Averages of norms and quasi-norms (Q1271222)

In this paper properties of symmetric convex and \(p\)-convex bodies in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) and their images under orthogonal transformations are studied. Let \(|\cdot|\) be the Euclidean norm and let \(\|\cdot\|\) be any other norm on \(\mathbb{R}^n\). Let \(a\) and \(b\) be the smallest constants such that \(a^{-1}| x|\leq\| x\|\leq b| x|\) holds true for all \(x\in\mathbb{R}^n\). Let \(\nu\) be the normalized Haar measure on the Euclidean sphere \(S^{n-1}\) and define the \(q\)-moment of the norm \(\|\cdot\|\) by \(M_q= \left(\int_{S^{n-1}}\| x\|^q d\nu(x)\right)^{1/q}\) for \(0< q<\infty\). Let \(t_q= t_q(\|\cdot\|)\) be the smallest integer \(t\) such that there are orthogonal transformations \(u_1,\dots, u_t\in O(n)\) with \[ {M_q\over 2} | x|\leq \Biggl({1\over t} \sum^t_{i= 1}\| u_ix\|^q\Biggr)^{1/q}\leq 2M_q| x|, \] for all \(x\in \mathbb{R}^n\). In a foregoing paper it was shown by \textit{V. D. Milman} and \textit{G. Schechtman} [Duke Math. J. 90, 73-93 (1997; Zbl 0911.52002)] that \(t_1\approx (b/M_1)^2\) holds true (here, \(\alpha\approx \beta\) means \(c\beta\leq \alpha\leq C\beta\) for some absolute constants \(c\), \(C\)). This inequality contains also informations about the set \(B_{\|\cdot\|}\cap M^{-1}_1\cdot S^{n-1}\). In the paper under review, this result is extended to any \(q\) between \(0\) and \(\infty\). As a main result it is shown that \[ (\text{i})\quad t_q\approx t_1\text{ for }1\leq q\leq 2\quad\text{and}\quad (\text{ii})\quad t^{2/q}_q\approx t_1(M_1/M_q)^2\text{ for }2\leq q. \] In the final section of the paper, the case \(q= \infty\) and the cases of \(p\)-norms \(\|\cdot\|\) for \(0< p< 1\) are studied.