Covering squares with squares (Q1580737)

The authors consider covering a square \(Q\) by the sequence \(\{Q_n\}\) of squares, where \(Q_n\) has side of length \(x^n\) for \(n=1,2,\dots\). Here \(0<x<1\). The length of the side of the largest open square \(Q\) that can be covered by the sequence \(\{Q_n\}\) is denoted by \(f(x)\). It is shown that if \(0<x\leq 2-\sqrt 2\), then \(f(x)=1\), and that the number \(2-\sqrt 2\) cannot be enlarged here. The estimate \(f(x)>\sqrt{(2-x^2)/ (1-x^2)}-2\) is proved. Moreover, the value of \(f(x)\) is established for some specific \(x\); for instance \(f(x)=x+ x^2+ x^5\) if \(0.58937 \dots\leq x\leq 0.58944\dots\). The two numbers are zeros of some particular polynomials.