Shortest closed curve to contain a sphere in its convex hull (Q6570073)

The main result of the paper (Theorem 1.1) is as follows. If \(\gamma:[a,b] \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^3\) is a closed rectifiable curve of length \(L\) and \(r\) is the inradius of the convex hull of \(\gamma\), then \(L \geq 4\pi r\). Equality holds only if, up to a reparameterization, \(\gamma\) is simple, \(C^{1,1}\), lies on a sphere of radius \(\sqrt{2}r\), and traces consecutively \(4\) semicircles of length \(\pi r\) (``the baseball curve''). This theorem generalizes the authors' solution in [J. Reine Angew. Math. 781, 57--84 (2021; Zbl 1482.53006)] of a conjecture by \textit{V. A. Zalgaller} [St. Petersbg. Math. J. 8, No. 3, 1--13 (1996; Zbl 0884.52002); translation from Algebra Anal. 8, No. 3, 1--13 (1996)]. For the analogous problem in \(n\) dimensions, the authors included the estimate \(L \geq Cn\sqrt{n} r\) (which is sharp up to the constant \(C\)), obtained by \textit{F. Nazarov}.