arXiv research

For a positive integer $n\ge 3$, the collection of $n$-sided polygons embedded in $3$-space defines the space of geometric knots. We will consider the subspace of equilateral knots, consisting of embedded $n$-sided polygons with unit length edges. Paths in this space determine isotopies of polygons, so path-components …

Every open Riemann surface can be triangulated with equilateral triangles.

An equilateral stick number $s_{=}(K)$ of a knot $K$ is defined to be the minimal number of sticks required to construct a polygonal knot of $K$ which consists of equal length sticks. Rawdon and Scharein [12] found upper bounds for the equilateral stick numbers of all prime knots through 10 crossings by using algorithm…

A closed equilateral random walk in 3-space is a selection of unit length vectors giving the steps of the walk conditioned on the assumption that the sum of the vectors is zero. The sample space of such walks with $n$ edges is the $(2n-3)$-dimensional Riemannian manifold of equilateral closed polygons in $\mathbb{R}^3$…

Napoleonic triangles don't exist in hyperbolic geometry.

We address the question of determining the eigenvalues $λ\_n$ (listed in nondecreasing order, with multiplicities) for which Courant's nodal domain theorem is sharp i.e., for which there exists an associated eigenfunction with $n$ nodal domains (Courant-sharp eigenvalues). Following ideas going back to Pleijel (1956), …

Study on Laplacian determinant in isosceles triangles, finding equilateral triangle minimizes determinant.

Paper calculates eigenvalues of a specific triangle on a sphere.

We study the configuration space of equilateral and equiangular spatial hexagons for any bond angle by giving explicit expressions of all the possible shapes. We show that the chair configuration is isolated, whereas the boat configuration allows one-dimensional deformations which form a circle in the configuration spa…

We show that an appropriate generalization of the oriented area function is a perfect Morse function on the space of three-dimensional configurations of an equilateral polygonal linkage with odd number of edges. Therefore cyclic equilateral polygons (which appear as Morse points) are interpreted as independent generato…

New proof confirms flat equilateral torus is λ1-maximal.

The hyperbolic structure of equilateral pentagons is mapped to a tiling of the hyperbolic plane.

Geometric proof shows primes of form 3k+1 are norms of Eisenstein integers.

Study reveals a universal formula for knotting in random equilateral polygons.

Few years ago we developed jointly with I.Dynnikov new discretization of complex analysis (DCA) based on the two-dimensional manifolds with colored black/white triangulation. Especially deep results were obtained for the Euclidean plane with equilateral triangle lattice. In the present work we develop a DCA theory for …

The oriented area function $A$ is (generically) a Morse function on the space of planar configurations of a polygonal linkage. We are lucky to have an easy description of its critical points as cyclic polygons and a simple formula for the Morse index of a critical point. However, for planar polygons, the function $A$ i…

An edge tessellation is a tiling of the plane generated by reflecting a polygon in its edges. We prove that a polygon generating an edge tessellation is one the following eight types: a rectangle; an equilateral, 60-right, isosceles right, or 120-isosceles triangle; a 120-rhombus; a 60-90-120 kite; or a regular hexagon…

Fast algorithm samples confined polygons efficiently.

A compact Riemann surface is derived from a moduli space of equilateral pentagons.

Solved Dudeney's 100-year-old puzzle about triangle to square dissection.

Recently Penskoi [J. Geom. Anal. 25 (2015), 2645-2666, arXiv:1308.1628] generalized the well known two-parametric family of Lawson tau-surfaces $τ_{r,m}$ minimally immersed in spheres to a three-parametric family $T_{a,b,c}$ of tori and Klein bottles minimally immersed in spheres. It was remarked that this family inclu…

For a nontrivial knot $K$, Negami found an upper bound on the stick number $s(K)$ in terms of its crossing number $c(K)$ which is $s(K) \leq 2 c(K)$. Later, Huh and Oh utilized the arc index $α(K)$ to present a more precise upper bound $s(K) \leq \frac{3}{2} c(K) + \frac{3}{2}$. Furthermore, Kim, No and Oh found an upp…

Polygon $p$-widths are found via billiard trajectories.

