Compactness Theorems for Geometric Packings
Abstract
Moser asked whether the collection of rectangles of dimensions 1 x 1/2, 1/2 x 1/3, 1/3 x 1/4, ..., whose total area equals 1, can be packed into the unit square without overlap, and whether the collection of squares of side lengths 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, ... can be packed without overlap into a rectangle of area pi^2/6-1. Computational investigations have been made into packing these collections into squares of side length 1+epsilon and rectangles of area pi^2/6-1+epsilon, respectively, and one can consider the apparently weaker question whether such packings are possible for every positive number epsilon. In this paper we establish a general theorem on sequences of geometrical packings that implies in particular that the ``for every epsilon'' versions of these two problems are actually equivalent to the original tiling problems.
- Publication:
-
arXiv Mathematics e-prints
- Pub Date:
- May 2000
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.math/0005054
- arXiv:
- arXiv:math/0005054
- Bibcode:
- 2000math......5054M
- Keywords:
-
- Metric Geometry;
- Combinatorics;
- General Topology;
- 52C17 (52C15;
- 54H99)
- E-Print:
- 10 pages