Questions tagged [open-problems]

If it turns out that a problem is equivalent to a known open problem, then the open-problem tag is added. After that, the question essentially becomes, "What is known about this problem? What are some possible ways to approach this problem? What are some ways that people have tried to attack it before, and with what results?"

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An open problem in convex geometry

Is it possible to find four norms $\| \cdot\|_k$ $( 1 \leq k \leq 4)$ on the plane such that a three-dimensional normed space containing four subspaces isometric to these normed planes does not exist? ...
alvarezpaiva's user avatar
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19 votes
2 answers
1k views

Floors of rationals to powers: Infinite number of primes?

Let $r=a/b$ be a rational number in lowest terms, larger than $1$, and not an integer (so $b > 1$). Q. Does the sequence $$ \lfloor r \rfloor, \lfloor r^2 \rfloor, \lfloor r^3 \rfloor, \...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
6 votes
0 answers
261 views

Stability of analytic Zariski structures

Noetherian Zariski structures are introduced by Hrushovski and Zilber(1996). An analytic Zariski structure is a generalization of Noetherian Zariski structures, introduced by Zilber and Peatfield. ...
Mostafa Mirabi's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
6k views

Automorphisms of the L-function associated to an elliptic $\mathbb{Q}$-curve

$\DeclareMathOperator\Aut{Aut}\newcommand{\alg}{\mathrm{alg}}\newcommand{\an}{\mathrm{an}}$Edited after Noam Elkies' comment: From what I understand (very little actually), there exist elliptic curves ...
Sylvain JULIEN's user avatar
13 votes
0 answers
701 views

Second duals of Grothendieck spaces

The classical example of a Grothendieck space is $\ell_\infty$. It is also known that its even duals $\ell_\infty^{**}$, $\ell_\infty^{(4)}$, $\dots$ are Grothendieck spaces. (See, e.g., this note ...
Aleksei Lissitsin's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
288 views

Positively curved Riemannian manifolds

Let $M$ be a compact Riemannian manifold with positive sectional curvature whose universal covering space is diffeomorphic to $S^n$. Is $M$ diffeomorphic to a spherical space form? I know, by a ...
Jayq's user avatar
  • 367
7 votes
4 answers
2k views

Interactions of number theoretic conjectures and other fields of mathematics

There are many interesting open conjectures in number theory. My question is not about partial results or possible ways to prove them. It is about their interactions with the other fields of ...
2 votes
1 answer
477 views

Any results towards the irrationality of the sum of reciprocals of perfect numbers? [closed]

This question is a follow up to my comment to Sum of the reciprocal of perfect numbers. I would like to know which results have been published about the possible irrationality of the sum of ...
Sylvain JULIEN's user avatar
25 votes
1 answer
2k views

A Question on 1, 2 ,3 Conjecture

The 1, 2, 3 conjecture is well-known: If $G$ is a simple graph which is not $K_2$ then one can assign a number among $1, 2, 3$ to every edge such that if we label each vertex with the sum of the ...
Rahman. M's user avatar
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7 votes
4 answers
496 views

A Special Pair of Models for ZFC (New Version)

Are there two models $M$ and $N$ for $\text{ZFC}$ such that: (1) $M\subseteq N$ (2) $\aleph_{1}^{N}=\aleph_{1}^{M}$ (3) $\aleph_{2}^{N}=\aleph_{\omega +1}^{M}$ Update: According to Peter's useful ...
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6 votes
0 answers
626 views

Forcing with c.c.c forcing notions, Cohen reals and Random reals

I think the following question is due to Prikry: Question. Is it consistent that any non-trivial c.c.c forcing notion adds a Cohen real or a Random real? Is the question still open? What partial ...
Mohammad Golshani's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
891 views

A Hot Betting On HOD

Remark: This question is based on an open question at the end of a paper by Hamkins, Kirmayer, and Perlmutter: "Generalizations of the Kunen Inconistency". $HOD$ as an inner model of $ZFC$ lies ...
user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
183 views

A challenging non homogenous fractional inequality

I have posted this question on Stackexchange but it has received no answer so far. It is a challenging generalization of several difficult inequalities, where none of the usual methods used in ...
Wolfgang's user avatar
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11 votes
1 answer
913 views

Euclidean real quadratic fields

It is known that, under GRH, a real quadratic field is Euclidean iff it is a UFD. So, assuming the conjecture of Gauss and GRH, we expect that there are infinitely many Euclidean real quadratic fields....
Pritam Majumder's user avatar
24 votes
1 answer
750 views

Decidability of equality of elementary expressions

In the following definition the term expression is to be understood as a finite tree built from formal symbols without any predefined meaning assigned to them. Define the set $\mathcal{E}$ of ...
Vladimir Reshetnikov's user avatar
14 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is the Steiner ratio Gilbert–Pollak conjecture still open?

