Gallai-Sylvester theorem for pairwise intersecting unit circles (Q1864119)
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English | Gallai-Sylvester theorem for pairwise intersecting unit circles |
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Gallai-Sylvester theorem for pairwise intersecting unit circles (English)
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17 March 2003
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Author proves a conjecture of \textit{A. Bezdek} [Geom. Dedicata 33, 227-238 (1990; Zbl 0699.52003)], which states that for any finite set \(\mathcal F\) with \(|{\mathcal F}|\geq 5\) of pairwise intersecting unit circles in the Euclidean plane, there is an intersection point that lies on exactly two circles. This theorem is an analogue to the famous Gallai-Sylvester theorem in its dual form [see \textit{J. J. Sylvester}, Mathematical question 11851, Ed. Times 59, 98-99 (1893) and \textit{T. Gallai}, Solution of problem 4065, Am. Math. Mon. 51, 169-171 (1944)]. If the set \(\mathcal F\) has exactly four circles, there is exactly one family of configurations that provides the only counterexamples possible, namely there are three unit circles intersecting in one common point \(p\), each of them meeting the other circles in two points. The forth circle is determined by the three intersection points different from \(p\). In fact, the author also shows that for \(|{\mathcal F}|= 4\) this is the only exception. The nice and tricky proof is elementary and uses angles (mostly between lines going through the midpoints of the circles) as one of the main tools.
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Gallai-Sylvester theorem
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circle
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intersection point
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