A product formula for the normalized volume of free sums of lattice polytopes (Q2314166)

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A product formula for the normalized volume of free sums of lattice polytopes
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    A product formula for the normalized volume of free sums of lattice polytopes (English)
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    19 July 2019
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    Given convex subsets \(J, K \subseteq \mathbb{R}^{d}\), we denote the convex hull of their union by \(J \oplus K\) and call it the \textit{free sum of \(J\) and \(K\)} when \(J\) and \(K\) each contain the origin and their respective linear spans are orthogonal coordinate subspaces. The main theorem of the paper under review states that for convex polytopes \(P\) and \(Q\) (each containing the origin), \[ \mathrm{ vol}(P \oplus Q) \ = \ \mathrm{ vol}(P) \, \mathrm{ vol}(Q) \] where \(\mathrm{ vol}(K)\) denotes the relative volume measured in the affine span of \(K\). The proof makes use of the interplay of mixed volumes and relative volumes (in particular, what is known as the \textit{BKK bound}) and the connection between commutative algebra and discrete geometry. Indeed, the theorem is motivated by considering a \textit{lattice polytope} in \(P \subset \mathbb{R}^d\), i.e., the convex hull of finitely many points in \(\mathbb{Z}^d\). \textit{E. Ehrhart}'s fundamental theorem [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris 254, 616--618 (1962; Zbl 0100.27601)] states that \[ 1 + \sum_{ t \ge 1 } \left| tP \cap \mathbb{Z}^d \right| x^t \ = \frac{h_P^*(x)}{(1-x)^{\dim(P)+1 }} \] for some polynomial \(h_P^*(x)\). In this setting, one can compute vol\((P) = h_P^*(1)\). \textit{B. Braun} [Electron. J. Comb. 13, No. 1, Research paper N15, 5 p. (2006; Zbl 1109.52011), Note 15] proved that, if \(P\) and \(Q\) are lattice polytopes such that \(P\) is reflexive, \(Q\) contains the origin in its relative interior, and \(P \oplus Q\) is a free sum, then \[ h_{ P \oplus Q }^* (x) \ = \ h_P^*(x) \, h_Q^*(x) \, . \tag{$\star$} \] (A lattice polytope \(P\) is \textit{reflexive} if it contains the origin in its interior and its \textit{dual} \(P^\vee := \{ x \in \mathbb{R}^d : \, x \cdot y \ge -1 \ \mathrm{ for \ all} \ y \in P \}\) is also a lattice polytope.) Later, \textit{A. Stapledon} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 151, 51--60 (2017; Zbl 1370.52028)] generalized Braun's theorem to a setting where a version of \((\star)\) holds unconditionally. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1411.13002].
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    lattice polytopes
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    free sum
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    BKK bound
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