Variance asymptotics and scaling limits for Gaussian Polytopes

Let $K_n$ be the convex hull of i.i.d. random variables distributed according to the standard normal distribution on $\R^d$. We establish variance asymptotics as $n \to \infty$ for the re-scaled intrinsic volumes and $k$-face functionals of $K_n$, $k \in \{0,1,...,d-1\}$, resolving an open problem. Variance asymptotics are given in terms of functionals of germ-grain models having parabolic grains with apices at a Poisson point process on $\R^{d-1} \times \R$ with intensity $e^h dh dv$. The scaling limit of the boundary of $K_n$ as $n \to \infty$ converges to a festoon of parabolic surfaces, coinciding with that featuring in the geometric construction of the zero viscosity solution to Burgers' equation with random input

Variance Asymptotics and Scaling Limits for Random Polytopes

Let K be a convex set in R d and let K $\lambda$ be the convex hull of a homogeneous Poisson point process P $\lambda$ of intensity $\lambda$ on K. When K is a simple polytope, we establish scaling limits as $\lambda$ $\rightarrow$ $\infty$ for the boundary of K $\lambda$ in a vicinity of a vertex of K and we give variance asymptotics for the volume and k-face functional of K $\lambda$, k $\in$ {0, 1, ..., d -- 1}, resolving an open question posed in [18]. The scaling limit of the boundary of K $\lambda$ and the variance asymptotics are described in terms of a germ-grain model consisting of cone-like grains pinned to the extreme points of a Poisson point process on R d--1 $\times$ R having intensity \sqrt de dh dhdv

Variance asymptotics for random polytopes in smooth convex bodies

Let $K \subset \R^d$ be a smooth convex set and let \P_\la be a Poisson point process on $\R^d$ of intensity \la. The convex hull of \P_\la \cap K is a random convex polytope K_\la. As \la \to \infty, we show that the variance of the number of $k$-dimensional faces of K_\la, when properly scaled, converges to a scalar multiple of the affine surface area of $K$. Similar asymptotics hold for the variance of the number of $k$-dimensional faces for the convex hull of a binomial process in $K$

Sylvester's question and the Random Acceleration Process

Let n points be chosen randomly and independently in the unit disk. "Sylvester's question" concerns the probability p_n that they are the vertices of a convex n-sided polygon. Here we establish the link with another problem. We show that for large n this polygon, when suitably parametrized by a function r(phi) of the polar angle phi, satisfies the equation of the random acceleration process (RAP), d^2 r/d phi^2 = f(phi), where f is Gaussian noise. On the basis of this relation we derive the asymptotic expansion log p_n = -2n log n + n log(2 pi^2 e^2) - c_0 n^{1/5} + ..., of which the first two terms agree with a rigorous result due to Barany. The nonanalyticity in n of the third term is a new result. The value 1/5 of the exponent follows from recent work on the RAP due to Gyorgyi et al. [Phys. Rev. E 75, 021123 (2007)]. We show that the n-sided polygon is effectively contained in an annulus of width \sim n^{-4/5} along the edge of the disk. The distance delta_n of closest approach to the edge is exponentially distributed with average 1/(2n).Comment: 29 pages, 4 figures; references added and minor change

Random line tessellations of the plane: statistical properties of many-sided cells

We consider a family of random line tessellations of the Euclidean plane introduced in a much more formal context by Hug and Schneider [Geom. Funct. Anal. 17, 156 (2007)] and described by a parameter \alpha\geq 1. For \alpha=1 the zero-cell (that is, the cell containing the origin) coincides with the Crofton cell of a Poisson line tessellation, and for \alpha=2 it coincides with the typical Poisson-Voronoi cell. Let p_n(\alpha) be the probability for the zero-cell to have n sides. By the methods of statistical mechanics we construct the asymptotic expansion of \log p_n(\alpha) up to terms that vanish as n\to\infty. In the large-n limit the cell is shown to become circular. The circle is centered at the origin when \alpha>1, but gets delocalized for the Crofton cell, \alpha=1, which is a singular point of the parameter range. The large-n expansion of \log p_n(1) is therefore different from that of the general case and we show how to carry it out. As a corollary we obtain the analogous expansion for the {\it typical} n-sided cell of a Poisson line tessellation.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figure

Abel Symposia

Discrete Morse theory has recently lead to new developments in the theory of random geometric complexes. This article surveys the methods and results obtained with this new approach, and discusses some of its shortcomings. It uses simulations to illustrate the results and to form conjectures, getting numerical estimates for combinatorial, topological, and geometric properties of weighted and unweighted Delaunay mosaics, their dual Voronoi tessellations, and the Alpha and Wrap complexes contained in the mosaics

Three-dimensional random Voronoi tessellations: From cubic crystal lattices to Poisson point processes

We perturb the SC, BCC, and FCC crystal structures with a spatial Gaussian noise whose adimensional strength is controlled by the parameter a, and analyze the topological and metrical properties of the resulting Voronoi Tessellations (VT). The topological properties of the VT of the SC and FCC crystals are unstable with respect to the introduction of noise, because the corresponding polyhedra are geometrically degenerate, whereas the tessellation of the BCC crystal is topologically stable even against noise of small but finite intensity. For weak noise, the mean area of the perturbed BCC and FCC crystals VT increases quadratically with a. In the case of perturbed SCC crystals, there is an optimal amount of noise that minimizes the mean area of the cells. Already for a moderate noise (a>0.5), the properties of the three perturbed VT are indistinguishable, and for intense noise (a>2), results converge to the Poisson-VT limit. Notably, 2-parameter gamma distributions are an excellent model for the empirical of of all considered properties. The VT of the perturbed BCC and FCC structures are local maxima for the isoperimetric quotient, which measures the degre of sphericity of the cells, among space filling VT. In the BCC case, this suggests a weaker form of the recentluy disproved Kelvin conjecture. Due to the fluctuations of the shape of the cells, anomalous scalings with exponents >3/2 is observed between the area and the volumes of the cells, and, except for the FCC case, also for a->0. In the Poisson-VT limit, the exponent is about 1.67. As the number of faces is positively correlated with the sphericity of the cells, the anomalous scaling is heavily reduced when we perform powerlaw fits separately on cells with a specific number of faces

Random Convex Hulls and Extreme Value Statistics

In this paper we study the statistical properties of convex hulls of $N$ random points in a plane chosen according to a given distribution. The points may be chosen independently or they may be correlated. After a non-exhaustive survey of the somewhat sporadic literature and diverse methods used in the random convex hull problem, we present a unifying approach, based on the notion of support function of a closed curve and the associated Cauchy's formulae, that allows us to compute exactly the mean perimeter and the mean area enclosed by the convex polygon both in case of independent as well as correlated points. Our method demonstrates a beautiful link between the random convex hull problem and the subject of extreme value statistics. As an example of correlated points, we study here in detail the case when the points represent the vertices of $n$ independent random walks. In the continuum time limit this reduces to $n$ independent planar Brownian trajectories for which we compute exactly, for all $n$, the mean perimeter and the mean area of their global convex hull. Our results have relevant applications in ecology in estimating the home range of a herd of animals. Some of these results were announced recently in a short communication [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 103}, 140602 (2009)].Comment: 61 pages (pedagogical review); invited contribution to the special issue of J. Stat. Phys. celebrating the 50 years of Yeshiba/Rutgers meeting