No label defined (Q4368909)

Consider the convex hull \(P_n\) of \(n\) independent and uniformly distributed random points in a planar polygon \(K_r\) with at most \(r\) vertices and unit area. In generalisation of a result of Herglotz (who treated the case \(n=3\), \(r=4)\), the authors express the expected area \(A_n(K_r)\) of \(P_n\) in terms of areas of convex hulls of consecutive vertices of \(K_r\). \(A_n(K_r)\) immediately gives the probability \(p_{n,1} (K_r)\), that a random point in \(K_r\) does not lie in the convex hull of \(n\) further (independently chosen) random points. Using an inductive argument, the formula is generalized to \(p_{jk} (K_r)\), the probability that the convex hulls of \(j\) resp. \(k\) jointly independent random points in \(K_r\) are disjoint. The case of quadrilaterals \(K_4\) is then treated in more detail and the extreme cases for \(p_{ij} (K)\) are discussed. It is shown that the minimum is usually attained for the parallelogram and the maximum for the triangle, or vice versa. There are however some exceptional cases (namely \(p_{5,2}, p_{6,2}\) and \(p_{8,3})\) where the minimum is attained for a trapezoid, the diagonals of which intersect in a certain ratio. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0878.00066].