Convex independent sets and 7-holes in restricted planar point sets (Q1184157)

Let \(A\) be a finite set of \(k\) points in the plane such that no three points of \(A\) lie on a line. Let \(q(A)\) denote the ratio of the maximum distance of any pair of points of \(A\) to the minimum distance of any pair of points of \(A\). The author considers sets satisfying condition \(q(A)<ak^{1/2}\) for fixed \(a\geq 2^{1/2}3^{1/4}\pi^{1/2}\). (This is the meaning of the term ``restricted sets'' used in the title.) The author improves known asymptotic estimates from below [\textit{N. Alon, M. Katchalski} and \textit{W. R. Pulleyblank}, Discrete Comput. Geom. 4, No. 3, 245-251 (1989; Zbl 0719.52007)] for the cardinality of maximal convex independent subsets of \(A\) when \(k\) tends to infinity. Besides this the author proves that for every \(k\) there exists a set \(A\) satisfying the above conditions but such that no subset of \(A\) is the set of vertices of a convex 7-gon containing no other points of \(A\). This is a generalization of the result due to \textit{J. D. Horton} [Can. Math. Bull. 26, 482-484 (1983; Zbl 0521.52010)].