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10 votes
1 answer
673 views

A random variation on Pólya's orchard problem

Pólya's orchard problem is as follows: "How thick must the trunks of the trees in a regularly spaced circular orchard grow if they are to block completely the view from the center?" See, e....
3 votes
0 answers
187 views

Approximating any $d$-dimensional convex shape that occupies a constant fraction of its bounding box with a polytope having $\mathrm{poly}(d)$ facets

Given any convex set $A\in\mathbb{R}^d$, we denote by $V(A)$ its $d$-volume. Furthermore, given any two convex sets $A_1,A_2\in\mathbb{R}^d$, we denote by $V_{A_1,A_2}$ the $d$-volume of the symmetric ...
7 votes
0 answers
162 views

Approximating any convex shape in $\mathbb{R}^d$ with a polytope having $\mathrm{poly}(d)$ facets

We denote by $V(A)$ the $d$-volume of any convex set $A$. Furthermore, given any two convex sets $A,B\in\mathbb{R}^d$, we denote by $V_{A,B}$ the $d$-volume of the symmetric difference $V\left(A \...
2 votes
1 answer
190 views

Estimating the volume of a convex shape in higher dimensions based only on normal sections

We are given a $d$-dimensional convex shape $S$ inscribed in the hypercube $[-1,1]^d$. We want find an approximation of its volume based only on a set of curves given by the intersection of the $S$ ...
5 votes
1 answer
430 views

Volume of a shape whose boundary consists of portions of spheres symmetrically placed about the origin in $d\gg 1$ dimensions

We are given a convex shape $S$ in the $d$-dimensional Euclidean space, whose boundary is formed by portions of $2d$ different spheres, one portion per sphere. The radius of each sphere is the same, $...
3 votes
1 answer
218 views

Bounding the number of facets of a polytope to approximate a given convex shape in higher dimensions

We are given a convex shape $S$ lying inside the hypercube $[0,1]^d$ in the $d$-dimensional Euclidean space. Let the volume $V(S)$ of $S$ be $\tfrac12$ (I guess nothing changes for any other fixed ...
4 votes
0 answers
144 views

Approximation of a convex shape in the $d$-dimensional Euclidean space for $d\gg 1$

We are given a convex shape $C$ lying inside the hypercube $[0,1]^d$ in the $d$-dimensional Euclidean space. Let the volume of $C$ be $\tfrac12$ (I guess nothing changes for any other fixed constant ...
1 vote
0 answers
153 views

Is there a polynomial expression for the volume of the following set?

Denote the unit $\ell_2$ ball in $\mathbb{R}^n$ as $\mathcal{B}_n$. It is widely kown that for a convex body $\mathcal{K}\subseteq \mathbb{R}^n$, the $n$-dimensional volume of the parallel body $\...
9 votes
1 answer
338 views

Visibility in a growing orchard

This is a variant on Polya's orchard problem.1,2 Suppose trees are planted randomly in the plane. The question is: How many trees are visible from the origin as their radii grow? More precisely, ...
2 votes
1 answer
151 views

Given an input point in $\mathbb{R}^n$, select (one of) the closest point(s) from a fixed large set of points given in advance

We are given a set $S$ of $m\gg 1$ points in $\mathbb{R}^n$. In the problem I am trying to solve, in a sequential fashion, we obtain a new point $p_r\not\in S$ at each round $r\ge 1$ and the goal is ...
2 votes
1 answer
404 views

Euclidean distance bound with geometric constraints

Let $S_n$ be a set of $n$ points belonging to $\mathcal{B}_d:=\{\mathbf{x}\in\mathbb{R}^d:\|\mathbf{x}\|_2\le 1\}$, where $d\ll \log(n)$. Let $s_n$ and $\ell_n$ be respectively defined as follows: $$...
19 votes
1 answer
448 views

Precise estimate for probability an $n$-point set has diameter smaller than $1$

This question was inspired by an earlier question that I answered but would like a more precise bound for. Consider random points $x_1, \dots, x_n$ in the unit ball in $\mathbb R^d$, uniformly and ...
3 votes
1 answer
473 views

On 4 random points in a rectangle [closed]

