An integration approach to the Toeplitz square peg problem
From MaRDI portal
Publication:4599264
DOI10.1017/FMS.2017.23zbMATH Open1422.52001arXiv1611.07441OpenAlexW2963291216WikidataQ99829631 ScholiaQ99829631MaRDI QIDQ4599264FDOQ4599264
Authors: Terence Tao 
Publication date: 19 December 2017
Published in: Forum of Mathematics, Sigma (Search for Journal in Brave)
Abstract: The "square peg problem" or "inscribed square problem" of Toeplitz asks if every simple closed curve in the plane inscribes a (non-degenerate) square, in the sense that all four vertices of that square lie on the curve. By a variety of arguments of a "homological" nature, it is known that the answer to this question is positive if the curve is sufficiently regular. The regularity hypotheses are needed to rule out the possibility of arbitrarily small squares that are inscribed or almost inscribed on the curve; because of this, these arguments do not appear to be robust enough to handle arbitrarily rough curves. In this paper we augment the homological approach by introducing certain integrals associated to the curve. This approach is able to give positive answers to the square peg problem in some new cases, for instance if the curve is the union of two Lipschitz graphs that agree at the endpoints, and whose Lipschitz constants are strictly less than one. We also present some simpler variants of the square problem which seem particularly amenable to this integration approach, including a a periodic version of the problem that is not subject to the problem of arbitrarily small squares (and remains open even for regular curves), as well as an almost purely combinatorial conjecture regarding the sign patterns of sums for ranging in finite sets of real numbers.
Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.07441
Recommendations
Convex sets in (2) dimensions (including convex curves) (52A10) Products and intersections in homology and cohomology (55N45)
Cites Work
- Title not available (Why is that?)
- Plane and projective meanders
- Quadrangles inscribed in a closed curve
- A note on Makeev's conjectures
- Title not available (Why is that?)
- Inscribed squares and square‐like quadrilaterals in closed curves
- A general Clebsch-Gordan theorem
- Rectangles inscribed in symmetric continua
- Finite sets on curves and surfaces
- Inscribed Squares in Plane Curves
- The inscribed square conjecture in the digital plane
- The Table Theorem
- Two discrete versions of the inscribed square conjecture and some related problems
- A survey on the square peg problem
- Title not available (Why is that?)
- A note on Toeplitz' conjecture
- Fulton-MacPherson compactification, cyclohedra, and the polygonal pegs problem
- Configuration spaces, multijet transversality, and the square-peg problem
- What is \(\dots\) an infinite swindle?
Cited In (20)
- The rectangular peg problem
- Rectangles, curves, and Klein bottles
- Title not available (Why is that?)
- Polygons inscribed in Jordan curves with prescribed edge ratios
- A trichotomy for rectangles inscribed in Jordan loops
- Four Lines and a Rectangle
- On the square peg problem and its relatives
- On sets intersecting every square of the plane
- Every Jordan curve inscribes uncountably many rhombi
- Inscribed rectangle coincidences
- A solution to two old problems by Menger concerning angle spaces
- ANY CYCLIC QUADRILATERAL CAN BE INSCRIBED IN ANY CLOSED CONVEX SMOOTH CURVE
- SPLITTING LOOPS AND NECKLACES: VARIANTS OF THE SQUARE PEG PROBLEM
- Configuration spaces, multijet transversality, and the square-peg problem
- Pushing a rectangle down a path
- Quadrilaterals inscribed in convex curves
- The Topology of Square Pegs in Round Holes
- Families of similar simplices inscribed in most smoothly embedded spheres
- Non-orientable slice surfaces and inscribed rectangles
- Title not available (Why is that?)
This page was built for publication: An integration approach to the Toeplitz square peg problem
Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q4599264)
