On the size of approximately convex sets in normed spaces (Q4514722)

Let \(A\) be a~subset of a~normed space~\(X\). A~set~\(A\) is said to be \textit{approximately convex} if \(d(ta+(1-t)b,A)\leq 1\) for all \(a,b\in A\), \(t\in [0,1]\). The authors study the relationship between the size of an approximately convex set, as measured by its diameter, and the extent to which~\(A\) fails to be convex, as measured by the Hausdorff distance \({\mathcal H}(A,Co(A))\) from~\(A\) to its convex hull \(Co(A)\). It is shown that if~\(X\) is an \(n\)--dimensional normed space, then the quantity \[ C(X)=\sup\{{\mathcal H}(A,Co(A)):A\subset X\text{ is approximately convex}\} \] satisfies \(\log_2n\leq C(X)\leq\lceil\log_2(n+1)\rceil\). The main result concerning \(n\)--dimensional normed spaces says that for sufficiently large~\(n\) every such a~space contains an approximately convex set~\(A\) of diameter \(O(\sqrt{n}(\log n)^2)\) with \({\mathcal H}(A,Co(A))\geq\log_2n-1\). These estimates are reasonably sharp. It is also proved that every infinite--dimensional normed space contains an approximately convex set~\(A\) with \({\mathcal H}(A,Co(A))=\infty\). The deepest result concerning infinite--dimensional normed spaces says that for every \(M>0\) there exist a~Banach space~\(X\) (which is isomorphic to \(l_1\)) and an approximately convex set~\(A\subset X\) such that diam\((A)={\mathcal H}(A,Co(A))=M\). This space~\(X\) is obtained from a~complicated combinatorial construction. Several results pertaining to the Hyers--Ulam stability theorem are also proved. Finally we list the sections of the paper: Introduction, Approximately convex functions, Approximately convex sets, Diameter of approximately convex sets, Bounds in Euclidean spaces, Lower bounds in spaces of type~\(p\), Sets with diam\((A)={\mathcal H}(A,Co(A))\).