110 CHAPTER 3

and convex hulls

between extreme points
extreme point. The connection
two theorems.
clear in the following
for some sets is made

A convex polygonal region

S is the convex
THEOREM 3.16.

hull K of its extreme points.

Since each pair of extreme

The extreme points are the vertices.
belongs to K.
to K, each edge ofS joiningextreme points
points belongs in two
intersects the boundary
through an interior point of S
Any line convex set
points belonging to K. Then
Sc
K. Since K is the smallest

K S and therefore S
c K.
containing the vertices,

number of points in
3.17.The convex hull of a
finite
THEOREM hulls for a
of convex
a plane a convex polygonal region. Bxamples
is
in Figure 3.38.
in a plane are shown
finite number of points

FIGURE 3.38

Let K be the convex of the set of points S

hull
(P,.,P) =
a line segment
lying in a plane. If
K is one dimensional, then K is
that may be considered
a special case of a convex polygonal region. is a
bounded and the boundary
IIK is two dimensional, it is
a typical figure (Figure
3.39)to help with the
simple closed curve T. Use

P
FIGURE 3.39
 CONVEXITY 111

notation. Let U be the intersection of the inite number of supporting

hall-planes of S whose boundaries contain at least two points of Ss. For
Cxample, P, P; and P,P, determine supporting halfplanes,
whereas
P, P,and P, P;do not.
Since U is convex and S c then KcU. The
U, rest of the
proof involves showing that U c K.
Suppose, as in Figure 3.40, that A ¢ K and that is the point B
of K at aminimum distance from A. The line
perpendicular to AB is a
supporting line of K at B.

K B A

FIGURE 3.40

At least one point, say P,. of

could be located parallel to
subset of
and
K on one side of r that would
l,
S
there would
must lie on ; otherwise
be a convex proper
contain S, contrary to the
definition of K as the convex hul.

Now think of line being rotated about P. as in Figure 3.41,

FIGURE 3.41

keeping point A in the same hall-plane until a

sccond point P, of S
iscontained in l. The half-plane opposite
point A will then be one of the
ESupporting half-planes of U. This
means that 4, which is not in K, is
iot in U. The conclusion is
that K is a subset of U and,
finally, that
112 CHAPTER 3

K=U.The boundary of K consists of the union of line segments,

so that Ka convex polygonal region.
is

The idea of a convex cover can be used in yet another test to

determine whether or not a sinple closed curve is the boundary of a
convex sct.

THEOREM 3.18.Let S be an arbitrary finite set of points on a

simple closed curve T. T is the boundary of a convex set K if and only
if no point of S is an interior point of the convex cover K' of S for all

such sets S.

Figure 3.42 heips to make clear the meaning of this theorem.

For the convex set in Figure 3.42a, the convex hul of any finite number

(a) (b)

FIGURE 3.42

of B, C, D, does not contain any other points on the

points,such as
boundary. For Figure 3.42, however, the convex hull for EGHI contains
boundary point F.

Proof:
a. If T bounds a convex set K, then, by definition of convex
hull,K' s K. Therelore, allinteriorpoints of K' are also interiorpoints of
K.
b. The proof of the converse consists of showing that if K is

not convex, then some member of S is an interiorpoint of the convex hull

of S (Exercise 5, Exercise Set 3.5).

The concept of convex hull is casily extended to sets in th ree

dimensions. A convex polyhedral solid is the convex hull of its extreme