A valuation-theoretic approach to translative-equidecomposability (Q284866)

A valuation on the set \(\mathcal{P}^n\) of convex polytopes in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) is a map \(\phi:\mathcal{P}^n \to \mathbb{R}\) such that \(\phi(P \cup Q)=\phi(P)+\phi(Q)-\phi(P \cap Q)\) if \(P,Q,P \cup Q \in \mathcal{P}^n\). It is called simple if \(\phi(P)=0\) whenever \(\mathrm{dim}(P) < n\), and it is called translation invariant if \(\phi(P+t)=\phi(P)\) for all \(P \in \mathcal{P}^n\) and \(t \in \mathbb{R}^n\). The authors characterize all simple and translation invariant valuations on \(\mathcal{P}^n\), this way generalizing results of \textit{H. Hadwiger} [Arch. Math. 3, 387--394 (1952; Zbl 0048.28801)], \textit{B. Jessen} and \textit{A. Thorup} [Math. Scand. 43, 211--240 (1978; Zbl 0398.51009)], and \textit{C. H. Sah} [Hilbert's third problem: scissors congruence. London, Melbourne: Pitman Advanced Publishing Program (1979; Zbl 0406.52004)], where additional assumptions of continuity are made. As a consequence, the characterization of Jessen/Thorup and Sah for translative equidecomposability is recovered by geometric methods. Recall that two proper polyhedra \(P\), \(Q\) (i.e., finite unions of full-dimensional convex polytopes in \(\mathbb{R}^n\)) are translatively equidecomposable if \(P\) can be dissected into finitely many polytopes \(P_i\), \(1 \leq i \leq k\), such that suitable translates \(P_i+t_i\), \(1 \leq i \leq k\), form a dissection of \(Q\). As another application, the authors obtain a simplified approach to the characterization of continuous simple and translation invariant valuations on convex bodies by \textit{R. Schneider} [Mathematika 43, No. 1, 32--39 (1996; Zbl 0864.52009)].