On the Steiner ratio in 3-space (Q1345879)

fiven a finite point set \(P\) in \(\mathbb{R}^d\) a minimum spanning tree (MST) of \(P\) is a network of minimal total length interconnecting \(P\) by segments with endpoints in \(P\), while in a Steiner minimal tree (SMT) of \(P\) additional nodes are allowed. The Steiner ratio \(\rho = \rho (P)\) of \(P\) is the length of its SMT divided by the length of an MST of \(P\), and \(\rho_d\) is the infimum of \(\rho (P)\) taken over all (finite) point sets in \(\mathbb{R}^d\). The authors investigate \(\rho_d\) for \(d > 2\) \((\rho_2\) being recently proved to be \({1 \over 2} \sqrt 3\), see \textit{D.-Z. Du} and \textit{F. K. Hwang} [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87, No. 23, 9464-9466 (1990; Zbl 0707.05018)] or [Algorithmica 7, No. 2/3, 121-135 (1992; Zbl 0774.05027)]. A point set \(P\) with \(\# P = n\) is constructed for each \(n > d\) by glueing regular \(d\)-simplices face-to-face such that the \((k - 1)\)-th simplex and the \(k\)-th one have vertices numbered \(k, \ldots, k + d\) in common, \(P\) is the set of vertices of the resulting chain of simplices. This point set (to be precise: the two-sided infinite version) is called a \(d\)-sausage and the authors conjecture: The infinite 3-sausage achieves \(\rho_3\); this would yield \(\rho_3 = 0,784 \ldots\). (This conjecture must not be confused with the sausage conjecture concerning the packing of balls, see \textit{P. M. Gruber} and \textit{J. M. Wills} (eds.), Handbook of convex geometry. Volume B (1993; Zbl 0777.52002), Ch. 3.4.) The authors present extensive heuristic evidence and computer calculations to support this conjecture, though the best rigorous lower bound is \(0,615 \ldots\). In fact the \(d\)-sausage is record holder concerning the minimal known value of \(\rho\) for every dimension \(d\).