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Gruber P. Convex and Discrete Geometry

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Mahler’s Inequality<br />

9 Symmetrization 177<br />

The following inequality of Mahler [679] is a useful tool for successive minima, see<br />

Theorem 23.2:<br />

Theorem 9.6. Let C ∈ Cp be o-symmetric. Then<br />

4 d<br />

d ! ≤ V (C)V (C∗ ).<br />

Proof. Since a non-singular linear transformation does not change the product<br />

V (C)V (C ∗ ), we may assume the following. The o-symmetric cross-polytope<br />

O ={x :|x1|+···+|xd| ≤1} is inscribed in C <strong>and</strong> has maximum volume among<br />

all such cross-polytopes. Since O has maximum volume, C is contained in the cube<br />

K ={x :|xi| ≤1}. Thus O ⊆ C ⊆ K . Polarity then yields K ∗ ⊆ C ∗ ⊆ O ∗ .Note<br />

that K ∗ = O. Hence<br />

(2 d ) 2<br />

(d !) 2 = V (O)2 = V (O)V (K ∗ ) ≤ V (C)V (C ∗ ),<br />

concluding the proof. ⊓⊔<br />

A much stronger version of this simple result was conjectured also by Mahler:<br />

Conjecture 9.1. Let C ∈ Cp be o-symmetric. Then<br />

4 d<br />

d ! ≤ V (C)V (C∗ ).<br />

Remark. It is plausible that the product V (C)V (C ∗ ) is minimum if C is the cube<br />

{x :|xi| ≤1}. Then C ∗ is the cross-polytope {x :|x1|+···+|xd| ≤1} <strong>and</strong> we<br />

have, V (C)V (C ∗ ) = 4 d /d !. This seems to have led Mahler to the above conjecture.<br />

Mahler proved it for d = 2. While the conjecture is open for d ≥ 3, substantial<br />

progress has been achieved by Bourgain <strong>and</strong> Milman [161] who proved that there is<br />

an absolute constant α such that<br />

α d<br />

d d ≤ V (C)V (C∗ ).<br />

A simple proof of a slightly weaker result is due to Kuperberg [622]. A refined<br />

version of the estimate of Bourgain <strong>and</strong> Milman was given by Kuperberg [624]. For<br />

special convex polytopes a proof of the conjecture is due to Lopez <strong>and</strong> Reisner [663].<br />

In [623] Kuperberg stated a conjecture related to Mahler’s conjecture. For more<br />

information we refer to Lindenstrauss <strong>and</strong> Milman [660].

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