\(f\)-vectors of Minkowski additions of convex polytopes (Q2369928)

A polytope \(P\) in \(\mathbb{R}^d\) with the origin in its interior is perfectly centred if each proper face \(F\) of \(P\) meets the normal cone to \(P\) at \(F\). This property is preserved by duality (polarity), since the normal cone to the dual \(P^*\) at its face \(F^{\mathrm{D}}\) corresponding to \(F\) is the cone spanned by \(F\). The authors first show that, if \(P\) is perfectly centred, then the proper faces of the Minkowski sum \(P + P^*\) are just the \(F + G^{\mathrm{D}}\), with \(F,G\) faces of \(P\) such that \(G \subseteq F\). They also investigate upper bounds for the numbers of faces of general Minkowski sums \(P_1 + \cdots + P_n\), in particular showing that, when \(d \geq 3\), it is possible to find \(d - 1\) polytopes whose sum attains the trivial upper bound for the number of vertices. A more restricted result holds for \(k\)-faces when \(d \geq 4\), and it is shown that, for \(3\)-polytopes \(P_1,\ldots,P_n\) in relatively general position, the three functions \(\varphi(\cdot) = 2f_0(\cdot) - f_1(\cdot)\), \(f_2(\cdot) - f_0(\cdot) + 2\) and \(f_1(\cdot) - 2f_0(\cdot) + 4\) (which are not independent) satisfy \(\varphi(P_1 + \cdots + P_n) = \varphi(P_1) + \cdots + \varphi(P_n)\).