An Introduction To Convex Polytopes

An Introduction to Convex Polytopes

The aim of this book is to introduce the reader to the fascinating world of convex polytopes. The highlights of the book are three main theorems in the combinatorial theory of convex polytopes, known as the Dehn-Sommerville Relations, the Upper Bound Theorem and the Lower Bound Theorem. All the background information on convex sets and convex polytopes which is m~eded to under stand and appreciate these three theorems is developed in detail. This background material also forms a basis for studying other aspects of polytope theory. The Dehn-Sommerville Relations are classical, whereas the proofs of the Upper Bound Theorem and the Lower Bound Theorem are of more recent date: they were found in the early 1970's by P. McMullen and D. Barnette, respectively. A famous conjecture of P. McMullen on the charac terization off-vectors of simplicial or simple polytopes dates from the same period; the book ends with a brief discussion of this conjecture and some of its relations to the Dehn-Sommerville Relations, the Upper Bound Theorem and the Lower Bound Theorem. However, the recent proofs that McMullen's conditions are both sufficient (L. J. Billera and C. W. Lee, 1980) and necessary (R. P. Stanley, 1980) go beyond the scope of the book. Prerequisites for reading the book are modest: standard linear algebra and elementary point set topology in [R1d will suffice.

An Introduction to Convex Polytopes

Lectures on Polytopes

Based on a graduate course at the Technische Universität, Berlin, these lectures present a wealth of material on the modern theory of convex polytopes. The straightforward exposition features many illustrations, and complete proofs for most theorems. With only linear algebra as a prerequisite, it takes the reader quickly from the basics to topics of recent research. The lectures introduce basic facts about polytopes, with an emphasis on methods that yield the results, discuss important examples and elegant constructions, and show the excitement of current work in the field. They will provide interesting and enjoyable reading for researchers as well as students.