All Questions
1,357 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
11
votes
0
answers
292
views
Elkies points in the plane of a triangle $ABC$
Noam Elkies proved that if $x,y,z$ are positive numbers, then there is a unique point $P$ inside $ABC$ such that the inradii $r_a,r_b,r_c$ of the triangles $BPC, CPA, APB,$ respectively, satisfy
$$ ...
- 3,443
11
votes
0
answers
216
views
Electrons on a pancake ellipsoid
The problems of minimizing the potential energy of electrons
on a sphere, or maximizing the smallest distance between the electrons,
have been well-studied.
E.g., see the
earlier MO question
"...
- 151k
11
votes
0
answers
352
views
Right-angled polytopes
%This question is motivated by the little discussion here at the bottom.
The following thing are known about hyperbolic right-angled polytopes:
Compact hyperbolic right-angled polytopes do not exist ...
- 1,268
11
votes
0
answers
734
views
Uniquely geodesic groups
Definition : A group is CAT(0) if it acts properly, cocompactly and isometrically on a CAT(0) space.
Examples : see this blog.
Remark : A CAT(0) space is uniquely geodesic, but the converse is false (...
11
votes
0
answers
237
views
When is a submersion locally volume-expanding?
I would like to characterize the smooth maps $\varphi: \mathbb{R}^n \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^k$, $n\geq k$, with the following property:
For every $x\in \mathbb{R}^n$ there exists a positive number $...
11
votes
0
answers
601
views
High-dimensional geometry: Top-down Vs. Bottom-up
There are several ways to leverage one's intuition from low-dimensional geometry to understand high-dimensional phenomena. For example, one can get a clearer picture of the behaviour of high-...
- 1,666
10
votes
0
answers
160
views
Spanning curves by flat surfaces
Given a smooth closed connected curve $\gamma$ in $\mathbb R^3$, is there an immersed surface $S$ with boundary, such that its Gaussian curvature is equal to zero and $\partial S=\gamma$?
- 2,934
10
votes
0
answers
177
views
Minimum reflection paths in a mirror polygon
Let $P$ be a simple, orthogonal polygon of $n$ edges, i.e., one whose edges meet at right angles,
and is non-self-intersecting;
also known as a rectilinear polygon.
Treat every edge of $P$ as a ...
- 151k
10
votes
0
answers
924
views
Are aperiodic monotiles generalizable to higher dimensions?
This question is motivated by a recently released paper written by David Smith, Joseph Samuel Myers, Craig S. Kaplan, and Chaim Goodman-Strauss. It constructs the first topological disk that tiles the ...
- 377
10
votes
0
answers
199
views
Do cut-length-minimizing equidissections exist?
Suppose $A,B$ are polygons of equal area. By the Wallace-Bolyai-Gerwien theorem, $A$ and $B$ are equidissectable: we can make finitely many straight-line cuts in $A$ and rearrange the resulting pieces ...
- 21.2k
10
votes
0
answers
533
views
Kissing the Monster, or $196,560$ vs. $196,883$
The $D = 24$ kissing number is $196,560$, and the dimension of the smallest non-trivial complex representation of the Monster group is $196,883$. These two numbers are nearly but not quite equal, and ...
- 209
10
votes
0
answers
192
views
Metrization of projective manifolds
A modern take on Hilbert's fourth problem could be as follows:
Given a manifold $M$ with a flat projective structure (i.e., a $(PGL(n+1),\mathbb{RP}^n)$-structure), find all metrics for which the ...
- 13.5k
10
votes
0
answers
802
views
Topological dimension, Hausdorff dimension, and Lipschitz mappings
I can prove the following result. Here $\operatorname{dim} X$ stands for the topological dimension and $\mathcal{H}^n$ denotes the Hausdorff measure.
Theorem. Suppose that $f:\mathbb{R}^n\supset\...
- 28k
10
votes
0
answers
223
views
Does a rank 1 CAT(0) space with a proper cocompact group action contain a zero width axis?
A geodesic in a proper CAT(0) space is said to be rank 1 if it does not bound a flat half-plane and zero-width if it does not bound a flat strip of any width.
Let $X$ be a geodesically complete CAT(0) ...
- 2,964
10
votes
0
answers
494
views
A lattice with Monster group symmetries
The book Mathematical Evolutions contains the following excerpt:
A last, famous, example is the following. It is known that in the space
of one hundred and ninety six thousand eight hundred and ...
- 12.4k
10
votes
0
answers
415
views
Lipschitz homotopy groups
There is an extensive literature on Lipschitz homotopies of Lipschitz maps. But I haven't seen anything about Lipschitz homotopy groups. We have introduced this notion in an article that you can find
...
- 28k
10
votes
0
answers
441
views
A new $\ell_p$-metric on the hyperspace of finite sets?
Let $(X,d)$ be a metric space and $Fin(X)$ be the family of all non-empty finite subsets of $X$. For every $n\in\mathbb N$ the elements of the power $X^n$ are thought as functions $f:n\to X$ where $n:=...
