On highly eccentric cones (Q464809)

This paper relates a closed convex cone \(K\) in Euclidean space \({\mathbb R}^n\), which is proper (i.e., not containing a line and with nonempty interior), to revolution cones \(\Gamma(\xi,s) := \{x\in{\mathbb R}^n: s\|x\|\leq \langle c,x \rangle\}\), where \(c\in {\mathbb S}_n\) (the unit sphere of \({\mathbb R}^n\)) and \(s\in [0,1]\). There is a unique pair \((\xi,s)\) that minimizes \(s\) under the condition \(\Gamma(\xi,s)\subseteq K\), and there is a unique pair \((\eta,r)\) that maximizes \(r\) under the condition \(K\subseteq \Gamma(\eta,r)\). Then \(\xi=\xi(K)\) is the \textit{incenter}, \(\eta=\eta(K)\) is the \textit{circumcenter}, and \(\psi(K):= \arccos\langle\xi(K),\eta(K)\rangle\) is the \textit{eccentricity} of \(K\). The eccentricity of simplicial cones and of Cartesian products of proper cones is studied in detail. Let \(\rho_n\) denote the supremum of \(\psi(K)\) over all proper cones in \({\mathbb R}^n\). Whereas it is shown that \(\pi/4 \leq \rho_3 < \pi/2\), the authors prove the somewhat surprising fact that \(\rho_n = \pi/2\) for \(n\geq 4\). Sequences of cones exhibiting this phenomenon are studied in some detail. Various examples of eccentric cones (i.e., for which \(\psi>0\)) and non-eccentric cones are presented.