Convex geometry · Unrefereed preprint

Equality in the Fradelizi–Paouris–Schütt second-moment inequality

Alec Kriebel · ORCID · Version 1.0.0 · 23 September 2026

The equality case for arbitrary convex bodies is exactly the one conjectured: a simplex with every vertex on the sphere.

Read the 4-page proofProof & verification packageZenodo upload kit

The complete equality class

Let K be a compact convex body with nonempty interior in ℝn, with n ≥ 1 and r > 0. Suppose every extreme point has Euclidean norm at least r. Write gK for its volume centroid and C2(K) for the average squared Euclidean norm of a point chosen uniformly from K.

C2(K) ≥ [r² + (n + 1) ‖gK‖²] / (n + 2)

Equality holds if and only if K is a nondegenerate simplex whose vertices all have norm r.

The inequality and the polytope equality case are due to Fradelizi, Paouris, and Schütt. This note proves the conjecture following their Theorem 1.1 for general convex bodies, also recorded in the 2009 Oberwolfach report, p. 2908 and catalogued as OWR-4136-011.

Why equality forces one simplex

  1. Partition the body. Add a dense finite or countable collection of extreme points one at a time. Triangulate each visible facet of the previous hull, then cone its simplices to the new point. The pieces have disjoint interiors, use only extreme-point vertices, and cover the body up to a set of volume zero.
  2. Keep the deficit exactly. It splits into two nonnegative quantities: the excess of the vertices' squared norms over r², and the variance of the simplices' centroids.
  3. Use disjoint interiors. Equality makes every simplex centroid equal to gK. A simplex contains its centroid in its interior, so two distinct pieces cannot share that centroid. Only one simplex remains.
Two simplex pieces have distinct interior centroidsA square is divided into two triangles by a diagonal. Each triangle's centroid is in its own interior, and the centroids are separated. This creates a positive variance contribution. c₁c₂ Two pieces → distinct centroidsDistinct centroids → positive deficitEquality leaves just one simplex.
The square illustrates strictness. For a convex body satisfying the theorem’s hypotheses, two fixed pieces retained in the partition give a positive lower bound that survives approximation.

Regularity is unnecessary. Even the nonregular triangle with vertices (1, 0), (0, 1), (−1, 0) attains the bound: its centroid is (0, ⅓) and its second moment is ⅓. For the weaker bound C2(K) ≥ r²/(n + 2), equality additionally requires centroid zero.

A short proof, with checkable support

The universal result follows from the written proof. The accompanying script independently integrates simplex polynomials and polygon boundary moments, then checks the finite deficit and shell identities using exact rational arithmetic.

python3 verification/verify.py

Extract the proof package and run this from its project folder. Python 3.9+ is sufficient; no packages or network are needed. 298 checks across 18 cases pass, including dimensions 1–6 and an auxiliary coplanar-facet test. These finite checks do not prove the infinite geometric argument.

MaterialPurpose
Paper · LaTeX sourceComplete theorem and proof, four pages
Second proof routeA fixed positive deficit through finite approximation
Verification report · Exact checkerProof obligations, finite checks, and their limits
Preprint review record · Round 1 · Round 2Fresh adversarial reviews and the final readiness assessment
Priority audit · Source matchPrimary-source comparison and dated search record
Complete proof packageManuscript, code, audit notes, licenses, and hashes
Zenodo kit · Upload instructionsPaper and supporting archive, ready for manual deposit
Zenodo metadata · ChecksumsReusable fields and file integrity

Status and attribution

Two additional fresh adversarial reviews, completed sequentially on 23 September 2026, found no actionable mathematical or preprint-presentation issues. The four-page paper and exact checker are unchanged. The review record includes the scope, both reports, and the disposition of optional suggestions.

Independent AI proof audits found no mathematical gap. A bounded literature search completed on 23 September 2026 found no earlier resolution, including in four citing papers identified through citation indexes. It does not certify global priority or exclude unpublished work.

This is an unrefereed, AI-assisted preprint, prepared with OpenAI Codex from prior AI-assisted work supplied by the author. The audits are not external human peer review or proof-assistant certification. FPS receive credit for the inequality, simplex identity, and polytope classification. The new conclusion is the equality classification for arbitrary convex bodies. The Zenodo kit has not been deposited; no DOI has been assigned.