The Distance Function from a Real Algebraic Variety

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Ottaviani, Giorgio, Sodomaco, Luca
Format: Preprint
Published: 2018
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author Ottaviani, Giorgio
Sodomaco, Luca
author_facet Ottaviani, Giorgio
Sodomaco, Luca
contents For any (real) algebraic variety $X$ in a Euclidean space $V$ endowed with a nondegenerate quadratic form $q$, we introduce a polynomial $\mathrm{EDpoly}_{X,u}(t^2)$ which, for any $u\in V$, has among its roots the distance from $u$ to $X$. The degree of $\mathrm{EDpoly}_{X,u}$ is the {\em Euclidean Distance degree} of $X$. We prove a duality property when $X$ is a projective variety, namely $\mathrm{EDpoly}_{X,u}(t^2)=\mathrm{EDpoly}_{X^\vee,u}(q(u)-t^2)$ where $X^\vee$ is the dual variety of $X$. When $X$ is transversal to the isotropic quadric $Q$, we prove that the ED polynomial of $X$ is monic and the zero locus of its lower term is $X\cup(X^\vee\cap Q)^\vee$.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_1807_10390
institution arXiv
publishDate 2018
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Distance Function from a Real Algebraic Variety
Ottaviani, Giorgio
Sodomaco, Luca
Algebraic Geometry
14C17, 14N07, 14P05, 15A72, 58K05, 90C26
For any (real) algebraic variety $X$ in a Euclidean space $V$ endowed with a nondegenerate quadratic form $q$, we introduce a polynomial $\mathrm{EDpoly}_{X,u}(t^2)$ which, for any $u\in V$, has among its roots the distance from $u$ to $X$. The degree of $\mathrm{EDpoly}_{X,u}$ is the {\em Euclidean Distance degree} of $X$. We prove a duality property when $X$ is a projective variety, namely $\mathrm{EDpoly}_{X,u}(t^2)=\mathrm{EDpoly}_{X^\vee,u}(q(u)-t^2)$ where $X^\vee$ is the dual variety of $X$. When $X$ is transversal to the isotropic quadric $Q$, we prove that the ED polynomial of $X$ is monic and the zero locus of its lower term is $X\cup(X^\vee\cap Q)^\vee$.
title The Distance Function from a Real Algebraic Variety
topic Algebraic Geometry
14C17, 14N07, 14P05, 15A72, 58K05, 90C26
url https://arxiv.org/abs/1807.10390