All Questions
Tagged with mg.metric-geometry discrete-geometry
671 questions
5
votes
1
answer
547
views
Cover of a n-simplex with balls
Consider a n-simplex. For each edge (i,j), consider a n-ball, such that vertices i and j are antipodal on this ball. Is the simplex covered by the union of these balls? Thank you.
- 195
22
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Non-chaotic bouncing-ball curves
I was surprised to learn from two
Mathematica Demos by
Enrique Zeleny that an elastic ball bouncing in a V or in a sinusoidal channel
exhibits chaotic behavior:
(The Poincaré map ...
- 151k
15
votes
1
answer
640
views
Smallest regular simplex containing the unit cube in $R^n$
What is the length $e_n$ of the edge of the smallest $n$-dimensional regular simplex $S_n$ containing the $n$-dimensional unit cube $Q_n$?
In particular, is there $n$ such that $e_n<\sqrt{2}(n+1-\...
- 6,101
12
votes
7
answers
683
views
Can a tangle of arcs of ellipses interlock
This is a variation on an earlier question resolved by user35353: Can a tangle of arcs interlock? In that question, the arcs were restricted to circular arcs, and user35353's proof that one arc can be ...
- 151k
14
votes
3
answers
966
views
Can a tangle of arcs interlock?
Can a (finite) collection of disjoint circle arcs in $\mathbb{R}^3$ be interlocked in the sense in that they cannot be separated, i.e. each moved arbitrarily far from one another while remaining ...
- 151k
4
votes
2
answers
287
views
Problems similar to Borsuk’s Theorem in the plane
Consider a 2-dimensional Borsuk's theorem:
Every bounded set $S$ in the plane can be partitioned into three parts with diameter smaller than the diameter of $S$.
I wonder if there are any results ...
- 181
10
votes
2
answers
326
views
Do maximal polyhedra have algebraic volume?
Is it possible to prove that for every $n > 3$ the maximal possible volume of a convex polyhedron having $n$ vertices inscribed in a sphere of unit radius is an algebraic number?
Update: What can ...
- 6,819
5
votes
2
answers
563
views
Covering convex polygons with inscribed disks
The following problem came up when discussing mapping software (e.g., Google maps) with computer scientists. By $B(c,r)$ I mean the planar disk (open or closed, it doesn't matter) of radius $r$ around ...
- 15.5k
4
votes
0
answers
173
views
On understanding Discrete-Valued Stochastic Processes( time series, panel data )
It seems to me that a significant proportion of work in probability theory, statistics and machine learning are on understanding continuous-valued, relatively weakly dependent, or linear dependent ...
- 41
5
votes
1
answer
383
views
cover and hide with squares
I am studying two numbers, related to squares, that can characterize a polygon P:
MinCoverNumber = the minimum number of axis-aligned squares required to exactly cover P (the covering squares may ...
- 3,549
9
votes
1
answer
484
views
Which values can attain the minimum solid angle in a simplex
Given a simplex $S$ with a vertex $v$ by the solid angle at this vertex I mean the value $\hbox{vol}(B \cap S)/\hbox{vol}(B)$ where $B$ is a small enough ball centered at $v$ (for example, in the ...
- 976
6
votes
1
answer
276
views
Matching on sphere to create cycle with chords
Imagine a number of chords of a sphere $S$ which nearly, but not quite, pass through
the center of $S$, in such a way that no pair of chords intersect:
I would like to ...
- 151k
4
votes
1
answer
184
views
What are interesting 3-colorings of the plane without rainbow lines?
This question is about 3-colorings of the plane in which every line is bichromatic (or monochromatic), i.e., there are no three collinear points of different colors. Such colorings trivially exist, ...
- 18.9k
3
votes
1
answer
292
views
Existence of Simple Closed Straightest Geodesics
There are at least three distinct simple closed quasigeodesics on convex polyhedra [Mat. Sb. (N.S.), 1949, 25(67) :2, 275–306 Quasi-geodesic lines on a convex surface Pogorelov].
Is the same true ...
- 133
1
vote
1
answer
226
views
Construction of an integral point set given the set of distances, its minimal description to get a measure of its complexity and its unique identifier
Given a set of distances between every pair of points of an integral point set $P$ of $n$ points; say $D = \{{d_i}\}$.
Q1. What is the least time complexity
possible/known for recreating the
...
- 851
13
votes
3
answers
835
views
What fraction of n-point sets in the unit ball have diameter smaller than 1?
This question is inspired by a recent talk by Matt Kahle on random geometric complexes.
Some simple notation: let $\mathcal{B} \subset \mathbb{R}^d$ be the unit ball in $d$-dimensional Euclidean ...
