Harmonic analysis of translation invariant valuations (Q719067)

Let \(V\) be an \(n\)-dimensional Euclidean vector space and let \(A\) be an abelian semigroup. A function \(\phi\) defined on convex bodies (compact convex sets) in \(V\) and taking values in \(A\) is called a valuation if \[ \phi(K)+\phi(L)=\phi(K\cup L)+\phi(K\cap L) \] whenever \(K, L\) and \(K\cup L\) are convex. The most important cases are \(A=\mathbb{R}\) or \(\mathbb{C}\) (scalar-valued valuations), \(A=\mathrm{Sym}^k V\) (tensor valuations) and \(A=\mathcal{K}^n\), the semigroup of convex bodies in \(V\) with the Minkowski addition (Minkowski valuations). A valuation \(\phi\) is called translation invariant if \(\phi(K+x)=\phi(K)\) for all \(x\in V\) and \(K\in\mathcal{K}^n\). The natural action of the group \(SO(n)\) on the space of continuous translation-invariant complex-valued valuations is given by \((\vartheta\phi)=\phi(\vartheta^{-1}K)\), \(\vartheta\in SO(n)\). The authors obtain the decomposition of continuous and translation-invariant valuations into a sum of \(SO(n)\) irreducible subspaces. A reformulation of this result in terms of a Hadwiger-type theorem for continuous translation-invariant and \(SO(n)\)-equivariant tensor valuations is also given. As an application, symmetry properties of rigid-motion invariant and homogeneous bivaluations are established and then used to prove new inequalities of Brunn-Minkowski type for convex body valued valuations.