- 41.8k
10
votes
0
answers
722
views
Fractional Matching version of Hall's Marriage theorem
Let $G=(S,T,E)$ be a bipartite graph, $|S|=|T|$. Then the following are equivalent:
1) there exist a perfect matching in $G$;
2) there exist non-negative weights on edges such that the sum of ...
- 109k
10
votes
0
answers
184
views
Boomerangs in Polya's orchard
Polya's orchard problem asks for what radius $r$ of trees
at each lattice point within a distance $R$
of the origin block all lines of sight to the exterior of the orchard.
The answer is known; $r$ ...
- 151k
10
votes
0
answers
342
views
Bang's open question strengthening Tarski's planks problem
Tarski's Planks problem,
solved by Thøger Bang in 1951, says (in a simplified $\mathbb{R}^2$ version) that it requires
"planks" (parallel strips) of total width $\ge d$ in order to completely cover
a ...
- 151k
10
votes
0
answers
365
views
diameter as a Morse function
Consider the space $X_1$ of closed subsets not containing a pair of antipodal points of the unit circle. Here we have a kind of degenerate Morse function, defined by the diameter of the pointset. ...
- 16.6k
10
votes
0
answers
339
views
Surfaces with many (but not solely) closed geodesics?
Let $S$ be a closed surface embedded in $\mathbb{R}^3$,
let's say of genus zero.
I seek examples of $S$ with the following property:
If one selects a random any point $p$ on $S$, and a random
...
- 151k
10
votes
0
answers
333
views
Bi-spherical polyhedra
Bicentric polygons have been studied: a polygon all of whose vertices lie on its
circumcirle, and whose incircle is tangent to every edge:
I have not been able to find a comparable literature ...
- 151k
10
votes
0
answers
493
views
Rectangology and squareology
I thought that rectangles were simple, and squares even simpler. Until my research has led me to several questions about rectangles and squares, which I can't solve.
I started by posting this question ...
- 3,549
10
votes
0
answers
387
views
Is it overkill to invoke Kirszbraun theorem to prove the following fact ?
Given a small enough convex triangle $(abc)$ in a (smooth or Alexandrov) surface $(X,d)$ of curvature greater than $-1$, let $(\overline{abc})$ be its comparison triangle in $\mathbb{H}^2$. Then there ...
- 4,123
10
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Interpolating points with minimum curvature constraint
I have $n$ points $p_i$ strictly interior to a rectangle $R$,
and I would like to connect them with a curve $C$ whose curvature is as low as possible.
Let $\kappa_\max(C)$ be the sharpest (largest ...
- 151k
10
votes
0
answers
458
views
is a group $G$, that admits finite $k(G, 1)$ and has no Baumslag-Solitar subgroups, necessarily hyperbolic?
This is the first question asked in Bestvina's article "Questions in Geometric Group Theory". Does anyone know if there has been any progress made on this problem? Is the question answered if $G$ is ...
- 101
10
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Dissecting trapezoids into triangles of equal area
[Lightly edited for copy and proper formatting of mathematics. -- Pete L. Clark]
The Background: Let $T$ be a trapezoid. Sherman Stein, using valuation theory, showed that if $T$ is dissectible into ...
- 5,422
9
votes
0
answers
143
views
Which polytopes have compact realization spaces?
Let $P\subset\Bbb R^d$ be a convex polytope.
Its reduced realization space is the space of all combinatorially equivalent polytopes modulo projective transformations.
I am interested in polytopes for ...
- 13.6k
9
votes
0
answers
240
views
Does there exist such a probability distribution?
Does there exist a probability distribution over the set $\{(x,y,z)\in[0,1]^3\colon x+y+z=3/2\}$ whose projection on each of the three coordinate axes is the uniform distribution over the interval $[0,...
- 128k
9
votes
0
answers
205
views
Placing triangles around a central triangle: Optimal Strategy?
This question has gone for a while without an answer on MSE (despite a bounty that came and went) so I am now cross-posting it here, on MO, in the hope that someone may have an idea about how to ...
- 7,831
9
votes
0
answers
186
views
Cubing the cube - as 'perfectly' as possible
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squaring_the_square
A perfect cubing of a cube is a partition of the cube into some finite number of smaller cubes that are pair-wise non-congruent. The above page ...
- 5,979
9
votes
0
answers
251
views
Existence of $1$-separated and $(1-\varepsilon)$-dense set in metric spaces
Is it know which metric spaces $M$ do have the following property: there is $\varepsilon>0$ and a maximal $1$-separated set which is $(1-\varepsilon)$-dense?
In other words, when does at set $S\...
- 799
9
votes
0
answers
370
views
Embedding a graph into Euclidean space
I want to find a map $v\mapsto \tilde v$ from the vertex set of a connected infinite graph $\Gamma$ to a Euclidean space that meets the following two conditions:
there is $\varepsilon>0$ such that ...
