Abstract:
We prove a conjecture made by the first named author: Given an nn-body central configuration X0X0 in the euclidean space EE of dimension 2p2p, let ImFImF be the set of decreasing real pp-tuples (ν1,ν2,⋯,νp)(ν1,ν2,⋯,νp) such that {±iν1,±iν2,⋯,±iνp}{±iν1,±iν2,⋯,±iνp} is the spectrum of the angular momentum of some (periodic) relative equilibrium motion of X0X0 in EE. Then ImFImF is a convex polytope. The proof consists in showing that there exist two, generically (p−1)(p−1)-dimensional, convex polytopes P1P1 and P2P2 in Rp such that P1⊂ImF⊂P2 and that these two polytopes coincide.
P1, introduced earlier in a paper by the first author, is the set of spectra corresponding to the hermitian structures J on E which are “adapted” to the symmetries of the inertia matrix S0; it is associated with Horn's problem for the sum of p×p real symmetric matrices with spectra σ− and σ+ whose union is the spectrum of S0.
P2 is the orthogonal projection onto the set of "hermitian spectra" of the polytope P associated with Horn's problem for the sum of 2p×2p real symmetric matrices having each the same spectrum as S0.
The equality P1=P2 follows directly from a deep combinatorial lemma by S. Fomin, W. Fulton, C. K. Li, and Y. T. Poon, which characterizes those of the sums of two 2p×2p real symmetric matrices with the same spectrum which are hermitian for some hermitian structure.
Key words and phrases:n-body problem, relative equilibrium, angular momentum, Horn's problem.