On the volume of convolution bodies in the plane

Abstract

For every convex body $K \subset \mathbb R^n$ and $\delta \in (0,1)$, the $\delta$-convolution body of $K$ is the set of $x \in \mathbb R^n$ for which $\left|K \cap (K+x)\right|_n \geq \delta \left|K\right|_n$. We show that for $n=2$ and any $\delta \in (0,1)$, ellipsoids do not maximize the volume of the $\delta$-convolution body of $K$, when $K$ runs over all convex bodies of a fixed volume. This behavior is somehow unexpected and contradicts the limit case $\delta \to 1^-$, which is governed by the Petty projection inequality.