Recession cone
In mathematics, especially convex analysis, the recession cone of a set is a cone containing all vectors such that recedes in that direction. That is, the set extends outward in all the directions given by the recession cone.
Mathematical definition
Given a nonempty set for some vector space, then the recession cone is given byIf is additionally a convex set then the recession cone can equivalently be defined by
If is a nonempty closed convex set then the recession cone can equivalently be defined as
Properties
- If is a nonempty set then.
- If is a nonempty convex set then is a convex cone.
- If is a nonempty closed convex subset of a finite-dimensional Hausdorff space, then if and only if is bounded.
- If is a nonempty set then where the sum denotes Minkowski addition.
Relation to asymptotic cone
The asymptotic cone for is defined byBy the definition it can easily be shown that
In a finite-dimensional space, then it can be shown that if is nonempty, closed and convex. In infinite-dimensional spaces, then the relation between asymptotic cones and recession cones is more complicated, with properties for their equivalence summarized in.
Sum of closed sets
- Dieudonné's theorem: Let nonempty closed convex sets a locally convex space, if either or is locally compact and is a linear subspace, then is closed.
- Let nonempty closed convex sets such that for any then, then is closed.