- 45k
9
votes
1
answer
429
views
Perturbing metrics with nonpositive curvature
Let $M$ be a compact $3$-dimensional manifold diffeomorphic to a ball. Suppose that $M$ has nonpositive (sectional) curvature and its boundary $\partial M$ is convex, or even that $M$ is a Riemannian ...
- 7,149
9
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Weak compactness in $\mathcal{F}(X)$
Let $(X,0)$ be a pointed metric space and let $\mathcal{F}(X)$ be the natural predual of ${\rm Lip}_0(X)$, the space of Lipschitz functions on $X$ that map $0$ to $0$; here $\mathcal{F}(X)$ is really ...
- 11.3k
9
votes
0
answers
336
views
Nash embedding for 3 manifolds
The Nash embedding theorem tells us that every smooth Riemannian m-manifold can be embedded in $R^n$ for, say, $n = m^2 + 5m + 3$ (edit: 14 is a better bound for compact 3 manifolds thanks @mme). What ...
- 4,081
9
votes
0
answers
137
views
A self-isometry of the sphere of a strictly convex Banach space that does not move basic vectors
Problem. Let $n\in\mathbb N$, $X$ be a strictly convex $n$-dimensional real Banach space, $S_X=\{x\in X:\|x\|=1\}$ be the unit sphere of $X$, and $e_1,\dots,e_n\in S_X$ be linearly independent points. ...
- 41.8k
9
votes
0
answers
256
views
Compass and straightedge construction of Poncelet polygons
Gauss–Wantzel theorem states that
A regular n-gon is constructible with straightedge and compass if and only if $n = 2^kp_1p_2...p_t$, where $p_i$'s are distinct Fermat primes (A Fermat prime is a ...
- 691
9
votes
0
answers
910
views
A new theorem (discovered in 2013) equivalent to Brianchon theorem (the old theorem) discovered in XIX century?
In 2013, I found a new problem as follows: Let six points $A_1$, $A_2$, ...$A_6$ lie on a circle $(O_1)$, and the six points $B_1$, $B_2$,...,$B_6$ lie on another circle $(O_2)$. If the quadruples $...
- 1,776
9
votes
0
answers
489
views
Category of metric spaces
Is there a standard/good reference text that does category of metric spaces?
Say, it seems that by looking at this category one can recover everything about particular metric space up to scaling --- ...
- 45k
9
votes
0
answers
100
views
A characterization of root systems via their intersections with halfspaces
In a recent preprint I obtained a nice characterization of root systems as a side product.
I can imagine that this was known before, and that a source for this statement can shorten the proof of my ...
- 13.6k
9
votes
0
answers
212
views
A geometric characterization of quasicircles
I'm reading an article by complex analysists.
A Jordan curve $J$ in the extended complex plane $\hat{\mathbb{C}}=\mathbb{C} \cup \{\infty\}$ is called a quasicircle if there is a quasiconformal map ...
- 721
9
votes
0
answers
365
views
How to count integer lattice points close to a subspace of $\mathbb R^n$?
Consider $m$ linearly independent vectors in $n$-dimensional Euclidean space, $v_1,...,v_m \in \mathbb R^n$ where $1\leq m<n$, and let $U := {\rm span}(v_1,...,v_m)$ denote the $m$-dimensional ...
- 686
9
votes
0
answers
237
views
Herding sheep in a polygon
Imagine sheep fill a simple (simply connected) polygon $P$, except
at one vertex $x$ there is no sheep.
One convex vertex $g$ of $P$ is a gate through which the sheep should pass.
A herding dog sits ...
- 151k
9
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Existence of barycenter
Let $(X,d)$ be a metric space. A barycenter of a Borel probability measure $\mu$ on $X$ is a minimizer of the function
\begin{equation}
\begin{split}
f \colon X & \to \mathbb{R}\\
x &\mapsto \...
- 1,337
9
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Maximum volume cross-section of a hypercube
This is surely well known, but:
Q1. What is the $(d{-}1)$-dimensional polytope
that realizes the maximum volume cross-section of a unit hypercube
by a $(d{-}1)$-dimensional hyperplane?
...
- 151k
9
votes
0
answers
172
views
Characterizing the norms on $\mathbb{R}^3$ coming from Platonic solids
Recall that any sufficiently nice compact centrally symmetric convex body in $B \subset \mathbb{R}^3$ gives rise to a Banach norm on $\mathbb{R}^3$ which has $B$ as its unit ball.
Is there a nice ...
- 647
9
votes
0
answers
368
views
Periodic orbits of a spinning ball in a square
Periodic orbits of a billiard ball bouncing in a square have been well-studied.
I am seeking similar analysis of what is sometimes called a rough ball, one
whose high friction causes it to pick up ...
- 151k
9
votes
0
answers
331
views
Is the connected sum of knots an isometry?
Take $X$ as the set of knots in the 3-sphere (i.e. smooth embeddings of $S^1$ in $S^3$ up to smooth isotopy), endowed with the Gordian distance $d$.
For a fixed knot $K$ we can define the map $\...
- 91