- 15.5k
2
votes
1
answer
115
views
Covering the annulus of d-cube
Given a convex body $C\subset R^d$ and a positive real $\lambda$, any set of the form $\lambda C + x = \{ \lambda c+x \mid c\in C \}$, for some $x\in R^d$, is called a homothetic copy of $C$. The ...
- 285
4
votes
1
answer
203
views
Covering a convex body with its smaller homothetic copies
Given a convex body $C\subset R^d$ and a positive real $\lambda$, any set of the form $\lambda C + x = \{ \lambda c + x \mid c\in C \}$ for some $x\in R^d$ is called a homothetic copy of $C$. The ...
- 285
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Consecutive Integer Squared Square
Is it possible to construct a squared square out of consecutive integer squares?
Be it 1,2,3,...n or k,k+1,k+2,...n.
- 61
49
votes
5
answers
3k
views
If a unitsquare is partitioned into 101 triangles, is the area of one at least 1%?
Update: The answer to the title question is no, as pointed out by Tapio and Willie. I would be more interested in lower bounds.
Monsky's famous theorem with amazingly tricky proof says that if we ...
- 18.9k
1
vote
1
answer
176
views
Helly's number from biconvex functions
Helly's Theorem states the following. Suppose $X_1,X_2,...,X_N$ are convex sets in $\mathbb{R}^d$, such that for any index-set $I$ with $|I| \leq h(d) := d+1$, we have $\bigcap_{i \in I} X_i \neq \...
- 135
1
vote
0
answers
57
views
Covering the annulus of symmetric convex body
Consider a symmetric convex body $A$ in $\mathbb{R}^d$. Now, we draw another object, $A'$, concentric and translated with respect to $A$ and having radius slightly greater than twice to the radius of ...
- 285
5
votes
0
answers
1k
views
N-balls covering n-balls
This question is a follow-on question from:
Covering a unit ball with balls half the radius
The questions are these:
Given an arbitrary dimension d, and a unit n-ball in d-dimensional Euclidean ...
- 151
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
2
votes
1
answer
171
views
Helly's Theorem for Biconvex Sets
Helly's Theorem states the following. Suppose that $X_1,X_2,...,X_N$ are convex sets in $\mathbb{R}^d$, such that for any index-set $I$ with $|I| \leq h(d) := d+1$, we have $\bigcap_{i \in I} X_i \neq ...
- 135
4
votes
1
answer
367
views
convex polyhedron in the unit cube
Let $P$ be a given finite set of points within the $n$-dimensional unit cube. A finite set $Q$ of points within the $n$-dimensional unit cube covers $P$ if $\operatorname{conv}(Q) \supseteq P$ where $\...
- 165
4
votes
1
answer
323
views
Blowing up spheres in a face centered cubic (fcc) packing geometry just enough to cover the volume of the lattice
Imagine I have an infinite lattice of spheres packed in a face centered cubic (fcc) lattice geometry which has the basis: $((-1, -1, 0), (1, -1, 0), (0, 1, -1))$. Here, provided that sphere-sphere ...
- 41
11
votes
1
answer
424
views
Needle probing for a convex body
Suppose there is an unknown closed convex body $K$ of
volume vol$(K) = V$ inside the
unit cube $[-\frac{1}{2}, \frac{1}{2}]^d$ in $\mathbb{R}^d$.
You are permitted to probe with a (one-dimensional)
...
- 151k
16
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Integer lattice points on a hypersphere
Is the following statement true?
For every integer $n\ge2$ and every integer $k\ge0$ there exists a hypersphere in $\mathbb{R}^n$ (circle, sphere etc) containing exactly $k$ integer lattice points ...
- 513
9
votes
1
answer
665
views
Question about tetrahedron decomposition
Are there tetrahedra which can be subdivided into three non-overlapping parts similar to the original? I believe this would require splitting one face into three parts. I know some types of tetrahedra ...
- 93
3
votes
1
answer
201
views
Simplex with edges of length at least s having smallest circumradius
Is it true that of all $n$-simplices with edge lengths greater than or equal to some parameter $s$, the regular simplex with edge lengths $s$ has the smallest circumradius? It seems obvious, but I ...
- 185
10
votes
1
answer
535
views
Maximum number of Vertices of Hypercube covered by Ball of radius R
Let $R>0$ be given and let $H^n$ be the unit hypercube in $\mathbb{R}^n$. The problem I am facing is to find the maximum number of vertices of $H^n$ which can be covered by a closed $n$-dimensional ...
- 185
25
votes
3
answers
994
views
Does every convex polyhedron have a combinatorially isomorphic counterpart whose faces all have rational areas?
