A geometric proof of the colored Tverberg theorem

TL;DR

This paper provides a geometric proof of the colored Tverberg theorem, replacing complex topological methods with more intuitive geometric arguments to make the proof more accessible.

Contribution

It offers a new geometric proof of the colored Tverberg theorem, avoiding topological techniques and enhancing understanding.

Findings

Geometric proof replaces topological methods

Proof is more concrete and intuitive

Accessible to a broader audience

Abstract

The colored Tverberg theorem asserts that for every d and r there exists t=t(d,r) such that for every set C in R^d of cardinality (d+1)t, partitioned into t-point subsets C_1,C_2,...,C_{d+1} (which we think of as color classes; e.g., the points of C_1 are red, the points of C_2 blue, etc.), there exist r disjoint sets R_1,R_2,...,R_r \subseteq C that are "rainbow", meaning that |R_i \cap C_j| < 2 for every i,j, and whose convex hulls all have a common point. All known proofs of this theorem are topological. We present a geometric version of a recent beautiful proof by Blagojevi\'c, Matschke, and Ziegler, avoiding a direct use of topological methods. The purpose of this de-topologization is to make the proof more concrete and intuitive, and accessible to a wider audience.