For an $N$-step self-avoiding walk on the hypercubic lattice ${\bf Z}^d$, we prove that the mean-square end-to-end distance is at least $N^{4/(3d)}$ times a constant. This implies that the associated critical exponent $\nu$ is at least $2/(3d)$, assuming that $\nu$ exists.

For a given convex body $K$ in ${\mathbb R}^d$, a random polytope $K^{(n)}$ is defined (essentially) as the intersection of $n$ independent closed halfspaces containing $K$ and having an isotropic and (in a specified sense) uniform distribution. We prove upper and lower bounds of optimal orders for the difference of the mean widths of $K^{(n)}$ and $K$ as $n$ tends to infinity. For a simplicial polytope $P$, a precise asymptotic formula for the difference of the mean widths of $P^{(n)}$ and $P$ is obtained.