Gilbert-Pollak conjecture on the Steiner ratio: Consider a set $P$ of $n$ points on the euclidean plane. A shortest network interconnecting $P$ must be a tree, which is called a Steiner minimum ...
zenos's user avatar
  • 171
13 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is $\varliminf_{n \rightarrow +\infty} |n \sin n| = 0$ correct, where $n$ is an integer?

Is it true that $\varliminf_{n \rightarrow +\infty} |n \sin n| = 0$, where $n$ runs over the integers? The existence of the limes inferior follows from Dirichlet's approximation theorem, but the ...
Y.X's user avatar
  • 399
2 votes
4 answers
1k views

Product of exponents of prime factorization

Let $p(n)$ be the product of the exponents of the prime factorization of $n$. For example, $$p(5184) = p(2^6 3^4) = 24 \;,$$ $$p(65536) = p(2^{16}) = 16 \;.$$ Define $P(n)$ as the number of iterations ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
280 views

What are the divisors of $2n^2 - \sigma_{1}(n^2)$ for composite $n$?

What are the divisors of $2n^2 - \sigma_{1}(n^2)$ for composite $n$? Here, $\sigma_{1}$ is the classical sum-of-divisors function. For example, $\sigma_{1}(3^2) = 1 + 3 + {3^2} = 13$. (The function ...
Jose Arnaldo Bebita Dris's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
282 views

Can six square numbers be simultaneously represented in a single sum of consecutive odd numbers? [closed]

I had some free time from my work to do a little exploration regarding the existence (or non existence) of perfect cuboids. A solution is represented by the set of Diophantine equations: $a^2 + b^2 = ...
Richard Skinner's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
542 views

Graphs with graphic imbalance sequences

Let $G$ be simple undirected graph and $e=uv\in E(G)$. The imbalance of the edge $e$ is the value $imb(e)=|d(u)-d(v)|$. Let $M_{G}$ denotes the imbalance sequence (or more correctly, multiset of ...
Sergiy Kozerenko's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
456 views

Passing C through a slot

Question: Given a closed curve C, what will be the (bounds on) dimension of the interval it will pass through? i.e. which are the necessary and sufficient conditions for a planar compact set C to pass ...
ARi's user avatar
  • 841
9 votes
0 answers
893 views

Tarski Monster group with prime 5

Does the Tarski Monster group with prime 5 exist? I know that for 2 and 3, the group does not exist, but what about 5?
D. N.'s user avatar
  • 283
5 votes
0 answers
594 views

Do the banded operators check the invariant subspace problem?

Let $H$ be an infinite dimensional separable Hilbert space and $B(H)$ the algebra of bounded operators. Invariant subspace problem: Let $T \in B(H)$. Is there a non-trivial closed $T$-invariant ...
3 votes
1 answer
230 views

Equiprojective polyhedra

Seeing Garabed Gulbenkian's question (which was inspired by Joel Hamkins' question), reminds me of an analogous problem which I believe remains open, and which some might find intriguing. Define an ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
16 votes
2 answers
943 views

Tiling the square with rectangles of small diagonals

For a given integer $k\ge3$, tile the unit square with $k$ rectangles so that the longest of the rectangles' diagonals be as short as possible. Call such a tiling optimal. The solutions are obvious in ...
Wlodek Kuperberg's user avatar
23 votes
3 answers
2k views

Integer-distance sets

Let $S$ be a set of points in $\mathbb{R}^d$; I am especially interested in $d=2$. Say that $S$ is an integer-distance set if every pair of points in $S$ is separated by an integer Euclidean distance. ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
608 views

Small quadrilaterals containing a given convex region

It is easy to prove that (*) Every convex planar set of area 1 is contained in a quadrilateral of area 2. It is also easy to see that statement (*) remains true if the constant 2 is replaced with a ...
Wlodek Kuperberg's user avatar
47 votes
0 answers
2k views

Set-theoretic reformulation of the invariant subspace problem

The invariant subspace problem (ISP) for Hilbert spaces asks whether every bounded linear operator $A$ on $l^2$ (with complex scalars) must have a closed invariant subspace other than $\{0\}$ and $l^2$...
Nik Weaver's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

A question about the Axiom of Choice

Let AC denote the Axiom of Choice. Let PP denote the so-called "Partition Principle" which states that "If S is a non-empty set and T is a non-empty set of pairwise disjoint subsets of S, then S can ...
Garabed Gulbenkian's user avatar
30 votes
2 answers
10k views

Open problems in algebraic topology and homotopy theory

Some time ago (I see it was initially written before 1999?) Mark Hovey assembled a list of open problems in algebraic topology. The list can be found here. Some of the problems I know about have been ...
12 votes
1 answer
623 views

A conjecture by Euler about $8n+3$

Euler's conjecture: For any positive integer $n$, $8n+3$ can be represented as a sum $$8n+3=(2k-1)^2+2p,$$ where $k$ is a positive integer, and $p$ is a prime. I want to know whether there has been ...
Ziang Chen's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
396 views

Counting factors: is this approach in the literature on multiperfect numbers?

