Can a minimal degree 6 cubature rule for the disk have all points inside? (Q2570033)

Let \(\mu\) be a positive Borel measure on \(\mathbb R^2\) having convergent moments up to degree \(m,\) i.e. \(\beta_{ij}\equiv\int x^iy^jd\mu \) is absolutely convergent for \(i,j \geq 0,\, i+j\leq m.\) A cubature rule of degree \(m\) and size \(N\) consists of nodes \((x_i,y_i),\, i=1,...,N, \) and positive weights \(\rho_1,...,\rho_N, \) such that \(\nu\equiv \sum_{k=1}^N\rho_k\delta_{(x_k,y_k)} \) satisfies \(\beta_{ij} = \int x^iy^jd\nu,\, i,j \geq 0,\, i+j\leq m, \) or equivalently, it is exact for every polynomial of degree \(\leq m.\) Here \(\delta_{(x_k,y_k)}\) is the unit-mass measure supported at \((x_k,y_k).\) The cubature rule \(\nu\) is called minimal if size\((\nu) \leq\) size\((\omega)\) for every cubature formula \(\omega\) of degree \(m,\) and an inside rule if supp \((\nu) \subset\) supp \((\mu).\) The problem of finding minimal cubature rules is very difficult and there are known very few results, even in the case of simple planar domains as the closed unit disk \(\mathbb D, \) or for triangles. For instance, in the case of \(\mathbb D\) minimal rules are known only for \(m\leq 7\) and \(m=9.\) For \(m\leq 5\) and \(m=7\) there are minimal rules that are inside rules, too. For \(m=6\) minimal rules have 10 points and all previously known examples have two points outside. The main result of the paper asserts that there is no degree 6 minimal inside rule with as few as 10 nodes. The authors construct a degree 6 minimal rule with 9 points inside and one point outside. They provide similar examples for triangles. The method of proof is based on positivity and extension properties of moment matrices, as developed by two of the authors, \textit{L. Fialkow} and \textit{S. Petrovic} [Integral Equations Oper. Theory 52, No.1, 85-124 (2005; Zbl 1124.47057)], in the study of multivariable cubature.