A direct proof of a theorem of Blaschke and Lebesgue. (Q1608522)

The Blaschke-Lebesgue theorem states that the Reuleaux triangle has the smallest area among all two-dimensional convex bodies. Here the author gives a nice analytic proof of this theorem by studying the underlying variational problem. In comparison with other proofs it has the advantage that it leads analytically to the shape of the optimal body without prior knowledge of the minimiser. It is still an open problem to classify the bodies of constant having smallest volume in dimensions \(\geq 3\).