Does the following approach (or something near it) exist in the number theory literature? I will provide some motivation for $\omega(p^n - 1)$ as $n \rightarrow \infty$ and for this question. First, ...
The Masked Avenger's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
927 views

List of open problems of formal languages [closed]

As we know, there are some open problems of formal languages. I am wondering if there is a somehow complete list of open problem of formal languages. If there isn't such a list, can we make it one as ...
XL _At_Here_There's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
358 views

Does this modified Hasse principle hold for curves?

Let $C$ be a curve over $\mathbb Q$ with a point $P$ on $Pic^1$. For each $\mathbb Q$-rational point $Q$, $Q-P$ is a point on the Jacobian $J$. We can use the map $H^0(\mathbb Q, J) \to H^1(\mathbb Q,...
Will Sawin's user avatar
  • 135k
11 votes
1 answer
422 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) ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
2k views

Distinctive property of the primes 17 and 19?

Consider the question whether it is true that a prime number $p$ divides $1^1+2^2+3^3+....+(p-1)^{p-1}$ if and only if $p \in \{17,19\}$. For the obvious heuristic reasons, for large $n$ one would ...
Mihir Sheth's user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
1k views

Optimal inspection path on a sphere

Suppose you would like to "inspect" every point of a unit-radius sphere $S \subset \mathbb{R}^3$ by walking along a path $\gamma$ on $S$, but you can only see a distance $d$ from where you ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
608 views

A conjecture on closed discrete subset

I am struggling with this old problem, which is also posted here: Let $X$ satisfy countable chain condition(abbreviated as CCC) and $X$ has a regular $G_\delta$-diagonal. Then the cardinality of $X$...
Paul's user avatar
  • 634
39 votes
5 answers
3k views

Surfaces filled densely by a geodesic

Which smooth, closed surfaces $S \subset \mathbb{R}^3$ have no single geodesic $\gamma$ that fills $S$ densely? Say a geodesic $\gamma$ "fills $S$ densely" if the closure of the set of points ...
Joseph O'Rourke's user avatar
36 votes
12 answers
17k views

Open problems in PDEs, dynamical systems, mathematical physics

(This question might not be appropriate for this site. If so, I apologize in advance. I would have posted to mathstack, but I'm looking for advice from active researchers.) I am an undergrad in math ...
0 votes
0 answers
554 views

Known and unknown about Ramanujan's tau function

What is a good reference for open problems relating to the Ramanujan tau function? I know about Lehmer's conjecture. I know the following reductions of the problem: the smallest counterexample must ...
DavidLHarden's user avatar
  • 3,575
3 votes
1 answer
1k views

Collatz conjecture— finite state machine transducer construction, origination?

wikipedia has an entry on the Collatz conjecture with a section on As an abstract machine that computes in base two. this apparently describes a construction of a FSM transducer computing sequential ...
vzn's user avatar
  • 529
16 votes
1 answer
904 views

Is it true that every f.g. infinite simple group has exponential growth?

Is it true that every finitely generated infinite simple group has exponential (word-)growth? Remark: As Mark Sapir has pointed out, the question whether every finitely generated group of ...
Stefan Kohl's user avatar
  • 19.5k
11 votes
4 answers
2k views

problems from the scottish book

Which of the problems from the Scottish Book (pdf of English version) by Stefan Banach are still open? I know that one of the problems was solved by Per Enflo for which he got a live goose from ...
9 votes
1 answer
455 views

Is there any o-minimal expansion of the real field with functions of growth higher than exponential?

Let $\bar{\mathbb{R}}$ be the structure of the real field, that is $(\mathbb{R},0,1,+,-,*,<)$ . We say that a function $f$ is of growth higher than exponential if for all $N\in \mathbb{N}$ there $f(...
Santiago's user avatar
  • 345
1 vote
1 answer
990 views

An open problem on general topology

There is an open problem in this paper: Classes defined by stars and neighbourhood assignments by van Mill and others. Problem 4.8. Is a regular (Tychonoff) star compact space metrizable if it has a $...
Paul's user avatar
  • 634
16 votes
3 answers
3k views

open problems in Seiberg-Witten Theory on 4-Manifolds

What are some of the open problems in Seiberg-Witten Theory on 4-Manifolds.I tried googling but couldn't any. I tried googling it, but couldn't find any resources.The places where I can a survey or ...
7 votes
0 answers
473 views

How many values a polynomial map misses?

Let $F$ be a field. For a uni-variate polynomial $f(x)$ over $F$,let $M_f(F)$ denote the number of values that $f$ misses, that is, the cardinality of the subset $F - f(F)$ in $F$. Assume that $f$ is ...
dwan's user avatar
  • 71
17 votes
1 answer
890 views

Randomly switching street lights, in a square city

This is a combinatorics-probability question, best stated however in "recreational" terms. Imagine a $N\times N$ city, meaning that we have $N$ horizontal streets, and $N$ vertical streets. At each ...
Richard's user avatar
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