The module of unitarily invariant area measures (Q2444678)

The author develops a general theory of smooth area measures on a finite-dimensional Euclidean vector space \(V\), that includes in certain sense the curvature measures, and assigns to every convex body \(K\) of \(V\) a measure on the unit sphere \(S(V)\). This theory also provides an explicit local version of some kinematic formulas type in Hermitian spaces. Using the Berning-Fu convolution of smooth scalar translation-invariant valuations on the space of convex bodies of \(V\) described in [\textit{A. Bernig} and \textit{J. H. G. Fu}, Geom. Dedicata 123, 153--169 (2006; Zbl 1117.53054)], the author defines a module structure on the class of measures under consideration. A formula obtained from first variation of valuations defines a particular case of measures on the unit sphere that inspires the author for a general definition of smooth area measure, for each convex body \(K\), given by \[ \Psi(K,A)=\int_{N(K)\cap \pi^{-1}_2(A)}\omega, \] where \(A\) is a Borel set of \(S(V)\), \(N(K)\) is the normal cycle of \(K\), \(\omega\) a translation-invariant differential \((n-1)\)-form on the sphere bundle \(SV=V\times S(V)\), and \(\pi_2:SV\to S(V) \) is the projection map into the second factor. The author defines the globalization map, \(\mathrm{glob}(\Psi)=\Psi(\cdot,S(V))\), and the centroid map, \(C(\Psi)=\int_{S(V)}u\,d\Psi(\cdot, u)\), that vanishes on first variation measures. The convolution product on the space of smooth translation-invariant valuations induces on the vector space of area measures a modulo over such space of valuations, that is compatible with the first variation map, the globalization and centroid maps. Angular area measures for polytopes are defined and properties of the globalization and centroid maps are obtained, and the particular case of constant coefficient is described. If \(V=\mathbb{C}^n\), the class of unitarily invariant area measures satisfy \(\Psi(gK,gA)=\Psi(K,A)\) for all \(g\in U(n)\), and they are defined taking \(\omega\) a \(U(n)\ltimes\mathbb{C}^n\)-invariant form. The corresponding globalization map takes values in the subspace of unitarily invariant valuations, and it is shown that the kernel of the centroid map consists of the unitarily invariant area measures which arise as the first variation of unitarily invariant valuations. The dimension of the space of unitarily equivariant valuations is computed giving a characterization of the Steiner point map \(s\) from the space of convex bodies into \(V\) by \(U(n)\ltimes \mathbb{C}^n\)-equivariance. The author describes the module of unitary area measures by considering the two generating elements of the unitarily invariant valuations and their explicit action on the space of unitarily invariant area measures. The subspace of angular area measures is explicitly described in terms of the module structure. In the last section, it is shown that the area measure \(\Psi_{\omega}(K)\) is just the pushforward measure under the Gauss map \(\nu:\partial K\to S(V)\) of the boundary of \(K\) of the corresponding curvature measure \(\Phi_{\omega}(K)\) given by \[ \Phi_{\omega}(K)(A) :=\Phi(K,A)=\int_{N(K)\cap \pi^{-1}_1(A)}\omega, \] for every Borel set \(A\) of \(V\), where \(\pi_1:SV\to V\) is the projection into the first factor. Furthermore, the assignment \(\Psi_{\omega}\to \Phi_{\omega}\) defines a linear injection from the vector space of area measures into the vector space of curvature measures with a 1-dimensional co-kernel.