Several Colorful Inequalities

For a positive random variable X, let μα(X) be the αth moment of X. Mark Brown proves that for positive and independent random variables X, Y, F(X + Y) ≥ F(X) + F(Y), where F (X) is the ratio μ-1 over μ-2. We prove this inequality and several generalizations by a method which can be used to prove the Schwarz inequality, but which is not widely appreciated

Topological transversals to a family of convex sets

Let $\mathcal F$ be a family of compact convex sets in $\mathbb R^d$. We say that $\mathcal F$ has a \emph{topological $\rho$-transversal of index $(m,k)$} ($\rho<m$, $0<k\leq d-m$) if there are, homologically, as many transversal $m$-planes to $\mathcal F$ as $m$-planes containing a fixed $\rho$-plane in $\mathbb R^{m+k}$. Clearly, if $\mathcal F$ has a $\rho$-transversal plane, then $\mathcal F$ has a topological $\rho$-transversal of index $(m,k),$ for $\rho<m$ and $k\leq d-m$. The converse is not true in general. We prove that for a family $\mathcal F$ of $\rho+k+1$ compact convex sets in $\mathbb R^d$ a topological $\rho$-transversal of index $(m,k)$ implies an ordinary $\rho$-transversal. We use this result, together with the multiplication formulas for Schubert cocycles, the Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of the Grassmannian, and different versions of the colorful Helly theorem by B\'ar\'any and Lov\'asz, to obtain some geometric consequences