Slicing convex sets and measures by a hyperplane (Q2482200)

Given convex compact sets with nonempty interior \(K_{1}, \dots, K_{d}\) in \(\mathbb R ^{d}\) and numbers \(\alpha_{1},\dots, \alpha_{d} \in [0, 1]\), the authors give a sufficient condition for existence and uniqueness of an oriented halfspace \(H\) with \(\text{Vol}(H \cap K_{i} ) = \alpha_{i} \cdot \text{Vol}(K_{i})\) for every \(i=1, \dots, d\). A family \(\mathcal F\) of connected sets in \(\mathbb R ^{d}\) is well separated, if for any \(k \leq d+1\) distinct elements \(K_{1}, \dots, K_{k}\) of \(\mathcal F\) and for any choice of points \(x_{i} \in K_{i}\), the affine subspace spanned by \(\{x_{1},\dots , x_{k}\}\) is a \((k -1)\)-dimensional flat. A hyperplane or a Euclidean sphere is transversal to \(\mathcal F\) if it intersects each member of \(\mathcal F\). The authors show that for every well separated family of convex compact set with nonempty interior \(K_{1}, \dots, K_{d}\) in \(\mathbb R ^{d}\) and for every \(\alpha_{1},\dots, \alpha_{d} \in [0, 1]\), there exists a unique oriented halfspace \(H\) with \(\text{Vol}(H \cap K_{i} ) = \alpha_{i} \cdot \text{Vol}(K_{i})\) for every \(i=1, \dots, d\). This result is obtained as a corollary of an analogous theorem for suitable families of measures. The assumptions on \(\mathcal F\) are not necessary: e.g.\ when all \(\alpha_{i} = 1/2\), the existence of such a halfspace is guaranteed by Borsuk's theorem without the condition of convexity or \(\mathcal F\) being well separated. On the other hand, the authors give examples showing that the condition of being well separated cannot be omitted. The existence of transversal sphere is also obtained: for every well separated family of convex compact set with nonempty interior \(K_{1}, \dots, K_{d+1}\) in \(\mathbb R ^{d}\) and for every \(\alpha_{1},\dots, \alpha_{d+1} \in [0, 1]\), there exists a unique Euclidean sphere \(S(x,r)\) such that \(\text{Vol}(B(x,r) \cap K_{i} ) = \alpha_{i} \cdot \text{Vol}(K_{i})\) for every \(i=1, \dots, d+1\). These results generalize some results of \textit{S. E. Cappell, J. E. Goodman, J. Pach, R. Pollack, M. Sharir} and \textit{R. Wenger} [Adv. Math. 106, No. 2, 198--215 (1994; Zbl 0824.52019)], \textit{V. Klee, T. Lewis} and \textit{B. Von Hohenbalken} [Discrete Comput. Geom. 18, No. 4, 385--395 (1997; Zbl 0899.52003)] and \textit{H. Kramer} and \textit{A. B. Németh} [Arch. Math. 24, 91--96 (1973; Zbl 0251.52008)].