Decompositions of a polygon into centrally symmetric pieces

In this paper we deal with edge-to-edge, irreducible decompositions of a centrally symmetric convex $(2k)$-gon into centrally symmetric convex pieces. We prove an upper bound on the number of these decompositions for any value of $k$, and characterize them for octagons.Comment: 17 pages, 17 figure

The robustness of equilibria on convex solids

We examine the minimal magnitude of perturbations necessary to change the number $N$ of static equilibrium points of a convex solid $K$. We call the normalized volume of the minimally necessary truncation robustness and we seek shapes with maximal robustness for fixed values of $N$. While the upward robustness (referring to the increase of $N$) of smooth, homogeneous convex solids is known to be zero, little is known about their downward robustness. The difficulty of the latter problem is related to the coupling (via integrals) between the geometry of the hull \bd K and the location of the center of gravity $G$. Here we first investigate two simpler, decoupled problems by examining truncations of \bd K with $G$ fixed, and displacements of $G$ with \bd K fixed, leading to the concept of external \rm and internal \rm robustness, respectively. In dimension 2, we find that for any fixed number $N=2S$, the convex solids with both maximal external and maximal internal robustness are regular $S$-gons. Based on this result we conjecture that regular polygons have maximal downward robustness also in the original, coupled problem. We also show that in the decoupled problems, 3-dimensional regular polyhedra have maximal internal robustness, however, only under additional constraints. Finally, we prove results for the full problem in case of 3 dimensional solids. These results appear to explain why monostatic pebbles (with either one stable, or one unstable point of equilibrium) are found so rarely in Nature.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figure

On the average number of normals through points of a convex body

In 1944, Santal\'o asked about the average number of normals through a point of a given convex body. Since then, numerous results appeared in the literature about this problem. The aim of this paper is to give a concise summary of these results, with some new, recent developments. We point out connections of this problem to static equilibria of rigid bodies as well as to geometric partial differential equations of surface evolution.Comment: 15 page

On the Hadwiger numbers of starlike disks

The Hadwiger number $H(J)$ of a topological disk $J$ in $\Re^2$ is the maximal number of pairwise nonoverlapping translates of $J$ that touch $J$. It is well known that for a convex disk, this number is six or eight. A conjecture of A. Bezdek., K. and W. Kuperberg says that the Hadwiger number of a starlike disk is at most eight. A. Bezdek proved that this number is at most seventy five for any starlike disk. In this note, we prove that the Hadwiger number of a starlike disk is at most thirty five. Furthermore, we show that the Hadwiger number of a topological disk $J$ such that (\conv J) \setminus J is connected, is six or eight.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figure

On the perimeters of simple polygons contained in a disk

A simple $n$-gon is a polygon with $n$ edges with each vertex belonging to exactly two edges and every other point belonging to at most one edge. Brass asked the following question: For $n \geq 5$ odd, what is the maximum perimeter of a simple $n$-gon contained in a Euclidean unit disk? In 2009, Audet, Hansen and Messine answered this question, and showed that the optimal configuration is an isosceles triangle with a multiple edge, inscribed in the disk. In this note we give a shorter and simpler proof of their result, which we generalize also for hyperbolic disks, and for spherical disks of sufficiently small radii.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure

On the volume of the convex hull of two convex bodies

In this note we examine the volume of the convex hull of two congruent copies of a convex body in Euclidean $n$-space, under some subsets of the isometry group of the space. We prove inequalities for this volume if the two bodies are translates, or reflected copies of each other about a common point or a hyperplane containing it. In particular, we give a proof of a related conjecture of Rogers and Shephard.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Ellipsoid characterization theorems

In this note we prove two ellipsoid characterization theorems. The first one is that if K is a convex body in a normed space with unit ball M, and for any point p ∉ K and in any 2-dimensional plane P intersecting intK and containing p, there are two tangent segments of the same normed length from p to K, then K and M are homothetic ellipsoids. Furthermore, we show that if M is the unit ball of a strictly convex, smooth norm, and in this norm billiard angular bisectors coincide with Busemann angular bisectors or Glogovskij angular bisectors, then M is an ellipse

On the perimeters of simple polygons contained in a plane convex body

A simple n-gon is a polygon with n edges such that each vertex belongs to exactly two edges and every other point belongs to at most one edge. Brass, Moser and Pach asked the following question: For n > 3 odd, what is the maximum perimeter of a simple n-gon contained in a Euclidean unit disk? In 2009, Audet, Hansen and Messine answered this question, and showed that the supremum is the perimeter of an isosceles triangle inscribed in the disk, with an edge of multiplicity n-2. L\'angi generalized their result for polygons contained in a hyperbolic disk. In this note we find the supremum of the perimeters of simple n-gons contained in an arbitrary plane convex body in the Euclidean or in the hyperbolic plane.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure