A convex combinatorial property of compact sets in the plane and its roots in lattice theory

Abstract

K. Adaricheva and M. Bolat have recently proved that if $,mathcal U_0$ and $,mathcal U_1$ are circles in a triangle with vertices $A_0,A_1,A_2$, then there exist $jin {0,1,2}$ and $kin{0,1}$ such that $,mathcal U_{1-k}$ is included in the convex hull of $,mathcal U_kcup({A_0,A_1, A_2}setminus{A_j})$. One could say disks instead of circles.Here we prove the existence of such a $j$ and $k$ for the more general case where $,mathcal U_0$ and $,mathcal U_1$ are compact sets in the plane such that $,mathcal U_1$ is obtained from $,mathcal U_0$ by a positive homothety or by a translation. Also, we give a short survey to show how lattice theoretical antecedents, including a series of papers on planar semimodular lattices by G. Gratzer and E. Knapp, lead to our result.