Periodic reflecting paths in right triangles

DOI10.1007/BF01264095MaRDI QIDQ1801622zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Fred B. Holt

Publication date 27 March 1994

Published in Geometriae Dedicata (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01264095

zbMATH Keywords

periodic billiard pathsreflectionsright triangle

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Inequalities and extremum problems in real or complex geometry (51M16) Inequalities and extremum problems involving convexity in convex geometry (52A40)

Review text

In contrast to smooth convex boundaries the existence and variety of periodic billiard paths for a billiard table bounded by a convex polygon is an open problem which has been solved in particular cases only [see \textit{V. Klee} and \textit{S. Wagon}: Old and new unsolved problems in plane geometry and number theory, Vol. 11 in Dolciani Math. Expos., MAA (1991; Zbl 0784.51002)]. Here the case of a right triangle is discussed. The author obtains as his main result the following: Let \(\beta\) represent the smallest interior angle of some right triangle, and let \(N=\lceil \pi/ 2\beta \rceil-1\). Then each point interior to the shorter leg of the right triangle lies on a unique periodic reflecting path of \((4k+2)\) reflections per cycle for all \(k=1,2,\ldots,N-1\); and each point interior to some subsegment of the shorter leg lies on a unique periodic reflecting path of \(4N+2\) reflections per cycle. The main tool for obtaining these paths is to construct a rhombus or a fan from the given triangle by reflections at suitable sides such that periodic paths are represented by straight lines in the figures. The paths obtained have the property that every directed segment is traversed in both directions. Furthermore, it is shown that there are no periodic paths in right triangles of 3, 5, or 7 reflections per cycle.

Recommendations

• Obtuse Triangular Billiards II: One Hundred Degrees Worth of Periodic Trajectories
• On periodic billiard trajectories in obtuse triangles
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• Billiards and Rational Periodic Directions in Polygons
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Cites work

• Billiards and Rational Periodic Directions in Polygons
• Closed trajectories for quadratic differentials with an application to billiards
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 51916 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3272440 (Why is no real title available?)
• Teichmüller curves in moduli space, Eisenstein series and an application to triangular billiards

Cited in

(8)

• Periodic billiard orbits in right triangles.
• Hearing the shape of right triangle billiard tables
• When good theories make bad predictions
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5664251 (Why is no real title available?)
• Obtuse Triangular Billiards I: Near the (2, 3, 6) Triangle
• The billiard ball motion problem. II: \(l_p\)-balls in \(\mathbb R^3\), \(1< p<\infty\)
• The mystery of the sealed box
• On the existence of Fagnano trajectories in convex polygonal billiards

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