Projection functions, area measures and the Alesker-Fourier transform (Q2363160)

In this paper, the authors generalize the classical notion of projection body by considering, for \(1\leq j\leq n-1\), two origin-symmetric (full-dimensional) convex bodies \(K,L\) in \({\mathbb R}^n\), such that \[ \text{vol}_j(K|E^\perp) = \text{vol}_{n-j}(L|E). \] Here \(\text{vol}_i\) denotes the \(i\)-dimensional volume and \(E\) runs through all \((n-j)\)-dimensional subspaces of \({\mathbb R}^n\). The body \(K\) is called the \(j\)-projection body of \(L\) and any limit (in the Hausdorff metric ) of such bodies \(K\) is called a \textit{\(j\)-projection body}. The classical projection body corresponds to the case \(j=1\). The notion of \(j\)-projection body is in analogy to the \(j\)-intersection body of star bodies which was introduced by Koldobsky and plays a role in variants of the Busemann-Petty problem. Here, the authors prove several characterizations of \(j\)-projection bodies, they collect some of their properties and they give various examples. A first characterization uses spherical Fourier transforms applied to the \(j\)-th area measure of \(K\), a result which corresponds to a characterization of \(j\)-intersection bodies by \textit{A. Koldobsky} [Isr. J. Math. 110, 75--91 (1999; Zbl 0938.52009); Geom. Funct. Anal. 10, No. 6, 1507--1526 (2000; Zbl 0974.52002)]. A second characterization is in terms of smooth, spherical valuations of order \(j\) and uses the Alesker-Fourier transform on valuations. As a corollary, this leads to a connection of \(j\)-projection bodies and mean section bodies. The proofs of the results use Radon transforms on Grassmannians, their connection to the spherical Fourier transform, and a relation between the Alesker-Fourier transform of spherical valuations and the spherical Fourier transform. While the class of (classical) projection bodies (the zonoids) is reasonably large, the class of \(j\)-projection bodies seems to be smaller. The authors give several examples for \(j\)-projection bodies, among them certain strictly convex bodies of revolution. They also show that if a polytope \(P\) is the \(j\)-projection body of a convex body \(Q\), then \(Q\) is also a polytope and the directions of the \(j\)-faces of \(P\) are related by orthogonality to the directions of the \((n-j)\)-faces of \(Q\). As a consequence, for \(n\geq 5\) and \(3\leq j\leq n-2\), a zonotope \(Z\) with generating vectors in general position is a \(j\)-projection body if and only if \(Z\) is a parallelotope.