Nonnegative polynomials and their Carathéodory number (Q2249472)

Let \(n\in\mathbb N\) and \(d\in\mathbb N\). Hilbert's 1888 theorem states that every nonnegative polynomial of degree \(2d\) in \(n\) variables is a sum of squares iff \(n=1\) or \(d=1\) or (\(n=2\) and \(d=2\)). The author computes the Caratheodory number for the cones of sums of squares in \(\mathbb R[x]\) when \(n=1\) or \(d=1\). Here, the Caratheodory number of a convex set \(C\) is the minimum number \(N\) of extreme points of \(C\) needed to express each point in \(C\) as a convex combination of \(N\) extreme points.