Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: It is well-known that a random Steiner process converges almost surely to a Euclidean ball. On the other hand, as we show in this article, a planar random shaking process converges almost surely to a triangle (in the Banach-Mazur distance). Asking whether these phenomena are generic or exceptional, we study random iterations of an operation called $λ$-Steiner symmetrization, which includes Steiner symmetrization and shaking as special cases. We establish abstract criteria for almost sure convergence and divergence of such processes, obtaining criteria for many other symmetrization operations from convex geometry as a byproduct. Based on a joint characterization of ellipses and triangles, we give a full resolution to our question in the planar case.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Kipp, Christian, Sagmeister, Ádám
Language: English
Subfield: Applied Mathematics
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G7475654534, G984747431
OpenAlex ID: W7220661476