Isotropic constants and Mahler volumes

Convex sets in (n) dimensions (including convex hypersurfaces) (52A20) Length, area, volume and convex sets (aspects of convex geometry) (52A38) Inequalities and extremum problems involving convexity in convex geometry (52A40)

Abstract: This paper contains a number of results related to volumes of projective perturbations of convex bodies and the Laplace transform on convex cones. First, it is shown that a sharp version of Bourgain's slicing conjecture implies the Mahler conjecture for convex bodies that are not necessarily centrally-symmetric. Second, we find that by slightly translating the polar of a centered convex body, we may obtain another body with a bounded isotropic constant. Third, we provide a counter-example to a conjecture by Kuperberg on the distribution of volume in a body and in its polar.

Review text

The Mahler conjecture states that the Mahler volume \[ s(K)=Vol_n(K) Vol_n(K^{\circ}), \] with \(K\subset\mathbb{R}^n\) a convex body with the origin in its interior, is minimized for simplices. Here \(K^{\circ}\) denotes the polar body of \(K\) and \(Vol_n\), the \(n\)-dimensional volume. A strong version of the slicing problem conjectures that the isotropic constant \(L_K\) of any convex body \(K\subset\mathbb{R}^n\) is bounded from above by the isotropic constant of a simplex. The isotropic constant of \(K\) is defined as \[ L_K^{2n}=\frac{\det \mathrm{Cov}(K)}{Vol_n(K)^2}, \] where \(\mathrm{Cov}(K)\) is the covariance matrix of the convex body \(K\). A first result in the paper proves that the above strong version of the slicing problem implies the Mahler conjecture. This result is obtained from the fact, shown in the paper, that for local minimizers of the Mahler volume, the product \(L_K\cdot L_{K^{\circ}}\cdot s(K)^{1/n}\) is bounded from below by \((n+2)^{-1}\). This is proved by using the Laplace transform, to study the Mahler volume in the space of projective images of \(K\). Moreover, it is proved that the above product equals the lower bound for each convex body that can be obtained as a hyperplane section of a convex and homogeneous cone in \(\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\). Additionally, the author shows that for a given centered convex body \(K\) with barycenter at the origin, there exists a convex body \(T\), near to \(K\) and such that \(T^{\circ}\) is a translate of \(K^{\circ}\), which has bounded isotropic constant. Finally, the author disproves a conjecture of Kuperberg for sufficiently large dimensions, by proving that there exists an unconditional convex body \(K\) with \[ \phi(K):=\frac{1}{s(K)}\int_K\int_{K^{\circ}}\langle x,y\rangle^2 dxdy\geq c, \] where \(c>0\) is a universal constant.

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