly stated by \textit{S. Smale} for complex hypersurfaces \(V\) [Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 4, 1-36 (1981; Zbl 0456.12012)] and correctly proved in this case by \textit{J. Renegar} [Math. Oper. Res. 12, 121-148 (1987; Zbl 0618.65038)]. \textit{Demmel}, later on, extended the result to all complex varieties when \(\rho \leq 1\). It seems that formula (1) was previously proved, but not published, by \textit{Ocneanu} getting explicitly the polynomials \(P^ n_ m (T) = 2m . O_ n. \sum^ n_{k = m} {n \choose k} T^ k\) where \(O_ n\) is the volume of the unit \(n\)-ball. The proof presented in the paper is very clear and elementary using Milnor's bound \hbox{\(d(2d - 1)^{n - 1}\)} for the number \(B_ 0(V)\) of connected components of every algebraic subset \(V\) of \(\mathbb{R}^ n\) of degree \(d\). Although this is a bound for the sum of Betti numbers of \(V\), it is the best known one in the general case -- as a function of the degree. The use of bounds for \(B_ 0 (V)\) as functions of other geometric complexities -- the degree is one of them -- would produce accordingly estimates for the volumes \(\text{Vol}_ n (T_ \rho (V \cap S_ r))\) of a different nature. Such bounds appear e.g. in a paper by \textit{A. G. Khovanskij} [Sov. Math., Dokl. 22, 762-765 (1980); translation from Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 255, 804-807 (1980; Zbl 0569.32004)]\ and the book by \textit{R. Benedetti} and \textit{J. J. Risler} [``Real algebraic and semi-algebraic sets'' (1990; Zbl 0694.14006)].