Polar set
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also polar set (potential theory).
In functional analysis and related areas of mathematics the polar set of a given subset of a vector space is a certain set in the dual space.
Given a dual pair (X,Y) the polar set or polar of a subset A of X is a set A0 in Y defined as
The bipolar of a subset A of X is the polar of A0. It is denoted A00 and is a set in X.
[edit] Properties
- A0 is absolutely convex
- If then
- For all :
- For a dual pair (X,Y) A0 is closed in Y under the weak-*-topology on Y
- The bipolar A00 of a set A is the absolutely convex envelope of A, that is the smallest absolutely convex set containing A. If A is already absolutely convex then A00 = A.
[edit] Geometry
In geometry, the polar set may also refer to a duality between points and planes. In particular, the polar set of a point x0, given by the set of points x satisfying is its polar hyperplane, and the dual relationship for a hyperplane yields its pole.