Polarization problem on a higher-dimensional sphere for a simplex

Abstract: We study the problem of maximizing the minimal value over the sphere

S^{d - 1} s u b s e t m a t h b b R^{d}

of the potential generated by a configuration of

d + 1

points on

S^{d - 1}

(the maximal discrete polarization problem). The points interact via the potential given by a function

f

of the Euclidean distance squared, where

f : [0, 4] o (- i n f t y, i n f t y]

is continuous (in the extended sense) and decreasing on

[0, 4]

and finite and convex on

(0, 4]

with a concave or convex derivative

f^{'}

. We prove that the configuration of the vertices of a regular

d

-simplex inscribed in

S^{d - 1}

is optimal. This result is new for

d > 3

(certain special cases for

d = 2

and

d = 3

are also new). As a byproduct, we find a simpler proof for the known optimal covering property of the vertices of a regular

d

-simplex inscribed in

S^{d - 1}

.

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