Points at rational distance from the vertices of a unit polygon (Q974705)

A \textit{unit \(n\)-gon} \(P_n\) is a regular \(n\)-gon with unit side length. This article deals with the following problem: (P1): Is there a point in the plane of \(P_n\) that is at rational distance from the vertices of \(P_n\). For the unit equilateral triangles \((n=3)\) the answer is yes and the set of such points is dense in the plane of \(P_3\) (see [\textit{J. H. J. Almering}, ``Rational quadrilaterals,'' Nederl. Akad. Wet., Proc., Ser. A 66, 192--199 (1963; Zbl 0117.28501)] and [\textit{T. G. Berry}, ``Points at rational distance from the corners of a unit square,'' Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci., IV. Ser. 17, No. 4, 505--529 (1990; Zbl 0726.11041)]). For the unit square (\(n=4\)) the problem is still open. The author proves the following theorem: 1 For \(n=5\), the answer to (P1) is NEGATIVE. 2 For \(n=6\), the answer to (P1) is POSITIVE. 3 For all \(n\geq7\), the answer to (P1) is NEGATIVE, except {perhaps} when \(n\in\{8,12,24\}\). The proof relies on the consideration of some \textit{flat} fields (\(F\) is a flat field if every subfield \(E\) of \(F\) is such that the Galois group \(\text{Gal}(E/\mathbb Q)\) is a \(2\)-group): let \(r_1,r_2,\dots,r_n\) be nonnegative rational numbers then \(\mathbb Q(\sqrt{r_1}\pm\sqrt{r_2}\dots\pm\sqrt{r_n})\) is a flat field. The key-tool lies in the following observation: when the answer to \((P1)\) is positive for a given \(n\geq 3\), then an identity as \[ \frac{n}{4}\cot{\frac{\pi}{n}}=\sqrt{r_1}\pm \sqrt{r_2}\dots+\pm\sqrt{r_n} \] must occur, but such identity is impossible for \(n=5\) and all \(n\geq 7\) provided that \(n\not\in \{8,12,24\}\). The author sets the following problems: 1) Solve problem (P1) in the case \(n=8\) (respectively \(n=12\) or \(n=24\)). 2) Are there points other than the centroid of the unit hexagon \(P_6\) that are at rational distance from the vertices of \(P_6\)?