Improved effective Łojasiewicz inequality and applications

Abstract: Let $\mathrm{R}$ be a real closed field. Given a closed and bounded semi-algebraic set $A \subset \mathrm{R}^n$ and semi-algebraic continuous functions $f,g:A \rightarrow \mathrm{R}$, such that $f^{-1}(0) \subset g^{-1}(0)$, there exist $N$ and $c \in \mathrm{R}$, such that the inequality ({\L}ojasiewicz inequality) $|g(x)|^N \le c \cdot |f(x)|$ holds for all $x \in A$. In this paper we consider the case when $A$ is defined by a quantifier-free formula with atoms of the form $P = 0, P >0, P \in \mathcal{P}$ for some finite subset of polynomials $\mathcal{P} \subset \mathrm{R}[X_1,\ldots,X_n]{\leq d}$, and the graphs of $f,g$ are also defined by quantifier-free formulas with atoms of the form $Q = 0, Q >0, Q \in \mathcal{Q}$, for some finite set $\mathcal{Q} \subset \mathrm{R}[X_1,\ldots,X_n,Y]{\leq d}$. We prove that the {\L}ojasiewicz exponent $N$ in this case is bounded by $(8 d)^{2(n+7)}$. Our bound depends on $d$ and $n$, but is independent of the combinatorial parameters, namely the cardinalities of $\mathcal{P}$ and $\mathcal{Q}$. As a consequence we improve the current best error bounds for polynomial systems under some conditions. Finally, as an abstraction of the notion of independence of the {\L}ojasiewicz exponent from the combinatorial parameters occurring in the descriptions of the given pair of functions, we prove a version of {\L}ojasiewicz inequality in polynomially bounded o-minimal structures. We prove the existence of a common {\L}ojasiewicz exponent for certain combinatorially defined infinite (but not necessarily definable) families of pairs of functions.