On the transversal Helly numbers of disjoint and overlapping disks (Q2502309)

Let \(\mathcal F\) denote a family of unit diameter discs in the plane. Let \(T(k)\) be the property that any subfamily \(\mathcal F'\subseteq \mathcal F\) of \(k\) discs has a line transversal, i.e., a line intersecting each disc in \(\mathcal F'\). Call \(\mathcal F\) \(t\)-disjoint if the distance between each pair of centres is greater than \(t>0\). For each \(k\geq 3\), let \(t_k\) be the infimum of the \(t>0\) such that any \(t\)-disjoint \(\mathcal F\) with property \(T(k)\) has a line transversal. The paper shows that \(t_3=\sqrt{2}\), \(t_4=2\sqrt{3}\), and \(t_k\leq c/(k-3)\) for all \(k\geq 5\), where \(c\approx 6.2508\). In particular, for each \(t>0\), a \(t\)-disjoint family \(\mathcal F\) has a finite transversal Helly number. It is also shown that asymptotically \(t_k\gtrsim \pi/k\) as \(k\to\infty\), which gives \(t_k=\Theta(1/k)\). Reviewer's remark: The survey on geometric transversals cited in the paper is by \textit{R.~Wenger} [Chapter 4 of Handbook of Discrete and Computational Geometry, J.E.~Goodman, J.~O'Rourke, eds., CRC Press. 63--82 (1997; Zbl 0912.52006)].