An isoperimetric inequality for isoptic curves of convex bodies (Q2200293)

Let \(K\) be a strictly convex body in the plane and let \(\alpha\in (0,\pi)\) be a fixed number. Let us consider the set \(K_{\alpha}\) of points in the plane from which \(K\) is seen under the constant angle \(\alpha\), and let us denote the parametrized curves corresponding to the boundary of \(K\) and \(K_{\alpha}\) by \(\gamma(t)\) and \(\gamma_{\alpha}(t)\), respectively. The authors prove (Theorem 1) that the length of \(\gamma_{\alpha}\) is \(m\) times the length of \(\gamma\) for some \(m\in \left[ \frac{1}{\sin\frac{\alpha}{2}}, \frac{1}{(\sin\frac{\alpha}{2})^2} \right)\), and \(m=\frac{1}{\sin\frac{\alpha}{2}}\) holds if and only if \(K_{\alpha}\) can be obtained by the Gardener's construction applied to \(K\) with a string of a constant length. Each of the two support lines of \(K\) through \(\gamma_{\alpha}(t)\) intersects \(\gamma(t)\) at one point. Let us denote \(a(t)\) and \(b(t)\) the Euclidean distances from \(\gamma_{\alpha}(t)\) to each of these points. \(K\) is the Euclidean ball if \(\alpha/\pi\in \mathbb{Q}\) and for every \(t\in [0,2\pi]\) one of the following circumstances occurs: \(a(t)=b(t)\) (Theorem 2) or \(a(t)+b(t)\) is a constant positive fixed number (Theorem 3). Five nice figures help the reader to understand the results, and the last two ones present examples justifying that the condition \(\alpha/\pi\in \mathbb{Q}\) in Theorem 2 and 3 is necessary.