Does every convex polyhedron have a combinatorially isomorphic counterpart whose faces all have rational areas?
Does every convex polyhedron have a combinatorially isomorphic counterpart whose edges ...
- 513
32
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Can every $\mathbb{Z}^2$ disk be pinball-reached?
Let every point of $\mathbb{Z}^2$ be surrounded by a mirrored disk of radius $r < \frac{1}{2}$,
except leave the origin $(0,0)$ unoccupied by a disk.
Q. Is it the case that every disk can be hit ...
- 151k
6
votes
2
answers
217
views
Untangling entwined rigid chains in 3-space
I am interested in exploring the degree of "tangledness"
of two rigid chains in space.
A polygonal chain is a simple (non-self-intersecting) path
of segments in
$\mathbb{R}^3$, viewed as a rigid body. ...
- 151k
4
votes
1
answer
323
views
What properties does generalized Delaunay triangulation have?
Suppose that instead of the usual circle, we pick some other convex set D and make the Delaunay triangulation of a finite planar point set with respect to this set, i.e. connect two points if there is ...
- 18.9k
17
votes
0
answers
731
views
Does every connected set that is not a line segment cross some dyadic square?
A dyadic square is a subset of $R^2$ of the form $x + 2^{-n} [0,1]^2$ with $x \in 2^{-m} Z^2$, for integers $m,n \geq 0$. We say that a set $A$ crosses a square $S$ if there exists a connected subset ...
- 171
35
votes
3
answers
2k
views
The kissing number of a square, cube, hypercube?
How many nonoverlapping unit squares can (nonoverlappingly) touch one unit square?
By "nonoverlapping" I mean: not sharing an interior point.
By "touch" I mean: sharing a boundary point.
&...
- 151k
2
votes
2
answers
345
views
packing disks tightly in the plane
Given a discrete point set $S$ in ${\bf R}^2$ with a specified base-point $p_0 \in S$, label the remaining points as $p_1, p_2, \dots$ in order of increasing distance from $p_0$ (with ties resolved ...
- 19.7k
2
votes
2
answers
255
views
What is the smallest number of subsets in such a subdivision?
Given any $30$ points in the plane, what is the smallest number of
subsets in a subdivision of the set of $30$ points into subsets such
that all the points in each subset are on the boundary of the ...
- 21
8
votes
1
answer
591
views
Polyhedra that combinatorially shadow a sequence
Let $P$ be a polyhedron in $\mathbb{R}^3$.
Say that $P$ combinatorially shadows a sequence of natural numbers $S$ if
there is a continuous rotation of $P$ such that its orthogonal-projection
shadows ...
- 151k
0
votes
1
answer
229
views
Is this bounded?
May be better to ask for help here. Let $v_{1}$, $v_{2}$, $\ldots$, $v_{m}$ be the vertices of a
convex polygon in the plane and $v_{m+1}$ be a vertex in the interior
of the convex polygon. Connect ...
- 1
9
votes
3
answers
525
views
Mutually tangent ellipsoids in 3 space
I recently heard a claim that for any n, it is possible to arrange n ellipsoids in 3 space such that each pair of ellipsoids is kissing. Is this true, and if so, how?
Edit: By kissing, I mean that I ...
- 1,601
17
votes
1
answer
458
views
The sparsest planar net that captures every unit segment
Let $\cal C = \lbrace C_i \rbrace$ be a collection
of rectifiable curves in the plane with the property that
every unit-length segment meets at least one curve
in at least one point.
Call such a ...
- 151k
14
votes
1
answer
819
views
The geometry of crinkled aluminum foil
I wonder if the geometry of crinkled aluminum foil has been studied?
The above is a photo of foil I flattened to reuse.
It might be ...
- 151k
12
votes
2
answers
5k
views
The Gauss circle problem on a hexagonal lattice
Take an infinite hexagonal lattice (or equivalently, an equilateral triangular lattice), with unit spacing between the closest lattice point pairs, and draw a disc of radius $r$ centered on a lattice ...
- 197
6
votes
3
answers
482
views
Herringbone partitions of regions and surfaces
Let $R \subset \mathbb{R}^2$ be a region of the plane bounded
by a Jordan curve. The boundary $\partial R$ could be a polygon,
or a smooth curve—there are variations depending upon boundary ...
- 151k
11
votes
2
answers
797
views
Three half circles on the plane may not meet nicely
Let $H$ denote the union of the northern hemisphere of the unit circle $S^{1}$ with the interval $[-1,1]$ on the $x$-axis. That is, $H=\{(x,\sqrt{1-x^{2}}):-1\le x\le 1\}\cup\{(x,0):-1\le x\le 1\}$
...
- 2,136