Solution of the propeller conjecture in \(\mathbb R^3\) (Q368772)

The authors prove the following inequality for measurable partitions of \(\mathbb{R}^3\): let \(\{A_1, A_2, \ldots, A_k\}\) be such a partition and for every~\(i\) calculate the (vector-valued) integral \(x_i=\int_{A_i} x\,\roman{d}\gamma(x)\), where \(\gamma(x)\)~is the Gauss measure; then \(\sum_{i=1}^k\|x_i\|_2^2 \leq 9\pi^2\). The bound is attained for the partition of \(\mathbb{R}^3\) into three wedges of angle \({2\over3}\pi\) (in cylindrical coordinates: \(A_i\) consists of the points for which \(\theta\in\bigl[{2\over3}\pi(i-1), {2\over3}\pi i\bigr)\)). The proof reduces the problem to a large list of inequalities; these are verified by computer, the code is available from the authors. The problem was proposed by \textit{S. Khot} and \textit{A. Naor} in [Mathematika 55, No. 1--2, 129--165 (2009; Zbl 1195.68114)] where one can find the complexity-theoretic motivation for it.