On bodies with directly congruent projections and sections (Q501853)

Suppose that \(K\) and \(L\) are convex bodies in \({\mathbb R}^n\) such that the orthogonal projections \(K|H\) and \(L|H\) are congruent, for all subspaces \(H\) of some fixed dimension \(k\in\{2,\dots,n-1\}\). Is \(K\) a translate of \(\pm L\)? The present paper contributes to this open problem in the case \(k=3\). The following main result needs fewer projections, but additional assumptions on the bodies and their projections. Let \(K\) and \(L\) be convex bodies in \({\mathbb R}^n\), \(n\geq 4\), having countably many diameters. Assume that there exists a diameter of \(K\) in direction \(\zeta\) such that the `side projections' \(K|H\), \(L|H\) onto all \(3\)-dimensional subspaces \(H\) containing \(\zeta\) are directly congruent. It is further assumed that the projections do not have certain forbidden symmetries. Then \(K\) and \(L\) coincide up to translation and some special orthogonal transformation. Here, the assumptions on the forbidden symmetries of the side projections are considerably weaker than in previously known results. The proof is a delicate combination of analytic, geometric and topologic arguments. Analogous results are proved for star bodies and sections instead of projections. In the Appendix, it is proved that any convex body in \({\mathbb R}^n\), \(n\geq 4\), can be approximated in the Hausdorff metric by polytopes without \(3\)-dimensional projections that have rigid motion symmetries.