Invariants of Finite Reflection Groups and the Mean Value Problem for Polytopes
Let \(P\) be a polytope, and let \(P(k)\) denote the \(k\)-skeleton of \(P\). \textit{Invariants} is one of a series of articles examining the set of all functions \({\mathfrak H}_{P(k)}\) satisfying the ``mean value property (defined below) with respect to \(P(k)\). The author finds a reasonably simple necessary and sufficient condition for \({\mathfrak H}_{P(k)}\) to be equal to \({\mathfrak H}_G\), the set of all ``\(G\)-harmonic polynomials, where \(G\) is the symmetry group of \(P\). A more detailed explanation follows here. Let \(P\) and \(P(k)\) be as above, and let \(\mu_k\) be the Euclidean measure on \(P(k)\). Let \(|P(k)|\) be the total measure of \(P(k)\) under \(\mu_k\). A function from \({\mathbf R}^n\) to \({\mathbf R}\) satisfies the ``mean value property with respect to \(P(k)\) if \[ f(x) = {1\over|P(k)|}\int_{P(k)}f(x+ry)d\mu_k(y), \] for any \(r>0\). That is, thinking of \(P\) as being ``centred at the origin, the value of \(f\) at any point \(x\) is the same as the ``average value of \(f\) on any scaled copy of \(P(k)\) centred at \(x\). The ``mean value problem is the problem of determining the linear space \({\mathfrak H}_{P(k)}\) of all such continuous functions. Let \(G\) be a symmetry group, let \(R_G\) be the ring of all polynomials invariant under \(G\), and let \(R_G^+\) be the set of all such polynomials \(\phi\) with \(\phi(0)=0\). Writing \(\partial=(\partial/\partial x_1,\dots,\partial/\partial x_n)\), a polynomial \(f\) is said to be ``\(G\)-harmonic if \(\phi(\partial)f=0\) for all \(\phi\in R_G^+\). The set of all \(G\)-harmonic polynomials is denoted \({\mathfrak H}_G\). As mentioned above, \textit{Invariants} is one of a series of articles studying the mean value problem. In [\textit{K. Iwasaki}, Discrete Comput. Geom. 17, 163-189 (1997; Zbl 0872.39014)], the author proved that \({\mathfrak H}_{P(k)}\) is a finite dimensional space of polynomial functions, and that if \(G\) is the symmetry group of \(P\), then \({\mathfrak H}_G\subseteq{\mathfrak H}_{P(k)}\). In [\textit{K. Iwasaki}, J. Algebra 195, 538-547 (1997; Zbl 0890.20031)], the author proved that for any finite reflection group \(G\) in \({\mathbf R}^n\), the ring \(R_G\) can be generated by a ``canonical invariant basis for \(G\) of \(n\) polynomials \(\phi_1,\dots,\phi_n\), whose degrees are determined by \(G\), and which satisfy \(\phi_i(\partial)\phi_j=0\) whenever \(i\neq j\) (and \(\phi_i(\partial)\phi_i\) is constant). This is relevant because the main theorem of \textit{Invariants} finds a necessary and sufficient condition for \({\mathfrak H}_G\) to equal \({\mathfrak H}_{P(k)}\) in terms of a canonical invariant basis for \(G\). The main theorem of \textit{Invariants} is as follows: let \(P\) be a polytope in \({\mathbf R}^n\) admitting a finite reflection group \(G\) as a symmetry group, and let \((\phi_1,\dots,\phi_n)\) be a canonical invariant basis of \(G\). Then for each \(k=0,1,\dots, n\), \({\mathfrak H}_G={\mathfrak H}_{P(k)}\) if and only if \(\phi_i\not\in{\mathfrak H}_{P(k)}\) for each \(i=1,\dots,n\). \textit{Invariants} is dedicated to proving this theorem. Note that the latter condition is expressible as a set of integral equations for the \(\phi_i\). In solving the mean value problem, it becomes important therefore to find formulae for the \(\phi_i\), for any given \(G\). This is not done in \textit{Invariants}, but canonical invariant bases for the groups \(A_n\), \(B_n\), \(C_n\) and \(I_2(m)\) were found in the first cited paper, and for \(F_4\), \(H_3\) and \(H_4\) in [\textit{K. Iwasaki, A. Kenma} and \textit{K. Matsumoto}, `Basic invariants of finite reflection groups of the types \(H_3\), \(H_4\), \(F_4\), and the mean value property of exceptional regular polytopes', preprint (1998)]. At the time of publication of \textit{Invariants}, the groups \(E_6\), \(E_7\) and \(E_8\) had not been considered.
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