No Helly theorem for stabbing translates by lines in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) (Q701792)

For any integer \(n>2\) the authors construct a compact convex set \(K\subset\mathbb{R}^3\) and a finite family \(\mathcal{F}\) of disjoint translates of \(K\) in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) such that any \(n-1\) members of \(\mathcal{F}\) admits a line transversal, but not all members of \(\mathcal{F}\) do. The members of \(\mathcal{F}\) in the given construction lie in disjoint parallel slabs. Labeling the slabs going from left to right, say, one obtains an ordering of the members of \(\mathcal{F}\) such that any \(n-1\) members of \(\mathcal{F}\) are met by a line transversal consistently with this ordering; consequently there is no Hadwiger-type theorem for line transversal to families of disjoint translates in \(\mathbb{R}^3\).