Minkowski symmetrization and projection bodies (Q2093078)

For a vector \(u \in \mathbb{R}^n\) of unit length \(\pi_u(x) := x - 2 \langle x,u \rangle \cdot u\) is the reflection operator with respect to the hyperplane through the origin and orthogonal to \(u\). (Of course \(\langle x,y \rangle\) is the usual inner product). Then the Minkowski symmetrization of a convex body in \(K \subset \mathbb{R}^n\) with respect to \(u\) is the body \[ \tau_u(K) = \frac{K+\pi_u(K)}{2}, \] where \(+\) denotes the Minkowski sum, defined as \(A + B = \{ a+b: a \in A, b \in B \}\). The Minkowski symmetrization preserves the mean width and the volume does not decrease under this operation. Furthermore a consecutive application of it may cause a convex body to resemble a Euclidean ball (what gives a simple proof of the Urysohn Inequality). This paper studies projection bodies \(\Pi K\) and their polar bodies \(\Pi^* K\) of a convex body \(K\) under the Minkowski symmetrization. As usual the polar body \(K^*\) is given by \[ K^* = \{ x \in \mathbb{R}^n: \langle x,y \rangle \leq 1, \forall y \in K \}, \] and the projection body \(\Pi K \subset \mathbb{R}^n\) is an origin-symmetric body defined by the support function that calculates the volume of the projection of \(K\) onto the hyperplane through the origin orthogonal to \(u\). Then \( V( \Pi ( \pi_u K ) ) = V( \Pi K ) \text{ and } V( \Pi^*( \pi_u K ) ) = V( \Pi^* K ), \) and for two convex bodies \(K\), \(L\) and any \(t \in (0,1)\) the author proves \[ V( \Pi^*( (1-t) K + t K ) ) \leq V( \Pi^* K )^{1-t} \cdot V( \Pi^* L )^{t}, \] where equality occurs if and only if \(K\) and \(L\) are dilates. Furthermore the author combines Minkowski symmetrization with the Steiner symmetrization. To copy down the results let \(\omega(K)\) denote the volume of \(K\) and let \(\omega_n\) denote the volume of the unit ball of dimension \(n\). Then the main results are: The mean width provides an upper bound for the volume of \(\Pi K\): \[ \frac{V( \Pi K )}{\omega_{n-1}^n \omega_{n} } \leq \left( \frac{\omega(K)}{2} \right)^{n (n-1) },\tag{1} \] The volume of the polar body fulfills \[ \omega(K)^{n (n-1)} \cdot V( \Pi^* K ) \geq \omega_{n} \cdot \omega_{n-1}^{-n},\tag{2} \] with equality if and only if \(K\) is a ball.