Cutting a bunch of grapes by a plane (Q5946642)

Let \({\mathcal B}_n\) be a family of \(n\) disjoint balls in \(d\)-dimensional euclidean space \(\mathbb{R}^d\). If \(d=2\) the term disk is used in place of ball. The max-min ratio of \({\mathcal B}_n\) is the ratio \(\lambda\) of the maximum radius divided by the minimum radius among the balls of \({\mathcal B}_n\).NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe authors prove two interesting results. (1) If \(d=2\) and \(\log (\lambda) =o(n)\), then there is a line both sides of which contain \((n/2)-o(n)\) intact disks. Such a line is called an almost-halving line. (2) For every constant \(c>0\) there is a family of \(n\) disjoint disks in \(\mathbb{R}^2\) with \(\log (\lambda)= cn\) that has no almost-halving line.NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe authors also consider the case of \(\mathbb{R}^3\). In \(\mathbb{R}^3\) they show that there is a family of \(n\) disjoint balls such that every plane \({\mathcal P}\) in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) has a side containing at most 2 intact balls of the family. Corresponding to result (1) above, they also prove that if \(\log (\lambda)= o((n/ \log(n))^{1/3})\) for a family \({\mathcal B}_n\) of \(n\) disjoint balls, then there is a plane in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) both sides of which contain \((n/2)- o(n)\) intact balls of \({\mathcal B}_n\).