Recently, F. Balacheff proved that the Calabi-Croke sphere made of two flat 1-unit-side equilateral triangles glued along their boundaries is a local extremum for the length of the shortest closed geodesic among the Riemannian spheres with conical singularities of fixed area. We give an alternative proof of this theore…

Random walks and polygons are used to model polymers. In this paper we consider the extension of writhe, self-linking number and linking number to open chains. We then study the average writhe, self-linking and linking number of random walks and polygons over the space of configurations as a function of their length. W…

Using a ramified cover of the two-sphere by the torus, we prove a local optimal inequality between the diastole and the area on the two-sphere near a singular metric. This singular metric, made of two equilateral triangles glued along their boundary, has been conjectured by E. Calabi to achieve the best ratio area over…

Generalizing Courant's nodal domain theorem, the "Extended Courant property" is the statement that a linear combination of the first $n$ eigenfunctions has at most $n$ nodal domains. In a previous paper (Documenta Mathematica, 2018, Vol. 23, pp. 1561--1585), we gave simple counterexamples to this property, including co…

Given a closed binding curve $γ$ of a surface $Σ$, any equivalence class of marked complete hyperbolic structure can be decomposed into polygons(possibly with a puncture) with sides being hyperbolic geodesic segments. When $Σ$ is a one-holed torus and $γ= A^3 B^2$, we show that any equivalence class of marked complete …

In this note we prove that any minimal $2$-torus in $S^4$ has Morse index at least $6$, with equality if and only if it is congruent to the Clifford torus in some great $S^3\subset S^4$.For a minimal $2$-torus in $S^n$ with vanishing Hopf differential, we show that its index is at least $n+3$, and that this estimate is…

Locally finite complexes with polyhedral $CAT(0)$ metrics are arborescent.

For applications in computing, Bezier curves are pervasive and are defined by a piecewise linear curve L which is embedded in R^3 and yields a smooth polynomial curve C embedded in R^3. It is of interest to understand when L and C have the same embeddings. One class of counterexamples is shown for L being unknotted, wh…

Study calculates eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for spherical triangles and finds fundamental gap behavior.

Using Takahashi theorem we propose an approach to extend known families of minimal tori in spheres. As an example, the well-known two-parametric family of Lawson tau-surfaces including tori and Klein bottles is extended to a three-parametric family of tori and Klein bottles minimally immersed in spheres. Extremal spect…

We investigate the relationship between a discrete version of thickness and its smooth counterpart. These discrete energies are defined on equilateral polygons with $n$ vertices. It will turn out that the smooth ropelength, which is the scale invariant quotient of length divided by thickness, is the $Γ$-limit of the di…

We study Kauffman's model of folded ribbon knots: knots made of a thin strip of paper folded flat in the plane. The ribbonlength is the length to width ratio of such a ribbon, and it turns out that the way the ribbon is folded influences the ribbonlength. We give an upper bound of $n\cot(π/n)$ for the ribbonlength of $…

We characterize the three-dimensional spaces admitting at least six or at least seven equidistant points. In particular, we show the existence of $C^\infty$ norms on $\R^3$ admitting six equidistant points, which refutes a conjecture of Lawlor and Morgan (1994, Pacific J. Math \textbf{166}, 55--83), and gives the exist…

We investigate a discrete version of the Möbius energy, that is of geometric interest in its own right and is defined on equilateral polygons with $n$ segments. We show that the $Γ$-limit regarding $L^{q}$ or $W^{1,q}$ convergence, $q\in [1,\infty]$ of these energies as $n\to\infty$ is the smooth Möbius energy. This re…

This paper proves that for large n, the regular polygon minimizes the first eigenvalue of the Laplacian.

According to Courant's theorem, an eigenfunction as\-sociated with the $n$-th eigenvalue $λ\_n$ has at most $n$ nodal domains. A footnote in the book of Courant and Hilbert, states that the same assertion is true for any linear combination of eigenfunctions associated with eigenvalues less than or equal to $λ\_n$. We c…

Complex hyperbolic triangle groups were first considered by Mostow in building the first nonarithmetic lattices in PU(2, 1). They are a natural generalization of the classical triangle groups acting on the hyperbolic plane. A well-known theorem of Takeuchi is that there are only finitely many Fuchsian triangle groups t…

The study counts triangulations of a projective plane with specific vertex valencies.

The study proves all prime knots up to 10 crossings have superbridge index ≤ 5.

We compute the integer cohomology rings of the ``polygon spaces'' introduced in [Hausmann,Klyachko,Kapovich-Millson]. This is done by embedding them in certain toric varieties; the restriction map on cohomology is surjective and we calculate its kernel using ideas from the theory of Gröbner bases. Since we do not inver…

Two algorithms create high-quality triangular meshes for surfaces with guaranteed angles.

New bounds show triangulated surfaces are evenly distributed in moduli space.

The first eigenvalue of the Laplacian on a surface can be viewed as a functional on the space of Riemannian metrics of a given area. Critical points of this functional are called extremal metrics. The only known extremal metrics are a round sphere, a standard projective plane, a Clifford torus and an equilateral torus.…

The first algorithm for sampling the space of thick equilateral knots, as a function of thickness, will be described. This algorithm is based on previous algorithms of applying random reflections. To prove the existence of the algorithm, we describe a method for turning any knot into the regular planar polygon using on…

Study local geometry of bi-contact structures on 3-manifolds.