Given a bounded rectangular area, I generate 4 random points. What is the probability that the fourth point lie within a triangle formed the first 3? How would I attack this problem? The goal is to ...
7 votes
0 answers
122 views

Discrepancy of the finite approximation of the Lebesgue measure

Let $\mu$ be a probabilistic measure on the unit square $Q$ which is the average of $N$ delta-measures in some points in this square; let $\lambda$ denote the Lebesgue measure on $Q$. What is the rate ...
2 votes
1 answer
110 views

A questions concerning Laguerre/Voronoi tessellations

Fix $n>1$ distinguished points $x_1,\ldots, x_n\in \mathbb R^d$, the Voronoi tessellations are the subsets $V_1,\ldots V_n\subset\mathbb R^d$ defined by $$V_k~~ := ~~ \big\{x\in\mathbb R^d:\quad |...
7 votes
0 answers
209 views

Stabbing disks in space, or: Galactic alignment

I have a collection of $n$ unit-radius disks in $\mathbb{R}^3$, whose centers are random within a sphere of radius $R>1$, and which are each oriented randomly. I'd like to find a line $L$ that ...
16 votes
3 answers
2k views

A random walk on random lines

I am wondering if this random walk remains finite with positive probability. Start with three lines $A,B,C$ that are extensions of an equilateral triangle. Let $p_0$ be one corner. Generate a line $...
15 votes
1 answer
2k views

Ping-pong relief map of a given function z=f(x,y)

I have an idea to design a type of Galton's Board to "draw" a relief map of a given two-dimensional function $z=f(x,y)$. A typical Galton's Board drops, say, ping-pong balls through a series of evenly ...
4 votes
1 answer
263 views

Knotted TSP tours in 3D?

In the plane, the Euclidean TSP tour never crosses itself—it is always a simple polygon. I am wondering if there is a similar constraint for the Euclidean TSP tour of points in $\mathbb{R}^3$. ...
17 votes
4 answers
823 views

Sweep-segment bot: Will this random walk sweep the plane?

This model is inspired by the random behavior of the Roomba sweeping robot. Let a unit segment $ab$ in the plane be placed initially with $a=(0,0)$ and $b=(1,0)$. The segment is first rotated a ...
16 votes
1 answer
1k views

Random polycube shapes

I am wondering if it is hopeless to obtain any firm results on the following model of a "random polycube shape." First, a polycube in $\mathbb{R}^3$ is a connected face-to-face gluing of unit cubes. (...
7 votes
1 answer
318 views

Finding a short path using $(0.99n)!$ permutations

Suppose I have $n$ points $x_1,\dots,x_n$ that are all independent uniform samples in the unit square, and I'd like to find a short path (in terms of Euclidean length) that touches all of them (a ...
4 votes
0 answers
94 views

Finding closest set of K disjoint hyperspheres to a point in $\mathbb{R}^n$ with uniform radius

I am interested in the following problem: in $\mathbb{R}^n$, we have $N$ overlapping hyperspheres all with the same radius. Given a point $p$ in $\mathbb{R}^n$, the objective is to find the $K$ non ...
9 votes
4 answers
371 views

Diameter of random segment intersection graph?

I have an even number of points $n$ randomly distributed (uniformly) in a disk. Then the points are randomly connected to form $n/2$ segments, a perfect matching. Finally, I form the intersection ...
3 votes
1 answer
197 views

Three-dimensional Apollonian spirals

Given mutually (externally) tangent spheres $S_1$, $S_2$, $S_3$, $S_4$, let $S_n$ be the unique sphere externally tangent to $S_{n-1}$, $S_{n-2}$, $S_{n-3}$, and $S_{n-4}$ for $n \geq 5$. Let $P_{\...
15 votes
2 answers
571 views

Spearing rolling hula hoops

Or: Stabbing rolling disks. Imagine there are $n$ unit-diameter disks rolling between $x=0$ and $x=d$, reflecting off either end. The disk centers start at a random location within $[\frac{1}{2}, d-\...
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 ...
7 votes
3 answers
377 views

Expected minimum face angle of random convex polyhedron in $\mathbb{R}^3$

Let $P_n$ be a "random convex polyhedron" in $\mathbb{R}^3$ of $n$ vertices, where "random" could follow any one of a number of models: (1) the convex hull of $n$ points randomly and uniformly ...